2003 Mercury Mountaineer 4L AWD review from North America

The transmission went and was replaced by the dealership under warranty (we had a 48K warranty) at 33,000 miles. They kept the car for 2 weeks to complete the repair. They did give us a loaner car.

The transmission went a second time at 65,000 miles. We had complained of the car not shifting correctly since the last transmission change, but the dealer claimed the car was OK. They gave me a "discounted rate" so it only cost me a couple of grand. I spoke with Ford, and they said there was nothing they could do about it, and said I could speak with the Ford field service rep who would not speak with me, only with the service manager of the dealership. He told the dealership it was not a defect, and not Fords responsibility.

The tire sensor message came on and would not clear. The dealer told me that since I had the tires changed outside of the dealership, they could not be responsible for the repair and would have to charge me to put the sensors back on the wheels. I checked my VIN number with Ford, and I never had the tire senor option on my car. The error message is still on.

At 90,000 miles, the front differential went. Ford charged another $2000.00 and told me it was not unusual. I explained that the car had never even seen a dirt road, had never towed anything, and had only been driven back and forth to my office on the highway.

The car has great space and is very well laid out. It rides beautifully and is aesthetically holding up very well.

Unfortunately, mechanically, the car is either poorly designed or poorly built. I tried to buy American and was seriously disappointed. I am trading it in on a Honda.