2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER Vehicle Speed Control Problems

ON THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON PARKWAY (295 N ) NORTHBOUND, CHANGED LANES TO THE LEFT AND ACCELERATED. THE GAS PEDDLE WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR, STAYED THERE AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I STOOD ON THE BRAKES, BUT ONLY SOMEWHAT SLOWIED THE ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED UNTIL WE REACHED ABOUT 80MPH AND COMING CLOSE TO REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WENT OFF ON THE SHOULDER AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION KEY TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE BRAKE OVERHEATED BRAKES. I COULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY A FLOOR MAT. THE PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR. I WIGGLED AND PULLED AND IT COME BACK UP WITH A POP. IN DAYLIGHT THE NEXT DAY, I INSPECTED THE PEDAL AND PUSHED IT DOWN. IT AGAIN WENT TO THE FLOOR AND STAYED THERE. I SLID UNDER THE DASH AND FOUND THAT THE HORIZONTAL PIN THAT HOLDS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR BRACKET HAD BACKED OUT SIDEWAYS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, ALLOWING THE PEDAL TO GO SOMEWHAT SIDEWAYS AND THE MOTOR FOR THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL ASSEMBLY HAD CAUGHT ON A METAL BRACKET KEEPING THE PEDAL FROM RETURNING TO THE UP POSITION. I REMOVED THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND INSPECTED THE PROBLEM. THIS IS POOR ENGINEERING AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.. THERE ARE NO CLIPS OR PINS TO HOLD THE PEDAL PIN IN PLACE ! ! ! THE ASSEMBLY RELIES ON SLIGHT INTERFERENCE BETWEEN SPLINES ON THE PIN AND SPLINES INSIDE WHERE IT GOES THROUGH THE PEDAL. WHAT HAPPENED WAS, THAT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, FROM THE PEDAL WIGGLING, THE PIN BACKED OUT.FROM USE, ON ITS OWN. AGAIN, THIS NOT SUFFICIENT TO KEEP THE PEDAL ASSEMBLED. IT NEED CLIPS ON BOTH ENDS OR COTTER PINS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE PIN ASSEMBLY. A CONCERN IS THE USE OF PLASTIC BRACKET TO MOUNT THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE, THE MOUNTING BRACKETS HAD BEEN MADE OF METAL. PLASTIC FATIGUES FASTER THAN METAL AND IS PRONE TO CRACKING AND BREAKING. *TR

Mileage: 97,300

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE ENGAGED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD TO BE DEPRESS SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER TO RELEASE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

Mileage: 135,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE ENGAGED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD TO BE DEPRESS SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER TO RELEASE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

Mileage: 135,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL ENGAGED THE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR BOARD. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. AS THE VEHICLE TRIED TO SLOW DOWN THE BRAKES WERE ON FIRE. THE CONTACT THRUST THE GEAR INTO PARK, PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH FAILED TO FUNCTION, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT BEING INJURED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

Mileage: 112,000

2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE STEERING COLUMN . THE OFF BUTTON DOES NOT WORK ,THE BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE APPLIED, AND THE BUTTON TO SLOW DOWN THE TRUCK ALSO DOES NOT WORK . NO SPECIFIC DATE ,A COMPLAINT WAS MADE TO FORD WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG . *TR

Mileage: 85,000

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND TRIED TO STOP FOR RED LIGHT. CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN ON BUT WHEN BRAKES WERE PRESSED VEHICLE WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE STOPPED CARS I PUT TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND RPMS WENT WAY UP. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. HAD CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON INTERSTATE NEXT DAY. BROUGHT TO FORD DEALER AND TOLD IT WAS CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

Mileage: 93,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BEGAN TO RUMBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND FLAMES BEGAN TO ERUPT UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, BUT NOT INSPECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000.

Mileage: 27,000

I READ AN ARTICLE FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE TITLED "STICKY THROTTLES." I HAVE A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER AND THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HAPPENED TO ME ON JULY 13TH. I WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT AND JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO A COMPLETE STOP, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, IT TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THEN STOPPED. SO YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO LOOK A THE 2003 MODEL ALSO. THE ARTICLE I MENTIONED IS BELOW. STICKY THROTTLES CHICAGO (CHICAGO TRIBUNE)--THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION IS INVESTIGATING 690,000 2002 FORD EXPLORERS AND MERCURY MOUNTAINEER SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLES AFTER COMPLAINTS OF STICKING THROTTLES AND UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE AGENCY'S PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF VEHICLES WITH 4- LITER, 6-CYLINDER ENGINES WAS PROMPTED BY 15 COMPLAINTS. NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING 2003 AND 2004 FORD MUSTANG, MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE AND MUSTANG GTS AFTER COMPLAINTS OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE WITH THE CAR'S CARPET. THE PROBE INVOLVES ABOUT 20,000 MUSTANGS. NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS CAN LEAD TO VEHICLE RECALLS.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION PERIODICALLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR A CHECK UP FOR THE THIRD TIME, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO HAD UNINTENDED SHUT DOWNS OF VEHICLE DURING PREVIOUS WEEK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. DEALER STILL HAS VEHICLE. I ALMOST RAN OVER 2 PEDESTRIANS CROSSING THE STREET AT A NURSERY SCHOOL. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES. *JB

Mileage: 46,800