started losing power, did not want to go pas 30 miles per hr, then it ramed up and came to a stop with no acceleration, i shut it off then start it again and was able to get home at a low rate of speed while continuing to have these problems, another day while far away from home the engine rammed up again minimizing my speed as the transmission was slipping and not go fast then my O/D over drive went on flashing a light, while the engine kept steady at 20-30 miles per hour while accelerating increasing no speed, now my SUV will not run wright, it will kick into gear at times constantly and cause problems driving safely, this is a common problem I'm hearing and reading in the internet with the ford/ mercury mountaineer the manufactory does not want to accept responsibility with this problem..... this is clear a RECALL ISSUE that needs to be addressed before someone gets killed on the highway by getting rammed by a semi-truck which it almost happened to me !!!! a multi-million dollar law suit is in order if they do not acknowledge and fix this problem

- East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

I purchased a used 2005 Mercury Mountaineer last month, with 135,400 miles, while using cruise control and traveling approximately 35 mph, the road went from level to a very slight downgrade. The car then just shut off after audible warning bell was heard. Noticed dashboard lights were all lit and battery gage was normal. I lost power steering, brakes and oil pressure. After pulling safely to the side of the road, I rested for 30 seconds before restarting the car, which subsequently operated normally. After taking it in for an oil change and safety check, I went on a 450 mile weekend trip and had no issues, restricting cruise control to highway speeds. The other day, I was traveling on a different stretch of level road in my town while using cruise control at approx. 35 mph. After heading into a slight downgrade, I again heard the warning bell, followed by engine shut off. A "check gage" light came on and I lost power steering, oil pressure and brakes. This time, I gently shifted the car into neutral, and while coasting at 15-20 mph I turned the ignition off before restarting without issue. The car has subsequently operated normally, but I have not engaged the cruise control at any speed.

- Weston, CT, USA

Sometimes when I'm driving around 35 mph, the car will send an audible warning signal, most of the dashboard lights come on and the engine abruptly shuts off. It never happens with my wife who is the primary driver of this vehicle. This began shortly after purchase and was mentioned to our L/M dealer (before they went out of business). I just made the correlation with the speed control last weekend. In fact, I can duplicate the issue now. The shutoff occurs during deceleration when speed control is engaged around 35 mph. Since my wife only uses speed control on the interstate, it has never happened to her.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. While leaving a drive-thru, the vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into an oncoming vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The passenger in the contact's vehicle sustained injuries to the back, neck, and spine which required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a collision center. The failure mileage was unavailable.

- Galveston, TX, USA

I had the cruise control set on 30 mph driving in a residential area. Without warning, all the lights on my dash flashed, and my vehicle lost all power. Very scary. No more power steering, no power brakes, while coasting through a neighborhood. I put the car in neutral, turned the key off, back on again, and put the car back in drive. That fixed the problem. This is very scary and dangerous!! this is the third time it has happened to me. I am afraid to use the cruise control on my car now :(

- Kaukauna, WI, USA

The engine has shut off twice while driving using cruise control. The first time I was able to get to the side of road and restart it.. the second time I put it in neutral and restarted it while moving. I am afraid to use the cruise control now - if there had been oncoming traffic we would've had a head-on collision as I was on a corner and went into the other lane. When the engine shuts off, the power steering is gone leaving it very difficult to turn.

- Federal Way, WA, USA

Speed control shut off while driving on highway @65 mph. Scarey.

- Wethersfield, CT, USA

2005 Mercury Mountaineer cruise control emergency while driving my wife's 2005 Mercury Mountaineer at approximately 50 mph and using the cruise control the engine shut off. (dangerous and scary) I immediately placed the engine in neutral and restarted it with no trouble. Fortunately we were on a straight road. The engine shut down appeared to occur because the cruise control de-accelerated the engine while coasting down hill (using the cruise control) to below 400 RPM's. below 400 RPM's the engine stops. The car speed, length of the downward coast, and hill slope appeared to affect the stoppage. If the speed control signals an increase prior to bottoming the RPM's the engine will continue to run, if not it will shut off loosing oil pressure, power steering, and power brakes. My wife doesn't normally use the cruise control, which is fortunate for her. I'm sure if she were driving when this occurred she would have coast to a stop of worse if it happened while going around a curve. I was able to duplicate this problem four times by picking a hill with the right conditions and setting the speed at around 45 to 50 mph. I called the dealer where she bought the car new and was told there are no recalls on her car, however; while searching the internet we found that the same problem has occurred numerous times on Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer's. we've set and appointment at the dealer for a diagnosis.

- North Wales, PA, USA

Purchased a new 2005 Mercury Mountaineer in 7/31/2005 the first time the car accelerated when the brakes were applied and the car had to be put in neutral to stop. The dealer reported that there were no known fixes for this problem at this time. The second time while pulling into my driveway when the brakes were applied the car accelerated and crash into my garage door. This time the dealer blamed my wife and said she must have pressed the gas and brake peddles at the same time. The car sustained front end body damage and my garage door needs to be replaced. The car has been at the dealer since the accident happened and we are still waiting to find out what is Ford's determination of this issue and what they will do to get us out of this car and into something else.

- Bay Shore, NY, USA