NHTSA Complaint #10135784 — 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

1. PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 4/05. 2. 8/26/05 WHILE DRIVING ON I-81 THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING AND MAKING A TAPPING NOISE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED OVER, COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP OF PURCHASE. 3. 8/26/05 -CYLINDER HEAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT AND DAMAGED THE HEAD. EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT/REPAIR BECAUSE IT "WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MOVING LUBRICATED PART." VEHICLE WOULD BE READY BY FRIDAY, 9/2/05. 4. ORIGINAL TECHNICIAN AT SCHOOL, AND NEW TECHNICIAN WOULD BE ASSIGNED. NEW DATE FOR VEHICLE TO BE READY WEDNESDAY 9/7/05. 5. TURNED IN MY RENTAL CAR ON 9/7/05. AFTER TEST DRIVE BY DEALERSHIP THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO STILL HAVE A PROBLEM. GOT A RIDE HOME. RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT 5:30PM ADVISING THAT THE "TIMING CHAIN PULLEY" NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. PART ORDERED AND VEHICLE MAY BE READY ON 9/8/05. NO DISCUSSION ON THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS ADDITIONAL REPAIR. 6. GO TO HTTP://CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/FORD_SPARK.HTML AND YOU WILL FIND THAT SINCE JUNE 2001 THIS SPARK PLUG DEFECT HAS BEEN REPORTED. 7. COSTS ARE EXTENSIVE FOR THE REPAIR IN EXCESS OF $3000, AND I'VE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 4 MONTHS AND DROVE IT ONLY 2 MONTHS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN AWAY WITH THE VIRGINIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD. 8. NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS PROBLEM WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN SINCE FORD HAS NOT RECALLED THE VEHICLES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOW CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK FOR THE REPAIR? I FEEL THAT I HAVE PURCHASED A LEMON AND I ALSO FEEL THAT THE DEALERSHIP KNEW MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE THAN THEY REVEALED. I WOULD LIKE THE VEHICLE EXCHANGED FOR ONE OF EQUAL VALUE. *JB