10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,000 miles

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problem #4

Apr 042007

Mountaineer

  • 115,000 miles
I had just gotten into the driver's seat of my parked 1997 Mercury Mountaineer at an auto repair shop lot when I remembered that I needed to retrieve an article from underneath the seat. I got out of the vehicle and knelt down next to it. As I reached under the seat, the car door hit me and dragged me along the ground. I then realized the vehicle was not only moving in reverse but was picking up speed, as it was on a slight incline. I knew I could not stop this heavy SUV; I also saw that its left front tire was heading right for me. I was then a 60-year-old female who had played sports and was still in good physical condition. I did a football-style tuck and rolled away from the Mountaineer to avoid getting run over. The vehicle stopped moving only after hitting another parked and unoccupied vehicle: The pickup truck that belonged to the owner of the auto repair shop. Local police investigated and found no human error or fault; no ticket was issued. Also, while I suffered some scrapes and bruises I did not need emt or hospital attention. I reported this first-ever accident to my auto insurance company, but the adjuster expressed no interest in following up on what I and the auto repair shop owner still believe to be its root cause: A Ford SUV transmission design flaw that allows for slippage out of park position under inexplicable conditions, such as pavement incline and/or motor vibration. No transmission parts were damaged or replaced on this vehicle because of this incident; nor has there been a repeat of this problem.

- Kennesaw, GA, USA

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problem #3

Sep 232004

Mountaineer

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles
While driving, the transmission slipped. The RPM started racing at a high rate. The consumer restarted the vehicle.

- New Port Richey, FL, USA

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problem #2

May 072002

Mountaineer

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Consumer states the overdrive light was on and end of gear selector does not light up, dealer found blown fuse causing internal shift lever short, replaced shift lever assembly and re-routed wiring.

- Martinez, CA, USA

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problem #1

Aug 151996

Mountaineer

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While vehicle was parked on an incline with ignition running vehcile jumped into reverse and went about 300 feet and hit 2 parked vehicles.

- Oxford, MS, USA

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