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2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

fire · 709523 · 2009-02-23

Vehicle

Make
MERCURY
Model
MOUNTAINEER
Year
2004
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
Miles at failure
66,000
Speed
30 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

OUR VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE 2008 AT DEALERSHIP NEARBY. WE WERE DRIVING HOME AND THERE WAS A GRINDING AND POPPING SOUND IN THE REAREND OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS ME , MY HUSBAND, 3 MTH OLD AND 2 YR OLD OCCUPYING THE CAR. MY HUSBAND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND STATED TO GET THE BABIES OUT OF THE CAR IN A HURRY IT WAS ON FIRE. WE GOT THE BABIES OUT AND RAN IN TO CALL 911 AND THE FIRE DEPT. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED AND TOOK TO A LOCAL GARAGE AT THAT TIME I CONTACTED MY AUTO INSURANCE TO SEE IF THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE COVERED. THEY SENT AN AUTO ADJUSTER OUT TO LOOK AT IT. OUR INSURANCE DID HELP TO REPAIR THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD GOT SO HOT IT EXPLODED CAUSING THE FIRE. THEN AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED WE BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS AGAIN AT THAT TIME I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THEY EXPLAINED THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THE CAR BUT IF I TOOK TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC THEY MAY CONSIDER REPAIRING. SO I DID AND THE WHOLE TRANSFER CASE HAS TO BE REPLACED AND FORD IS NOT PAYING FOR THE COST. I JUST DON'T WANT THIS EXPERIENCE TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE AND TO RISK THEIR LIVES JUST DRIVING THIS CAR AS A RESULT TO A FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CLOSE TO THE FUEL TANK. I DON'T THINK THIS CAR IS SAFE FOR US TO DRIVE I ALWAYS HAVE THAT FEAR IN MY MIND AND WORRYING ABOUT MY BABIES. NOW I HAVE THIS NEW PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE TO DEAL WITH. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AND ONE PARTICULAR COMPANY THAT HAS THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. SOMETHING REALL

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10259704
Machine
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