Cruise Control problems of the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer

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 battery gage was normal. I lost power steering, brakes and oil pressure. After pulling safely to the side of the road, I rested for 30 seconds before restarting the car, which subsequently operated normally. After taking it in for an oil change and safety check, I went on a 450 mile weekend trip and had no issues, restricting cruise control to highway speeds. The other day, I was traveling on a different stretch of level road in my town while using cruise control at approx. 35 mph. After heading into a slight downgrade, I again heard the warning bell, followed by engine shut off. A "check gage" light came on and I lost power steering, oil pressure and brakes. This time, I gently shifted the car into neutral, and while coasting at 15-20 mph I turned the ignition off before restarting without issue. The car has subsequently operated normally, but I have not engaged the cruise control at any speed.

I had the cruise control set on 30 mph driving in a residential area. Without warning, all the lights on my dash flashed, and my vehicle lost all power. Very scary. No more power steering, no power brakes, while coasting through a neighborhood. I put the car in neutral, turned the key off, back on again, and put the car back in drive. That fixed the problem. This is very scary and dangerous!! this is the third time it has happened to me. I am afraid to use the cruise control on my car now :(.

The engine has shut off twice while driving using cruise control. The first time I was able to get to the side of road and restart it. . The second time I put it in neutral and restarted it while moving. I am afraid to use the cruise control now - if there had been oncoming traffic we would've had a head-on collision as I was on a corner and went into the other lane. When the engine shuts off, the power steering is gone leaving it very difficult to turn.

2005 Mercury Mountaineer cruise control emergency while driving my wifes 2005 Mercury Mountaineer at approximately 50 mph and using the cruise control the engine shut off. (dangerous and scary) I immediately placed the engine in neutral and restarted it with no trouble. Fortunately we were on a straight road. The engine shut down appeared to occur because the cruise control DE-accelerated the engine while coasting down hill (using the cruise control) to below 400 rpms. Below 400 rpms the engine stops. The car speed, length of the downward coast, and hill slope appeared to affect the stoppage. If the speed control signals an increase prior to bottoming the rpms the engine will continue to run, if not it will shut off loosing oil pressure, power steering, and power brakes. My wife doesnt normally use the cruise control, which is fortunate for her. Im sure if she were driving when this occurred she would have coast to a stop of worse if it happened while going around a curve. I was able to duplicate this problem four times by picking a hill with the right conditions and setting the speed at around 45 to 50 mph. I called the dealer where she bought the car new and was told there are no recalls on her car, however; while searching the internet we found that the same problem has occurred numerous times on Ford explorers and Mercury Mountaineers. We've set and appointment at the dealer for a diagnosis.

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. On the day the vehicle was purchased, the contact noticed fluid leaking onto her garage floor. She returned to the dealer and was informed that the pinion seal needed to be replaced, and repairs were made. While traveling 45 mph, the contact attempted to set the cruise control and the vehicle shut off in the middle of the road. She was able to pull over to the shoulder and restart the vehicle to drive home. After work one evening, she was unable to start the vehicle. After 20 minutes, her father arrived and was able to forcefully start the vehicle. The contact returned to the dealer the following day, but they could not duplicate the failure with the cruise control or the stalling. On June 16, 2008, she took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced a fuse. Upon further inspection, they identified a bushing that needed to be replaced as well. All of these failures occurred within four months of purchasing the vehicle and with less then 4,000 miles placed on the vehicle by the contact. The failure mileage was 34,177 and current mileage was 37,600. Updated 07/15/08 when the consumer started the vehicle, the power seats and power locks failed to work. The consumer returned to the dealer and they replaced the driver side motor. The sway bar bushings were replaced. Updated 07/15/08.