NHTSA Complaint #10281185 — 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER V8 AWD 4.6 TRANSMISSION FAILURE. VEHICLE HAD UNDER 60,000 MILES, BUT HAD SURPASSED EXTENDED WARRANTY TIME FRAME. REVERSE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. SHIFTED VERY HARD THROUGH GEARS. SOMETIMES TACKING AT 3000 RPM. TOOK TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. REPAIRED AT A COST OF 2600.00. HAVE SINCE RETURNED VEHICLE TO SAME PLACE FOR SAME ISSUES PLUS TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT LIGHT AND LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. SEAT BELTS LOCKED DOWN FOR NO REASON. WOULD NOT RETRACT. CALLED DEALER, COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I WAS OVER RESTRAINT WARRANTY BY 3000 MILES. HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS. FRONT AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON OR BLINKS, OR IS OFF. CALLED DEALER, STATED REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO MILEAGE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW JUNE 2002. TODAY IT HAS 65,00 MILES ON IT. IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY ON THE HIGHWAY FOR VACATIONS. HAVE HAD SEVERAL SMALL REPAIRS THAT WERE COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS VEHICLES DRIVE TRAIN AND SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM TO INCLUDE SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAG ISSUES. WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS I SEE ON LINE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND FRONT AIR BAG ISSUES, SEEMS TO ME SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO HELP THOSE OF US THAT PURCHASED IN GOOD FAITH WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN A FORD/ MERCURY OWNER SINCE 1971. THIS IS THE FIRST VEHICLE I HAVE HAD THAT HAD MAJOR ISSUES. *TR