Mercury Mountaineer Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the Mercury Mountaineer across 15 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (59). The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (22% of reports).
- 215vehicle speed control complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 46mention a crash
- 16mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 47 of 215 complaints (22%)
- Throttle body: mentioned in 11 of 215 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 95 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 215 complaints, 46 mention a crash, 19 a fire, 16 an injury.
Mercury Mountaineer vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Mountaineer | 4 | 31% | 34,500 |
| 2009 Mountaineer | 1 | 17% | 47,000 |
| 2008 Mountaineer | 2 | 2% | 38,319 |
| 2007 Mountaineer | 7 | 9% | 39,000 |
| 2006 Mountaineer | 3 | 3% | 28,000 |
| 2005 Mountaineer | 13 | 16% | 40,000 |
| 2004 Mountaineer | 21 | 10% | 80,000 |
| 2003 Mountaineer | 9 | 6% | 93,000 |
| 2002 Mountaineer | 18 | 5% | 67,000 |
| 2001 Mountaineer | 2 | 9% | — |
| 2000 Mountaineer | 28 | 23% | 102,000 |
| 1999 Mountaineer | 11 | 7% | 79,000 |
| 1998 Mountaineer | 36 | 15% | 99,800 |
| 1997 Mountaineer | 59 | 18% | 109,500 |
| 1996 Mountaineer | 1 | 33% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Vehicle speed control
Model years: 1997, 2002
Problem: Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Fix: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Vehicle speed control
Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001
Problem: On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: This could result in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Vehicle speed control:cables
Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable may bind when the speed control is activated.
Risk: The throttle return spring force may not be sufficient to overcome the binding condition when the speed control is disengaged. Braking function would be maintained though stopping distances may be increased.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
Model years: 1997, 1998
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with 4.0l sohc engines and still retain the original throttle body (part numbers 97jf-9e926ab or 97jf-9e926-ac). Some of the original throttle bodies installed allowed a gap between the plate and bore to be built too narrow. This reduced clearance allowed the engine deposits normally present in the throttle body to contact or bridge the gap. If the engine deposits bridged the gap between the throttle plate and bore and then hardened, on the initial application of the accelerator pedal after the engine has cooled, the operator would need to apply additional force to the accelerator pedal to break the bridge.
Risk: This could result in engine surge when the accelerator pedal breaks free.
Fix: Dealers will replace the original throttle bodies.
Vehicle speed control
Model years: 1998, 1999
Problem: Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from january 5, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 mustangs equipped with 3.8l, 4.6l 2-valve or 4-valve engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1999 f250/f350/f450/f550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; and 1999 f-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999. A cruise control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
Risk: If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
Vehicle speed control
Model years: 1996, 1997
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 5.0l engines originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, idaho, iowa, maine, michigan (upper peninsula only), minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. These vehicles, when operated for extended periods of time at highway speeds and temperatures below -20 degrees farenheit, do not return to idle due to ice in the throttle body.
Risk: Although the vehicle can be controlled by either applying the service brakes or shifting the transmission to neutral, increased brake pedal efforts or some increase in stopping distance can result.
Fix: Dealers will install a revised pcv system with water heated vacuum source.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
started losing power ,did not want to go pas 30 miles per hr ,then it ramed up and came to a stop with no acceleration ,i shut it off then start it again and was able to get home at a low rate of speed while continuing to have these problems, another day while far away from home the engine rammed…
My car will jerk as i'm driving rpms going high while no speed is picking up. With jump out of gear when at stop light. Loud grinding noise from tires could have foot all the way down on gas petal and go no faster.
Tl* the contact's husband owns a 1997 mercury mountaineer. The contact stated that when the brake pedal was released, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated. As a result, the contact's husband rear ended another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no…
I purchased a used 2005 mercury mountaineer last month, with 135,400 miles, while using cruise control and traveling approximately 35 mph, the road went from level to a very slight downgrade. The car then just shut off after audible warning bell was heard. Noticed dashboard lights were all lit and…
Curse control occasionally makes engine accelerate while and after brake applied while moving under 5 mph and even while stopped with brake still applied. More than once a pedestrian was at risk in a crosswalk while vehicle stopped with brake still applied, then engine suddenly became near full…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mercury Mountaineers have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 215 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the Mercury Mountaineer. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mercury Mountaineer vehicle speed control?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the Mercury Mountaineer?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 47 of 215 complaints, followed by “throttle body” (11).
Other Mercury Mountaineer problems
- Power Train problems (385)
- Tires problems (327)
- Structure problems (283)
- Electrical System problems (182)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (161)
- Seats problems (125)
See all Mercury Mountaineer problems.