2007 Mercury Milan Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2007 Mercury Milan most often write about two things: open safety recalls (inflator and ABS-related) and, above all, a brake pedal that sinks to the floor, usually after an ABS event or over rough or slippery pavement. Many complaints describe waiting months or years for recall parts, with dealers sometimes finding nothing wrong during a diagnostic inspection. Smaller groups of reports cover stalling or loss of power, an airbag warning light, and door latches that fail to stay closed.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake pedal sinks to floor / weak braking

   • 121 complaints (28%)
   • median 92,489 mi at 10.3 yrs old (103 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,050 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2023

   Owners describe the brake pedal dropping to the floorboard, either after an ABS event, over a pothole or rough pavement, or in wet or snowy conditions, requiring repeated pumping to restore pedal height. Some say dealers found no fault, flushed and bled the fluid, or replaced the master cylinder or brake drums without lasting effect; others were told the ABS hydraulic control unit was the suspected cause. Several complaints mention the open ABS recall and that parts were unavailable at the time. Reported across a wide range, from a few thousand miles up to about 160,000 miles, most often on higher-mileage cars and in wet, snowy or rough-road conditions.

   Recall 19V9040001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the ABS recall work has been completed and whether the hydraulic control unit or master cylinder has been replaced. On a test drive, brake firmly over uneven ground and in the wet, then check that the pedal stays firm rather than sinking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Two recalls one on drivers air bag. An one on the brakes! Don't want to drive because last time they told me to park it on the passenger air bag. Recall is for the same injury or death! Brakes r having to push all the way to the floor sometimes to stop. Afraid it will one time not stop all together. They tell me they can do nothing because no parts. What's can I do?”

   NHTSA complaint #11414272, filed 2021-04, 106,034 miles

   “When attempting to stop on a city street, at an intersection, the brake pedal went to the floor requiring me to use the emergency brake to stop. Even doing this, we wound up in an oncoming traffic lane. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the brakes were repaired. I have a service order from the private repair shop describing what was done to repair the system.”

   NHTSA complaint #10948096, filed 2017-01, 121,535 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall waiting on parts

   • 216 complaints (50%)
   • median 93,625 mi at 10.2 yrs old (42 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2023

   Many owners write that they were notified of the inflator recalls but that dealers had no replacement parts, sometimes for years, and a few report being told the vehicle was not covered. Complaints also describe the airbag cover on the dash separating or sitting loose, and an airbag warning light staying on because of a passenger-seat sensor fault. Several mention being advised not to let anyone ride in the front passenger seat until the repair is done. Mostly reported between 2016 and 2023, generally on vehicles with roughly 35,000 to 160,000 miles, often years after the recall notice arrived.

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

   What to check: Check with a dealer, using the VIN, whether the inflator recalls were performed and whether parts are now available. Look for a loose or lifting dash cover at the passenger airbag and confirm the airbag light goes out after startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford never contacted me by mail about the june 2016 recall of the takata airbags in my 2007 Mercury Milan. I tried going to the brondes ford dealership on secor road in toledo, ohio in 2017 and they refused to fix my airbag saying it was not in recall. I have been to them twice trying to get this issue fixed. The airbag cover on my dash is pulling apart and is ready to go at any minute.”

   NHTSA complaint #11010080, filed 2017-07, 95,000 miles

   “Takato recall, I have called the dealer several times to get this airbag taken care of, and I just get the run a round, saying they don't have repair parts in yet, yet I was sent a letter saying don't let anyone sit in the passenger seat, this seems like a problem to me. What can be done?”

   NHTSA complaint #11143386, filed 2018-10, 94,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling, surging and loss of power

   • 45 complaints (10%)
   • median 102,462 mi at 8.1 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2021

   Complaints describe the car shuddering, bucking or losing power at speed, with the wrench or engine light coming on and normal behavior returning after a restart. Some owners were told the ignition coils and PCM needed replacement, while others describe a throttle body or transmission actuator fault that limited speed. A separate group reports the accessory belt coming off its pulleys, which took out power steering and charging at the same time. Typically reported between about 50,000 and 140,000 miles, often during highway driving or acceleration from a stop.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records covering ignition coils, the PCM, the throttle body and the accessory belt and tensioner. During a test drive, accelerate onto a highway and watch for hesitation, a wrench light or a speedometer that reads zero.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving, a wrench appeared on the instrument panel. When I looked it up, it was regarding the throttle transmission actuator. My car was losing power, bucking, and seemed like it was having issues changing speeds. I have researched this issue and found that ford agreed to fix these cars up until january 31, 2015 for free. They did not do a mass recall and I am now going to cll the dealerships to see if I can get it fixed for free.”

   NHTSA complaint #10825842, filed 2016-02, 130,000 miles

   “I was leaving work (5/23) on my way home when my car out of no where started to sputter. I pulled over and turned it off. I waited a few minutes and restarted the vehicle. It seemed fine so I drove it home. That evening my husband came home and started it to see what the issue was and it sputtered and shimmied again. Took the car to dealership on friday (5/24) so they could diagnose it. I was informed that it was the coils and the PCM had to be replaced I am still without my car because ford has yet to ship the part. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10519329, filed 2013-06, 94,417 miles

Buying note. Have the open brake and airbag recalls verified as completed by a dealer before buying, and budget for ABS hydraulic control unit or brake work on a higher-mileage car. A thorough test drive over rough and wet pavement, plus a scan for stored codes, will show most of what owners describe.

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.