2.0

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
79,616 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #4

Aug 102012

Monterey 6-cyl

  • 115,170 miles
When my 10 year old son was getting in the car today he noticed that the 3rd row seat was wobbly and moving around. We saw that the latch that holds the seat in place was no longer there! in its place was a hole to the outside of the car. I looked in the drivers-side rear wheel well and saw that the entire latch anchor plate had rusted completely off! thankfully I noticed this before we got on the road because the anchor plate was laying lodged between the wheel and the body of the car - who knows what type of accident or further damage could have occurred to our own vehicle or to others who could have been in the path of the falling, detached plate. I have 3 children and can no longer drive my van since the rear seat is not fully attached to the vehicle and my children are too young to ride in the front seat - not to mention the large, gaping hole in my car. It appears that the passenger-side plate is rusting through as well. This is a 2004 and should not be having such severe rust issues that entire pieces of the body are falling off.

- Etters, PA, USA

problem #3

Jun 172012

Monterey 6-cyl

  • 128,264 miles
On June 17, 2012 my son went to sit in the rear seat and the seat dropped. Then we heard a noise from that same wheel. I took it to our mechanic the next day and they said that the latch for the rear seat and floor has rusted through and causing the floor to fall on the tire which now has a big chunk out of it. He said that we should no longer use the rear seats. He said that with the progression that rust moves that we will only be able to use this van for maybe another year. This van is only 8 years olds and has serious interior rust issues. I would only think that this is a safety issue since we can no longer safely put anyone in the rear seats and when this happened it could have caused a tire to blow out.

- Olathe, KS, USA

problem #2

May 162012

Monterey 6-cyl

  • 74,000 miles
While driving car, the rear of vehicle started making loud grinding noise while making right turn. Result-rear wheel wells corroded causing the 3rd row seat anchor to completely detach from the vehicle resulting in exposing the interior of vehicle and rendering the third seat unsafe to use.

- Parma, OH, USA

problem #1

May 302004

Monterey 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,030 miles
The front wheel of the 2004 Mercury Monterey fell off. The vehicle had 1030 miles on it when it happened. It was in for a safety/courtesy/new car check at 600 miles where the dealer said he retorqued the wheels. 400 miles later we had a noise in the braking system -- the tech said there was a tsb on it and they ordered the parts. 30 miles later, the front wheel fell off and damaged the fender, door, suspension, bumper fascia, etc. The service manager stated that the tech did not take the wheels off the vehicle but did test drive the vehicle. When we picked up the van, my wife asked the service mgr if the van was okay to drive, he said the noise was a nuisance but safe. 30 miles later the whell came loose. 2 lug nuts came off, studs remained on van. Two other lugnuts had the studs with them and sheared off. The 5th lug nut and stud are not to be seen or found. The aluminum alloy wheels have oval not round holes in 4 of the 5 bolt holes. If the tech did not take the wheel off at the 1000 mile service but did retighten at 600 miles, then in 400 miles the wheel worked loose. Thus we may have a dangerous problem with these wheels and lugnuts. The fear is, how do I know it will not happen again after it is repaired.

- Mars, PA, USA