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1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

crash1 injured · 718644 · 2009-05-02

Vehicle

Make
MERCURY
Model
MOUNTAINEER
Year
1997
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Miles at failure
115,000

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

I HAD JUST GOTTEN INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF MY PARKED 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP LOT WHEN I REMEMBERED THAT I NEEDED TO RETRIEVE AN ARTICLE FROM UNDERNEATH THE SEAT. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND KNELT DOWN NEXT TO IT. AS I REACHED UNDER THE SEAT, THE CAR DOOR HIT ME AND DRAGGED ME ALONG THE GROUND. I THEN REALIZED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ONLY MOVING IN REVERSE BUT WAS PICKING UP SPEED, AS IT WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. I KNEW I COULD NOT STOP THIS HEAVY SUV; I ALSO SAW THAT ITS LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS HEADING RIGHT FOR ME. I WAS THEN A 60-YEAR-OLD FEMALE WHO HAD PLAYED SPORTS AND WAS STILL IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION. I DID A FOOTBALL-STYLE TUCK AND ROLLED AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINEER TO AVOID GETTING RUN OVER. THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING ONLY AFTER HITTING ANOTHER PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE: THE PICKUP TRUCK THAT BELONGED TO THE OWNER OF THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP. LOCAL POLICE INVESTIGATED AND FOUND NO HUMAN ERROR OR FAULT; NO TICKET WAS ISSUED. ALSO, WHILE I SUFFERED SOME SCRAPES AND BRUISES I DID NOT NEED EMT OR HOSPITAL ATTENTION. I REPORTED THIS FIRST-EVER ACCIDENT TO MY AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT THE ADJUSTER EXPRESSED NO INTEREST IN FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT I AND THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP OWNER STILL BELIEVE TO BE ITS ROOT CAUSE: A FORD SUV TRANSMISSION DESIGN FLAW THAT ALLOWS FOR SLIPPAGE OUT OF PARK POSITION UNDER INEXPLICABLE CONDITIONS, SUCH AS PAVEMENT INCLINE AND/OR MOTOR VIBRATION. NO TRANSMISSION PARTS WERE DAMAGED OR REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE BECAUS

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10267532
Machine
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