2009 Mercury Milan Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2009 Mercury Milan most often describe brake problems: after ABS activation, a bump, or a rough or slick surface, the brake pedal can go soft or to the floor and stopping distances lengthen, sometimes with no warning lamp. Many of these complaints also reference the ABS hydraulic control unit recall and the wait for parts. A smaller but steady share concerns airbag inflator recalls and interior door handles that break or stop opening the door.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes soft or to the floor after ABS activation

   • 108 complaints (48%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (94 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,217 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2025

   Owners describe the brake pedal dropping to the floorboard, sometimes after the ABS engages over a bump, pothole, rough pavement, snow, or wet roads, and sometimes without any warning light. Several say pumping the brakes or shutting the car off and restarting restores normal feel, while others report the softness persisting until the system is bled. Complaints mention dealers either finding nothing wrong, describing the behavior as operating as designed, or recommending replacement of the ABS hydraulic control unit; many also note that recall 19V904000 applied to their vehicle but parts were unavailable. Reported across a wide mileage span, from roughly 15,000 to over 250,000 miles, often in wet, snowy, or rough-road conditions.

   Recall 19V9040001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether recall 19V904000 was completed and whether the ABS hydraulic control unit has been replaced. On a test drive, brake firmly over a bumpy or wet patch and confirm the pedal stays firm.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After hard braking on an icy hill on a rough unpaved private road, the brake pedal went very soft and has not recovered. The car was moving at low speed, 10 MPH or less at the time of braking. Icy patches made the road very rough. When I brake, I held the pedal down so that the ABS would stop the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10937894, filed 2016-12, 40,000 miles

   “While driving on the highway that was slightly wet the brakes all of a sudden needed to be pushed much further in order to work. I had to stretch my leg down to the floor almost for the brakes to work which was difficult as I am short. The problem went away the next day when the roads were dry again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10937763, filed 2016-12, 25,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Interior door handles break or stop opening the door

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report interior door handles cracking, coming loose, or detaching so the door cannot be opened from inside, and exterior handles or door latches that stop locking or working. Complaints describe the dealer confirming the handle needed replacement, and one notes the repair cost at the dealership. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 60,000 miles.

   What to check: Open and close each door from the inside and outside, and check both interior handles for cracks or looseness.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Interior door handle will not open vehicle on driver's side door making it impossible to exit vehicle without crawling over console and exiting from passenger seat or opening window to access exterior door handle. This is a safety issue. As the same thing happened to my husband's ford fusion 2010 hybrid (which cost over $200 to repair at the dealership), I believe there is an issue with the manufacture/design/integrity of parts in these vehicles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10560409, filed 2014-01, 33,836 miles

   “The passenger side door stopped locking, now the drivers side door stopped locking this morning when I brought it to the mechanic. Also the door handle inside on the drivers side has now failed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10511059, filed 2013-05, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Loss of power or hesitation while accelerating

   • 11 complaints (5%)
   • median 71,000 mi at 5.6 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2019

   Owners describe the vehicle losing speed or stalling while the accelerator is pressed, or surging forward from a stop, sometimes with a wrench light illuminated. Complaints mention throttle body diagnosis and recalibration that did not resolve the stalling, and dealers being unable to reproduce the problem. Reported from about 15,000 to 150,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body extended-coverage program was applied, and note any hesitation or surging during a test drive at steady and accelerating speeds.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving often times my vehicle reduces speed drastically, while pressing on the gas. This is very dangerous especially when on the highway because of the sudden reduction in speed. Most of my driving is done on the highway. It takes a long time for the vehicle to pick up speed again. Also it does this when I am stopped at a red light which is also a concern for me with my child in the car. I tried to get this problem diagnosed but it drives fine while at the mechanic shop. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10726327, filed 2015-06, 42,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2009 Mercury Milan. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle began to decrease in speed when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The throttle control light illuminated during the failure. The failure recurred randomly. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10894729, filed 2016-08, 150,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall and long waits for parts

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe receiving Takata-related airbag inflator recall notices and then being unable to get the repair done, with dealers saying parts were not available or appointments were postponed. A few complaints describe dashboard or trim damage around the airbag area after a replacement was performed, and one describes airbags not deploying in a collision. Complaints span roughly 50,000 to 200,000 miles, filed from about 2014 through 2021.

   Recall 21V158000Recall 21V081000Recall 18V046000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V024000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVE2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the VIN against open airbag recalls and ask for written confirmation that the driver and passenger inflators have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There is a federal recall on my vehicle. I have set up an appointment twice with mathews ford in newark, ohio. They have failed to fix the problem. The first time I took it in they said because of covid they were not fixing them. I spoke to a representative from ford who set up a second appointment. They were suppose to pick up the car on 02/24 and never arrived.”

   NHTSA complaint #11398914, filed 2021-03, 198,000 miles

   “Takata recall. I have waited over a year now, and ford still does not have the parts to replace my potentially lethal passenger side airbag inflator, nor do they (as of 7/6/2017) even have a projected date the part/s will be available. This is unconscionable.”

   NHTSA complaint #11003407, filed 2017-07, 65,000 miles

Buying note. The brake complaints are the main thing to look at: confirm recall 19V904000 was completed and that the ABS hydraulic control unit and brake fluid have been serviced, then test the pedal over rough or wet pavement. Also verify open airbag recalls are closed and that the interior door handles work from both sides.

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.