2006 Mercury Milan Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Milan most often write about two things: airbag recalls (Takata inflators) and the interior door handles that break. The airbag complaints are largely about long waits for parts and warning lights, not about deployment by itself; the door handle complaints describe having to roll down a window to get out. Transmission slipping and brakes that go to the floor come up across a wide mileage range, from about 34,000 to over 160,000 miles.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag recall notices, warning lights, long waits for parts

   • 120 complaints (56%)
   • median 83,000 mi at 11.3 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Many owners describe receiving a recall notice for the airbag inflators and then being told the replacement part is not yet available, sometimes for many months. Others report the airbag warning light coming on and staying on, in some cases after the recall repair was already done. A few describe the airbag cover lifting away from the dash on the passenger side, or a deployment without a crash. Complaints also describe the light as intermittent while driving. Reported from roughly 11,000 to 190,000 miles, with the recall-related complaints mostly filed in 2016-2019.

   Recall 21V158000Recall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V024000 · DO NOT DRIVE3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the driver and passenger inflator recalls (16V384000, 17V024000, 21V158000) were completed and get the paperwork. Turn the key and watch whether the airbag warning light goes out after the bulb check; a light that stays on is worth diagnosing before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall: I received a safety recall notice in july from ford motor company informing me of seatbelt issue affecting my vehicle. According to local lincoln//Mercury/ford dealer, parts not yet available six months after receiving notice. Since this is a safety concern of grave consequences, I am reluctant to use the vehicle. Since it is an older vehicle located in the southern region, when might I expect the part(s) to be available?”

   NHTSA complaint #10934370, filed 2016-12, 70,000 miles

   “Takata recall - received recall notice dated july 2016... But it stated that a 2nd notice/letter will be sent when parts become available and then can contact a dealer for repair... Meanwhile, now whenever I turn the car on, the airbag light comes on that I have to turn the ignition off and on again, hoping the airbag light doesn't show... And the fear that this airbag will explode and can actually kill you is so stressful.. Please please expedite these airbag replacement/repairs so they can be done sooner. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10943889, filed 2017-01, 70,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Broken interior door handles, doors that will not open

   • 22 complaints (10%)
   • median 51,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2019

   Owners describe the inside door handle snapping or staying loose so the door can only be opened from the outside, sometimes after having to roll the window down. Several mention it happening on the driver door and then on a passenger door, and one describes a front passenger door opening on its own while driving due to a broken latch. Complaints say the dealer replaced the handle or the whole latch assembly, and that the replacement part was a revised design. Mostly between about 26,000 and 125,000 miles, on doors with regular use.

   What to check: Open and close every door from the inside and outside, and feel whether the handle is loose or has been replaced. Ask whether any door handle or latch has been replaced and whether the door locks with the remote.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Passenger inside door handle broke and needed to be replaced. Cd player broke and I am the only one who uses the car. The emissions light came on and a faulty thermostat needed to be replaced....all to the tune of hundreds of dollars. I purchased the extra protection insurance but of course none of this was covered. Never would buy a Mercury again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10360700, filed 2010-10, 45,000 miles

   “The interior door handles are breaking. My rear passenger side interior door handle broke about a year ago. I didn't think anything of it. This week my front passenger side interior door handle broke. Because of this my front passenger side door will not lock. I did research online and there are many cases of this happening. The door handles are cheap plastic that break easily with regular use.”

   NHTSA complaint #10441419, filed 2011-12, 32,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes to the floor

   Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the brake pedal sinking all the way down, sometimes after a bump or on wet roads, and needing to pump the pedal to stop. Some complaints say the ABS light came on and that the dealer could not duplicate the problem; others describe a crash when the car did not stop in time. Several mention recall 19V904000 for the ABS hydraulic control unit and say the remedy was not yet available or that the pedal problem continued after the repair. Reported from about 40,000 to 166,000 miles, often above 70,000 miles and sometimes after ABS activation on a slippery surface.

   Recall 19V9040001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the brake fluid level and look for whether recall 19V904000 was performed. On a test drive, press the pedal firmly at a stop and after ABS activation on a loose or wet surface and see whether the pedal stays firm or sinks.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car did not stop when brake was applied resulting in a crash into the car that was in front of me. Both cars were getting ready to enter the main road from a side street. I was starting to proceed and we had to stop and wait for oncoming traffic when I hit my brakes it did not stop before I hit the car. Recall # 19s54”

   NHTSA complaint #11302317, filed 2020-01, 130,000 miles

   “I had to replace the brake booster,cv boots, master cylinder rotors and brakes. All to the tune of 2,000. I had no warning. No lights in the dash came on or anything. I was going down a hill and all of a sudden there were no brakes. I have had cars and drove them for over 200,000 miles and I have never had to replace all this stuff on a car. This Mercury has cost me so much money. Its not like its a mercedes or bmw. Nothing on this car is cheap to get fixed. I have replaced the brakes over 20 times and the car is only 6 years old. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10448897, filed 2012-02, 120,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Throttle body faults and limp mode

   • 42 complaints (20%)
   • median 84,500 mi at 8.9 yrs old (34 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2021

   Owners describe the wrench or check engine light coming on followed by a sudden loss of power, with the car limited to about 20 mph or lower until it is shut off and restarted. Complaints attribute this to the electronic throttle body, and some say the dealer replaced or reflashed it only for the same symptom to return. A few mention ignition coil and spark plug failures showing up along with it. Reported from about 43,000 to 197,000 miles, often while accelerating or at highway speed.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Scan for stored throttle body and powertrain codes, and ask whether the throttle body or PCM has been replaced or updated. During the drive, watch for a wrench light and test acceleration from a rolling start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car was parked in my driveway. Tried to start vehicle, battery failed and unable to recharge. Removed failed battery replaced with new battery, started car and wrench and engine light came on. Unable to accelerate vehicle, drives 5 miles per hour. Online chats speak of failed throttle body, one post states there is a recall but I do not find in on the NHTSA website. Did find the airbag recall with no solution yet. Please advise.”

   NHTSA complaint #11005459, filed 2017-07, 157,756 miles

   “Turned my car on one morning and a wrench indicator light came on followed by the check engine light upon driving to my repair shop to get problem looked at noticed a significant decrease in acceleration power and vehicle was in limp mode my mechanic told me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10668894, filed 2014-12, 95,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips, bangs, or drops out of gear

   • 14 complaints (7%)
   • median 75,270 mi at 8.3 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2018

   Owners describe the automatic transmission slipping when accelerating around 40-50 mph or going uphill, with the engine revving, a bang, and a loss of power before it slams back into gear. Complaints mention hard shifting, a wrench light, and in one case a broken torque mount. Several say the dealer replaced the transmission control module or updated the PCM calibration, and some report the problem returning. Mostly between about 28,000 and 125,000 miles, often while accelerating at highway speeds or up a grade.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, accelerate from about 40 to 50 mph and up a hill and feel for slipping, a delayed engagement, or a bang. Ask whether the PCM/TCM was ever updated and whether the transmission control module or valve body was replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Well we were driving through the appalachian mountains on the highway, we went to pass a car that was slow. We stepped on the accelerator and it tried to shift into overdrive (because everyone if flying through there). But, as that happened the transmission slipped and sent the rpms to a really scary area where we thought it was going to blow up. Luckily, they came back down but as we would drive until it stopped. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10920116, filed 2016-10, 125,000 miles

   “The first incident my car was bucking and shaking. I took to dealer and they replaced the computer that ran the transmission and 3 coils. Now at 77,000 it again is having slipping issues with the transmission. These issues seem to happen at random times, but usually between 40 and 50 MPH. When you put your foot on the gas to accelerate from 40-50mph there is a loud banging sound when the transmission slips and you lose acceleration. You have to take your foot off the gas and try repeatedly again to get the car to accelerate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10551682, filed 2013-11, 72,000 miles

Buying note. Ask for proof that the airbag inflator, ABS control unit, and any open recalls were completed, and test the door handles, brakes, and transmission on an extended drive. Since many of these complaints involve parts covered by recalls or service bulletins, a pre-purchase inspection with a code scan is worth the cost.

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.