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Mercury MarinerModel year report

2010 Mercury Mariner Problems

Compared with other Mercury Mariner years

Typical for this model

49/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2009

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
270filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
61,100miles, 225 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl FWD · 21 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2010 Mercury Mariner (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2010 Mercury Mariner most often describe sudden loss of engine power while driving, usually accompanied by a wrench-shaped warning light, which many trace to the electronic throttle body. A second large group describes the power steering assist dropping out, leaving the wheel very hard to turn, sometimes after the recall repair was already performed. Reports are spread fairly evenly from low to high mileage, with the steering complaints tending to appear on higher-mileage vehicles.

  1. Engine

    Sudden loss of power with wrench light (throttle body)

    • 140 complaints (52%)
    • median 51,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (130 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $500 (median of 23 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2022

    Owners describe the vehicle abruptly dropping to idle or losing throttle response while driving or accelerating from a stop, with a wrench-shaped warning light on the dash. Turning the vehicle off and restarting often restores normal operation until it happens again, sometimes within a few miles. According to the complaints, dealers and independent shops commonly diagnosed a faulty electronic throttle body, and several owners reported the part was on back order. Reported across a wide range, from under 20,000 miles to over 140,000 miles, often during highway driving or acceleration from a stop.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the throttle body has been replaced and whether any related software updates were applied. During a test drive, note any hesitation, idle-only operation, or wrench light.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Was at stop light completely stopped. When the light turned green, I stepped on the accelerator and my car did not accelerate. The engine light and another light came on. I tried multiple times to move the car and nothing happened. I powered my car down and restarted it, at this time the car started moving again when I pressed on the accelerator.”

    NHTSA complaint #10556990, filed 2013-12, 50,000 miles

    “On multiple occasions I would be driving the car and it would lose all power and the wrench symbol would appear in the instrument panel. I would have to pull over, stop the car and turn it off. It would then start and I could go for an undetermined period of time and it would happen again. This resulted in more than one near miss by other cars traveling on an interstate. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10523473, filed 2013-07, 60,900 miles
  2. Steering

    Power steering assist cuts out, wheel hard to turn

    • 50 complaints (19%)
    • median 117,750 mi at 9.2 yrs old (40 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2014–2026

    Owners report the power steering assist fault message appearing and the steering wheel becoming very difficult to turn, sometimes at low speed in parking situations and sometimes while driving at road speed. Several complaints state the failure occurred after the vehicle had already been repaired under the steering recall, or that the dealer said the vehicle identification number was not covered. Dealers reportedly replaced torque sensors or power steering control modules, and in some cases could not reproduce the problem. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 200,000 miles, often with no warning before the assist drops out.

    Recall 14V2840003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check whether recall 14V284000 was performed and whether the steering assist warning has come back since. Confirm normal assist at low speed and in tight turns before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving my car like any day normally came home park the car and asked my daughter to put my car in garage.but she came back and said my steering wheel was hard to turn.I went out and tried and I could barely turn the steering wheel”

    NHTSA complaint #11089239, filed 2018-04, 14,000 miles

    “I'm very upset and on the verge of tears! As I pulled out of the bank yesterday, I made a left hand turn and my steering wheel suddenly locked on me! I almost wrecked! On july 21, 2014 I took my car to freedom ford in mcalester, ok for recall #14s05. I was told the models would be updated to power steering assist fault! So afterwards I left on my merry way knowing that I would never have to worry about this issue again! Wrong! Is there anything ford can do to back up what they said? …”

    NHTSA complaint #11361975, filed 2020-09, 115,500 miles

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 270 consumer complaints for the 2010 Mercury Mariner. 225 of the complaints include a mileage, and 34% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 61,100 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 34 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 3 Mercury Mariner model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 49 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Brakes (5), Air bags (4), Exterior lighting (4), Engine cooling (2), Suspension (2), Seat belts (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Vehicle speed control: “When accelerating through an intersection, my vehicle lost acceleration power and the power brakes failed. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle was slowly moved to a side street, backing-up traffic on the busy street. The vehicle was towed to a ford dealership and the diagnosis was that throttle body needed replacing. The service cost me $503 plus tax.”

NHTSA complaint #10558026, filed 2013-12, 25,134 miles

Fuel system: “Vehicle lost power. Turning it off and back on would restore power, but the problem would then happen again. Replaced mass airflow indicator, but problem came back in a few days. Now they say I need a new throttle body but the part is on back order and I have been waiting over a week. I can not use the vehicle until it is repaired.”

NHTSA complaint #10520995, filed 2013-06, 39,132 miles

Engine: “Having two issues. The first one is the check fuel intake warning light comes on and my check engine light stays on. This appears to be causing my car to cut out dangerously at intersections as well as the wrench light to come in and my car 'limps' home.”

NHTSA complaint #11102905, filed 2018-06, 189,542 miles

Steering: “I was driving down the street and went to turn a corner and my power steering went out completely. I have a message that pops up every time I start my car that says power steering assist failure. I have found a recall on this issue but the dealership says my VIN isn't included in the recall. My vehicle was produced 02/2010 which falls in the time frame of the recall.”

NHTSA complaint #11153994, filed 2018-11, 200,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

34% of the 225 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 42,000 and 100,000 miles.

3%0–103%10–2528%25–5024%50–7516%75–10021%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (225 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 61,100 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11102’14’17’20’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Mercury Mariner. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Mariner · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——3 · 20.4% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2010 Mercury Mariner version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Mariner 4WD2.5L 4-cyl6-speed automatic202622$3,050
Mariner FWD2.5L 4-cyl6-speed automatic212823$2,900
Mariner 4WD FFV3.0L 6-cyl · flex-fuel6-speed automatic182320$3,350
Mariner FWD FFV3.0L 6-cyl · flex-fuel6-speed automatic192521$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2010 Mercury Mariner → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 34 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 34 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercury Mariner

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20118752,440232351 · TypicalFalling
201027061,1002—2349 · TypicalFalling
200931597,0001—2348 · TypicalFalling
2008461106,0003—2272 · MoreFalling
20073377,5002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20066382,0003—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20056760,0682—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Mercury Mariner model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mercury Mariner?

Owners of the 2010 Mercury Mariner most often describe sudden loss of engine power while driving, usually accompanied by a wrench-shaped warning light, which many trace to the electronic throttle body. The issues reported most often: Sudden loss of power with wrench light (throttle body); Power steering assist cuts out, wheel hard to turn.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2010 Mercury Mariner have?

NHTSA recorded 270 consumer complaints for the 2010 Mercury Mariner as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2010 Mercury Mariner is reported most often?

Vehicle speed control is named most often, in 66 complaints (24% of the total), followed by fuel system with 63.

Has the 2010 Mercury Mariner been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Mercury Mariner get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Mercury Mariner (Mariner FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 21 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2010 Mercury Mariner reported?

Among the 225 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 61,100 miles and the middle half falls between 42,000 and 100,000 miles; 34% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.