NHTSA Complaint #10394932 — 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

NEW SHOWROOM 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED TWICE WITHOUT WARNING; NO OVERHEATING, NO DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATORS EITHER TIME. JULY 2004/ODOMETER READING 92213, THE MECHANICS AT THE FREEWAY LINCOLN MERCURY WERE BAFFLED. THEY ADVISED ME THAT ALL THE FLUIDS WERE IN THE VEHICLE. LATER (ONE WEEK) THEY FOUND A "HOLE" IN THE RADIATOR. I WAS TOLD I HAD A NEW ENGINE, WITH A NEW WARRANTY. 2ND TIME WAS JUNE 06, ODOMETER 166199,(NEW ENGINE 73986) NO WARNING, NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS, NO OVERHEATING. PER A DIFFERENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC NOT ONLY WAS THE ENGINE NOT NEW BUT IT HAD SEVERE CORROSION IN IT AND SHOWED SIGNS OF MULTIPLE OVERHEATING CONDITIONS. THEY TOLD ME OF AN "ALL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" DATED 1/21/02 FOR MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE REGARDING THE "ENGINE HEAD GASKET"---"SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHICLE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA DUE TO PARTICLE CONTAMINATION OR SCRATCHES AND DENTS TO BLOCK MATING SURFACES." ACTION: REFER TO THE FOLLOWING SERVICE INFORMATION FOR RECOMMENDED GASKET SEALING SURFACE PREPARATION PROCEDURES. IF THE ENGINE DIAGNOSIS POINTS TO A FAULTY HEAD GASKET (LEAKS OIL, LEAKS COOLANT, OIL OR COOLANT CONTAMINATION, OR AIR IN COOLANT), THOROUGH CLEANING PROCEDURES ARE NECESSARY FOR A SUCCESSFUL HEAD GASKET REPAIR. DIAGNOSIS AND POST- REPAIR CONFIRMATION CAN BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY UTILIZING LEAK DETECTION METHODS SUCH AS A BLACK LIGHT DYE PROCESS. SERVICE PROCEDURE:TO SUM UP, A SUCCESSFUL LEAK REPAIR DEPENDS ON:ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF THE LEAK USING FORD-RECOMMENDED TEST EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES .SURFACE PREPARATION AND GASKET INSTALLATION USING THE APPROVED TOOLS, CLEANERS, AND METHODS.EXERCISING CARE AND CLEANLINESS DURING DISASSEMBLY/ASSEMBLY OF COMPONENTS USE OF GENUINE FORD OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS<USE OF A FORD REMANUFACTURER