Mercury Mountaineer Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,989 consumer complaints across the 14 model years of the Mercury Mountaineer (1997–2010) that have at least 5 complaints. 2002 has the most, with 372. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (385 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Mountaineer years →
All Mountaineer model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 | 38,660 | 1 | 20 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 6 | 47,000 | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 96 | 65,800 | 1 | 21 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Falling |
| 2007 | 81 | 75,000 | 0 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2006 | 117 | 58,849 | 1 | 37 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 82 | 56,750 | 0 | 46 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2004 | 210 | 68,000 | 0 | 49 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 152 | 78,784 | 0 | 39 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 372 | 75,000 | 2 | 39 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 22 | 75,000 | 3 | 9 | — | Stable |
| 2000 | 123 | 70,000 | 6 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 151 | 70,000 | 7 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 236 | 85,000 | 5 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 328 | 124,000 | 6 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain385 21%
- Tires325 18%
- Body and structure283 16%
- Vehicle speed control214 12%
- Electrical system182 10%
- Engine cooling161 8.9%
- Seats125 6.9%
- Brakes124 6.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2007: “I had to replace the transmission and some other related parts in my vehicle and I was informed by a dealership that there was a silent recall on this transmission and that even though ford motor company was aware of the issues as early as 2000 they continue to install them in vehicles. If you look online you will see quite a number of complaints on this transmission. …”
NHTSA complaint #11270823, filed 2019-10, 130,000 miles1998: “Under my hood started smoking, I popped my hood to find flames under it. I had to get my kids out the truck and put the flames out with and extinguisher. That's when I noticed that my brake fluid reservoir was melted and so were the wires that connect to the cruise control switch. Not I am without a vehicle to get to work and get my children to school.”
NHTSA complaint #11047281, filed 2017-11, 190,000 miles2008: “Takata recall while my vehicle is in motion, & when I stop at a stop light, it's suddenly shuts off. This has happened several times while on the highway at highway speeds, & on city streets at normal speeds. It has proven dangerous several times. When I put the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle jerks very hard. Also when I drive for more than 6 to 7 miles at highway speeds, a tire pressure sensor comes on.”
NHTSA complaint #11196908, filed 2019-04, 129,000 milesOther Mercury models
5,379 complaintsMercury Grand Marquis
3,946 complaintsMercury Milan
2,520 complaintsMercury Cougar
1,881 complaintsMercury Villager
1,724 complaintsMercury Mariner
1,296 complaintsMercury Mystique
1,013 complaintsMercury Tracer
563 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology