Table 1 shows three common visibility related problems of the 2001 Mercury Mountaineer.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Window problems | |
| Rear Window Wiper Washer problems | |
| Wiper problems |
This was at midnight, Friday the 23rd of July. After I went inside my residence, I look outside the window to see if the mirror lights were off. After a period of 15-20 minutes, the lights dimmed off. At 3 am, I went out again to the car, to run an errand, and using the keyfob unlock the doors, and got in my car. Starting the ignition, the door ajar message appearred on the console. Also I notice the dome light was on. With the engine running and the vehicle in park, I got out the car and walked around to open/close the other three doors, not the gate. Being satisfied that the other doors were close, went back to the driver side got in and close the door. The door ajar warning was still lit, as well as, the dome light. Thinking that a short had occurred in the electronic system, it was minimal. After pulling off and going a distance of 50 feet in the complex residence, I pull over to the side and got out to check the doors once more, this time including the liftgate. I unlatch the liftgate and pulled down to close it. I notice the left liftgear arm jutting out beneath the window. I never realized that the liftglass assembly is separte from the gate. I pulled the liftglass up and saw that the left liftarm was not attached to the bracket as was the right liftarm. I tried to determine if the arm had broken off the bracket, but there were no indication or signs(sheared or jagged edges, only minimal rusting) of this happening. I checked the right liftarm assembly to see if it was attached to its bracket, and it was. I pulled the glass down, to shut it close. At this point the glass shattered/exploded, with the electronic/hydraulic hose keeping the gate assembly from falling out completely. I taken my vehicle to my dearlership the following Monday July 26, to have them to order the full liftgate assembly, but they informed me that Ford would not pay for the cost of repair.
Problems with radio, paint and rear windshield wiper. There was a loud grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle as well as the engine area, when the noise stopped, a cloud of black emitted from the vehicle. The dealer stated it was normal, because the all wheel drive had activated for the first time. The weather stripping around the windshield was replaced and there was a problem with the power train.
I opened the rear glass and while the glass was being raised by the pistons, I heard a loud bang. The glass suddenly shattered all over me and the back of the Mountaineer. I got glass in my face and arms and feet. I had lacerations to my arms from the glass and glass splinters in my feet where the glass got into my shoes. The glass did not hit anything as was only part of the way up when it shattered. I did not open the full rear gate, just the glass panel which is unlocked with a push button to the right of the rear gate handle latch. The day was hot and I had the ac running so there was temperature gradient inside of the vehicle to the outside. This is a dangerous defect as I was injured and other could be more severely injured by this defect.