FaultScore

1998 Mercury Mountaineer suspension problems

11 of the 298 complaints about the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer are about the suspension — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 210,000 miles.

F

11

Complaints

5

Crashes

1

Fires

4

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Front 6 54.5%
Suspension 3 27.3%
Wheel Bearing 2 18.2%

Suspension across every Mercury Mountaineer year

1997 16 19.8%
1998 11 13.6%
2002 42 51.9%
2003 12 14.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 210,000 miles South Pittsburg, TN

SUSPENSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRE RODS, WHEEL BEARINGS, AND THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,000.

NHTSA complaint #10618577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Solon, OH Crash 1 injured

SUSPENSION:FRONT

TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON I-71 NEAR LODI, OH I DRIFTED ON TO THE GRASSY MEDIAN AND WHEN I TRIED TO PULL IT BACK TO THE PAVEMENT WITNESSES SAID THAT THE VEHILCE FLIPPED FIRST LANDING ON THE REAR END THE CONTINUE UNTIL IT LANDED ON ITS WHEELS. ALTHOUGH I WAS DRIVING, I DON'T REMBER ANYTHING AFTER TURNING THE WHEEL UNTIL THE STATE TROOPER SPOKE TO AS THE RESCUE SQUAD WAS REMOVING ME FROM THE CAR. *AK (DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRESIZE: STANDARD)

NHTSA complaint #751875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tokeland, WA

SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING

WHEEL BEARINGS WENT OUT. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #561574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Boca Raton, FL

SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING

CONSUMER STATES DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE MECHANIC SAW THE FRONT BUSHINGS WERE SHREDDED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #892124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Evergreen, CO Crash

SUSPENSION:FRONT

FRONT END ALWAYS OUT OF ALIGNMENT WHEN CHECKED EVERY 3,000 MILES. HAD TO REPALCE TIRES BECAUSE OF UNEVEN TREAD WEAR 2 TIMES. FIRST TIME REPLACEMENT VEHICLE HAD ONLY 12,000 MILES. SECOND TIME WE REPLACED TIRES WAS AT 29,680 MILES. METAL-ON-METAL SOUND OFTEN COMES FROM FRONT END AS WELL. VEHICLE LOST CONTROL WITHOUT ANY DRIVER PROVOCATION AND CASHED INTO ROAD SIDE RAIL. REAR-END SPUNOUT AND VEHICLE DID A 360. NO OTHER VEHICLES PRESENT AND BRAKES NOT APPLIED LEADING TO SPIN-OUT. LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING. DEALER ADMITS TO FRONT END/SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, BUT CLAIMS MANUFACTURER "DOES NOT STAND BEHIND PROBLEMS" MY FAMILY IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #740041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

SUSPENSION:FRONT

WHEN DRIVING HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. HAD IT REPAIRED, GRINDING HAPPENED AGAIN. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER CAN'T PUT IN DRIVE ONLY SECOND.

NHTSA complaint #876630 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hutchinson, KS Crash Fire 1 injured 1 killed

SUSPENSION

CONSUMER HAD JUST TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND WAS TRAVELING ON A DIRT ROAD WHEN VEHICLE JERKED TO RIGHT AND THEN ROLLED OVER. CONSUMER AND HER DAUGHTER WERE THROWN OUT FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS, AND DAUGHTER WAS KILLED UPON IMPACT. ALSO VEHICLE EXPLODED INTO FLAMES.

NHTSA complaint #868481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

NEW Market, MD Crash 2 injured

SUSPENSION:FRONT

WE WERE GOING FROM HOUSTON TO MARYLAND. IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE TRUCK BEGAN TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY, BEFORE WE COULD PULL IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE TIRE BLEW OFF THE TRUCK, AND MY WIFE AND MYSELF FOUND OURSELVES WRAPPED AROUND A TREE. WE HAD OUR TWO DOGS AND TWO CATS WITH US, IN THEIR CRATES IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. WE LOST ONE CAT, AND OUR GERMAN SHEPHERD HAD HIS SPINAL CORD CRUSHED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO BE PUT TO SLEEP. NOW WE HEAR THAT FORD KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO MORE PEOPLE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD BE SO NEGLEGENT. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FATALITIES HAD WE NOT HIT THAT TREE EXACTLY WHERE WE DID. WE ARE CONSIDERING FILING SUIT, AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE. THANKYOU. WHEN YOU CALL US, WE CAN PROVIDE THE VIN NUMBER, I JUST DID NOT HAVE IT RIGHT NOW. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA complaint #726554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Toledo, OH

SUSPENSION:FRONT

THIS IS FOURTH TIME I'VE HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE IN FOR A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE IN FRONT END (METAL TO METAL SOUNDS).

NHTSA complaint #719238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Columbia, AK Crash

SUSPENSION

THIS VEHICLE WENT COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL, ROLLING ONTO IT'S SIDE AFTER DRIVER TRIED TO CORRECT AN INAPPROPRIATE LANE CHANGE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY POINT IN TIME IN WHICH THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. THERE WERE NO DEATHS OR SERIOUS INJURIES CAUSED, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THERE WAS VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND IT OCCURRED AT A POINT ON THE ROADWAY WHERE THERE WERE NO TREES, GUARDRAILS OR ETC. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A PARTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES, BUT THE SENSITIVE STEERING WAS MOST UNFORGIVING! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REQUIRE THE MANUFACTURERS TO CORRECT THESE SAFETY HAZARDS, BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST!( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 15 )

NHTSA complaint #700635 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cleveland Heights, OH 4 injured

SUSPENSION:FRONT

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED , THE FRONT SUSPENSION BROKE IN HALF, DROPPING TO THE GROUND , THROWING THE OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE TO SUSTAIN INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #822042 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1998 Mercury Mountaineer problems

← Full 1998 Mercury Mountaineer report