NHTSA Complaint #10211338 — 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING 2002 MOUNTAINEERS AND EXPLORERS, I CAN HARDLY TYPE I AM SO FRUSTRATED. THE NUMBER OF POWER TRAIN COMPLAINTS FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL ARE ASTOUNDING. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 MOUNTAINEER (AKA MONEY SUCKER) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING FIXED AT THE FORD DEALER FOR $3500. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS HAD A FUNNY SHUTTER WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD AS WELL AS HESITATION WHEN DROPPING INTO REVERSE AND DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING IN ICY CONDITIONS YESTERDAY MY WIFE THOUGHT HER TIRES WERE SPINNING WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO PROCEED AT A STOP LIGHT. SHE THANKFULLY AVOIDED BEING REAR ENDED BY A SEMI THAT WAS ABLE TO SWERVE ONTO THE APRON AND AVOID CONTACT WITH HER. SHE WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE SHE THEN CALLED ME. AFTER I ARRIVED, I ATTEMPTED TO GET THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE IT COULD BE DIAGNOSED. HOWEVER, THE CAR WOULD ONLY REACH 30MPH AND THE RPMS WERE AT 4,000 TO 5,000 AT THAT SPEED. THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I PARKED IT AND REMOVED THE BATTERY CABLES FOR 10 MINUTES TO SEE IF THE COMPUTER WOULD RESET ITSELF ? THIS DID NOT HELP. IN FACT, THE CAR WOULD NOT EVEN MOVE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. HAD THE DEALER PICK IT UP TO GET IT FIXED. THIS CAR HAS 108,000 MILES ON IT ? NOT EXACTLY KNEW THIS IS TRUE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES TO GET THAT MANY MILES OUT OF IT ? FROM THE REPORTS I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET. HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED AND REPLACED FRONT LEFT BEARINGS, REAR LEFT BEARING AND HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING THAT MANY HAVE REPORTED ON THIS VEHICLE (BINDING, TENSION, CAN'T MAKE FULL TURNS, POPPING SOUNDS). *TR