105 of the 298 complaints about the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer are about the tires — 35% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 80,000 miles.
105
Complaints
6
Crashes
1
Fires
7
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
TIRES
HAD A WRECK COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. EMERGENCY BRAKE DIDN'T WORK RAN INTO A TREE AND DAMAGED A MAILBOX (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=1998, MAKE=MOUNTAINEER , MODEL=MERCURY ).
NHTSA complaint #10618525 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER REQUESTS LIST OF VEHICLE TIRE TREAD PROBLEMS. *SMD
NHTSA complaint #10498621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
MOVED MY TRUCK TO LET ANOTHER CAR OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY. PULLED BACK IN TURNED THE TRUCK OFF CAME IN THE HOUSE AND HEARD A LOUD BOOM. LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND FIRE WAS SHOOTING UP BY THE WHEEL.
NHTSA complaint #10395782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER EQUIPPED WITH TURBO TECH RADIAL A/SR TIRES, LINE SIZE P235/75R15, DOT NUMBER UT1TT2E4305. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN A LOUD POP SOUNDED FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER TWICE AND LANDED ONTO THE CENTER LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A MILD CONCUSSION AND INJURIES TO THE KNEE, BACK AND NECK. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODING. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 149,000.
NHTSA complaint #10361605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
1998 MOUNTAINEER'S TIRES WERE APART OF A RECALL AND CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH WILDERNESS AT TIRES WHICH WERE RECALLED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THESE TIRE IN 2004 AFTER THE CONSUMER WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS RESULT OF THE FAULTY TIRES.
NHTSA complaint #10175374 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING BACK TO WORK AT LUNCH, CLEAR DAY, UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, CLEAR ROAD CONDITIONS, WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS HURT. THE TIRE WAS PUT ON THE VECHICLE BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP DURING THE FIRESTONE RECALL. A PASSERBY HELPED MY WIFE CHANGE THE TIRE. THIS IS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER RTS, P235/75/15.
NHTSA complaint #10073076 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, RIGHT REAR TIRE BEGAN TO MAKE A FLAPPING NOISE, TREAD SEPARATED AND SIDEWALL BURSTED. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES, NO OTHER TIRE INFORMATION GIVEN, *SLC
NHTSA complaint #8014615 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, CONSUMER THEN SWERVED, AND SIDESWIPED A SEMI TRUCK, CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.(FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ESS AT 15 W2HL P235/75R-15)
NHTSA complaint #562551 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
MOUNTAINEER'S FRONT FLOOR BOARD AND SEAT MOUNTING BRAKETS, ESPECIALLY THE PASSENGER SIDE, GET HOT ENOUGH TO BLISTER THE SKIN. WHEN THE FLOOR BOARD IS HOT THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND IT IS HARD TO STEER. THE MOUNTAINEER ALSO HAS EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT WHICH HAD LEAD TO TWO SETS OF TIRES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. IN 3000 MILES THE TIRES ARE WORN ENOUGH THAT THE MERCURY MAKES A WHOMPING SOUND MUCH LIKE A FLAT IS HARD TO TURN AND IS DIFFICULT TO STOP UNTIL I HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED. THE WHOLE PROCESS THEN HAS TO BE DONE AGAIN IN ANOTHER 3000 MILES WHICH ACCORDING TO FORD "SHOULD BE DONE EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE AND THIS IS NORMAL FOR AN SUV."
NHTSA complaint #757683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, CONSUMER THEN SWERVED, AND SIDESWIPED A SEMI TRUCK, CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.(FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ESS AT 15 W2HL P235/75R-15)
NHTSA complaint #562551 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
TIRE SEPARATED ON THE SIDEWALL AND WAS VIBRATING VERY BADLY. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75/R1)
NHTSA complaint #748741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TRAVELLING SOUTHBOUND ON I-35 AT MILEMARKER 20 NEAR CLARKS GROVE MN WHEN LEFT REAR TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING, COMPLETELY SEPARATING TREAD. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO A SAFE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER WHERE SPARE WAS INSTALLED.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235-75R15)
NHTSA complaint #747954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY 44 NEAR SULLIVAN MO. EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS INJURYED IT WAS CERTAINLY A SCARY EVENT.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2UU TIRESIZE: P225/70R15)
NHTSA complaint #745301 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER NOTICED FIRESTONE (VNHL1PY108) TIRES SHOWING SIGNS OF CRACKING AROUND THE TREAD, ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED AND FIRESTONE AGREED TO GIVE CONSUMER PARTIAL CREDIT FOR EACH TIRE, EVEN THOUGH TIRES WERE NOT APART OF RECALL, BUT THE TIRES WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.
NHTSA complaint #560512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00 020; ALL FOUR FIRESTONE TIRES HAVE TREAD SEPARATION. FIRESTONE COMPANY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS AT, P23575/15.
NHTSA complaint #885327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES ON MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER 1998 ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. THREE OF TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE CRACKING. *AK *SLC
NHTSA complaint #882382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE P235/75R15 SIZE, DOT#: W2HL. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 65 MPH, LEFT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *SLC
NHTSA complaint #880067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
ALL FOUR TIRES ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION, TIRES HAVE CRACKS AROUND THE BASE OF THE TREAD, DEALER WILL NOT REPLACED TIRES BECAUSE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 00T-OO5.
NHTSA complaint #558752 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
STEEL BELT SHOWING THROUGH TIRES, CONSUMER TOOK TIRES TO FIRESTONE DEALER BUT WAS TOLD THEY WERE NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER DOT CODE (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15 DOT W2HL). NLM
NHTSA complaint #558354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
BEFORE THE TIRE BLOWOUT I HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED AT THE LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE AND WAS TOLD I HAD NO TIRES THAT FELL UNDER THE TIRE RECALL. WHEN I WENT TO ANOTHER TIRE STORE TO HAVE THE BLOWOUT REPLACED I WAS INFORMED THAT TIRE WAS UNDER THE RECALL, THE VEHILCE WAS INSPECTED AGAIN AND TWO MORE TIRES WERE RECAL TIRES. I WENT BACK TO THE FIRESTONE STORE WERE THE TIRES WERE FIRST INSPECTED AND THE MANAGER TOLD ME I WAS WRONG ABOUT THE TIRES BEING RECALLED AFTER I TOLD ME ANOTHER TIRE STORE HAD REPLACED FOR FREE UNDER THE RECALL DOT NUMBER, I WAS THEN TOLD I COULD NOT PROVE THE TIRES WERE ON RECALL TO HIM SO LEGALLY HE DID NOTHING WRONG BY TELLING HE THE TIRES WERE SAFE SO NOW IT WAS MY WORD AGAINST HIS. I CALLED FIRESTONE CORPORATION AND TOLD THEM THE SAME STORY BUT GOT NO RESPONCE FROM THE COMPANY EATHER.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VDHL TIRESIZE: 235/75R15)
NHTSA complaint #739014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE RIGHT REAR TIRE IS CRACKING AT THE TREAD LINE, THE OTHER THREE TIRES SHOW SAME SIGNS OF CRACKING, THESE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235-75R-15). NLM
NHTSA complaint #557888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER REPLACED FIRESTONE TIRES PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT BUT STILL HAS NOT RECIVED REFUND. NLM
NHTSA complaint #557430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15SL TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO VISIBLE CRACKS BETWEEN THE SIDEWALL AND THE TREAD, THE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE (OOT-005) RECALL, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *MJS
NHTSA complaint #556502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE BELTS OF THE FIRESTONE TIRES WERE BROKEN AND SEPARATING CAUSING A ROUGH RIDE, CONSUMER PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED FROM A COMPETITOR PRIOR TO AUG 9, 2000. NLM
NHTSA complaint #557049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P235/75R15SL TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO VISIBLE CRACKS BETWEEN THE SIDEWALL AND THE TREAD, THE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE (OOT-005) RECALL, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *MJS
NHTSA complaint #556502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE. VEHICLE VEERED OFF INTO A BAR DITCH, AND IT TRAVELED DOWN BAR DITCH, AND HIT GUARDRAIL. THEN WENT SIDEWAYS INTO THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, AND THEN HIT ENBANKMENT. INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A TIRE BLOWOUT.
NHTSA complaint #875719 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES (P235 75 R15) CAUSED VEHICLE TO VIBRATE, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND AND HAS NO MORE PROBLEMS WITH VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #557345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
P23575R15; WHILE HAVING TIRES SERVICED NOTICED TREAD SEPARATION. *AK FIRESTONE PAID FOR PART OF THE TIRE EXPENSES.
NHTSA complaint #875604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
WAS TRAVELING 40MPH WHEN RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW. REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE. TOWED TRUCK TO DRIVER, HE INDICATED ALL TIRES WERE BAD. CAN SEE THE STEEL BELTS COMING THROUGH RUBBER. CONTACTED FIRESTONE & INFORMED NO RECALL ON TIRES.
NHTSA complaint #875452 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
THIS TIRE WAS NOT A RECALL WITH THE VD CODE. IT SUDDENLY FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED BY LOSING PART OF ITS TREAD. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE PLY FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROX 18" ON ONE SIDE OF THE TIRE. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. (DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPY2HL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)
NHTSA complaint #736264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.