2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2010 Milan Hybrid most often report a sudden loss of power-assisted steering, frequently accompanied by "Service Power Steering" and "Service Advancetrac" warnings, and a separate pattern of momentary power loss with the wrench light. Complaints are spread across a wide mileage range, from under 40,000 to nearly 200,000 miles, and several describe reduced brake assist or warning lights that owners connect to brake-related recalls not covering this VIN. Many complaints involve airbag recall notices where owners report waiting a long time for parts.

1. 1
   Steering

   Loss of power steering assist and warning chimes

   • 15 complaints (25%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe the "Service Power Steering Now" and "Service Advancetrac" messages appearing, then the steering wheel becoming very hard to turn or effectively locked, sometimes while parking, backing out, or driving at city speeds. Several say the wheel had to be forced to keep the car in its lane, and some had the vehicle towed. Repairs reported include replacement of the power steering assist or steering gear assembly, sometimes at significant cost. Multiple complaints note that a similar steering recall exists for later model years but did not include this vehicle. Reported from roughly 33,000 to 199,000 miles, most often between about 47,000 and 100,000 miles, and often at low speed or while maneuvering.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Before buying, ask for any steering-assist repair history and check whether the power steering and Advancetrac warnings appear during a test drive or after a cold start. A service bulletin notes a remanufactured replacement steering gear is available, which may be worth asking about if repairs are needed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car was having no problems until 30 seconds after I put it in drive, the car started beeping and flashing the warning sign 'service advancetrac'in yellow letters and then a minute later it beeped and said 'service power steering now' in bold red letters. I parked my car at work and the steering wheel locked up and I couldn't get it to budge. Had to have my car towed.”

   NHTSA complaint #11047151, filed 2017-11, 33,500 miles

   “Got service power steering now & service advancetrac warnings and lost power steering and lost power steering. There were no previous warnings to the effect indicating service prior to fault. It was a sudden event that could have caused an accident or death if someone not as strong as I was driving. I was able to muscle the car to keep it within the lanes and drive safely back home.”

   NHTSA complaint #10968449, filed 2017-03, 88,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Sudden loss of power / wrench light (throttle body)

   • 15 complaints (25%)
   • median 76,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2017

   Complaints describe the yellow wrench light coming on, the engine dropping power, and the accelerator no longer responding, leaving the car limited to low speed or a limp mode. Restarting sometimes clears the light temporarily. Several owners say a dealer or independent mechanic identified the throttle body, and some note a customer satisfaction program covering throttle bodies on other versions of this vehicle did not apply to the hybrid. Most often reported between about 33,000 and 86,000 miles, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes after about ten minutes of driving.

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body has ever been replaced or cleaned and whether any software update was applied. Watch for the wrench light during a test drive that includes a short highway merge and a hill.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was driving down the interstate at 65 MPH, vehicle suddenly lost acceleration and engine and throttle/power train indicator lights illuminated on the dash. Had to pull off on the side of the highway. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on, I was able to drive the vehicle home at 40 MPH, but the indicator lights remained on.”

   NHTSA complaint #10759828, filed 2015-08, 56,000 miles

   “As I was driving down the turnpike about 65 MPH car began to slow and would not accelerate past 40 MPH even with gas pedal pressed fully - slow to pick up any speed after braking. Wrench lights came on dash. Very dangerous. I see this is an issue (throttle body) with later models too. Repair should be covered on this year as well.”

   NHTSA complaint #10945449, filed 2017-01, 79,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Soft or low brake pedal, extended stopping distance

   • 9 complaints (15%)
   • median 84,430 mi at 12.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2025

   Owners report the brake pedal going low or to the floor, needing to pump it to stop, and warning lights coming on with reduced braking assist. Some describe the condition appearing after hitting a bump or during normal stopping, and some link it to a brake-system recall that their vehicle identification number was not included in. Diagnostics mentioned in complaints include failure of the hydraulic control unit or ABS-related components. Reported from about 84,000 to 156,000 miles, in everyday driving at city and highway speeds.

   What to check: Have a mechanic check brake pedal feel and the ABS/brake warning lamps, and ask whether the vehicle was ever inspected under brake-system recalls. Confirm the pedal stays firm when held at a stop.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving and drove onto some uneven pavement. I hit a bump at 40 MPH. I was coming off of an interstate onto an exit ramp and had to stop at a stop light. The pedal went to the floorboard. I had to pump it up to stop. It is still a soft pedal.”

   NHTSA complaint #11128095, filed 2018-09

   “2 brake warning lights appeared on dash. Brake pedal soft and went to floor. Very little braking power . Almost rolled through intersection. 76 year old lady (my mother) terrified to drive the car. Taking to dealer tomorrow.”

   NHTSA complaint #11052083, filed 2017-12, 84,430 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall parts unavailable

   • 10 complaints (17%)
   • median 44,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2016–2019

   Most of these complaints are about the airbag inflator recall itself: owners say they received notice or found it in the recall database, but parts were unavailable or they were not contacted, sometimes for months or years. Several describe being told by a dealer that no remedy was yet available. A few report they stopped driving the car while waiting. Not tied to mileage; complaints were filed mainly in 2016 to 2019 regarding vehicles built for this model year.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the vehicle identification number against open airbag recalls and confirm the inflator remedy was actually completed, not just scheduled, before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall. Pursuant to safety recall notice 18s01/NHTSA recall 18v046, we have not been able to drive our car since june 5, 2018, almost two months ago. Although we now have access to a rental car, it is a problem not to have use of our own vehicle and is an ongoing inconvenience. When will the remedy be available?”

   NHTSA complaint #11114209, filed 2018-07, 45,000 miles

   “Takata recall: I see in the NHTSA database that my vehicle was subject to a recall for the airbag inflator in june of 2016. I have not received any notification from the manufacturer nor have I been contacted to bring in my car for a replacement. This has now been 16 months since the recall. When can I have my inflator replaced?”

   NHTSA complaint #11039466, filed 2017-10
5. 5
   Exterior lighting

   Rear tail light failures and always-on brake light

   Mentioned in 5 of 58 sampled complaints

   Owners report one rear tail light stopping, a brake light staying lit continuously, or the tail light being much brighter than normal. Several say the dealer quoted replacement of the whole sealed rear lamp assembly rather than a bulb, and one notes an extended warranty did not cover it. Some mention the car failed a state safety inspection because of it. Reported from about 17,000 to 97,000 miles, including examples within the first few years of ownership.

   What to check: With the lights on, walk around the car and check each rear lamp for correct brightness and that the brake light changes when the pedal is pressed. Ask whether any rear lamp assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving fellow motorist advised my left rear light not operating. Visit to dealer confirmed and price to repair $400 plus labor. That seems a bit high to replace a light bulb! Forget it I will drive until ticketed. However just before my 3 yr warranty was up it happened but on the right rear exterior. That incident was at no charge at the dealership. Why both in such a short period of time with such a new car?”

   NHTSA complaint #10651431, filed 2014-10, 33,000 miles

   “My 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid was purchased new in june, 2010. In february, 2013, the rear, passenger side tail light went out. I tried to buy a replacement bulb at an auto parts store only to discover there was no replacement part number in their books for my car. On february 8, 2013, the dealership told me the entire rear light assembly had to be replaced because it was a sealed system. I was fortunate that the work could be done under warranty at that time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10679859, filed 2015-01, 16,699 miles

Buying note. This model year draws repeated reports about power steering assist dropping out and about sudden power loss with the wrench light, so a test drive that includes low-speed maneuvering, a cold start and a highway merge is worthwhile. Ask for repair records on steering, throttle body and brake components, and confirm any open airbag recall work was completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 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.