1997 Mercury Mountaineer Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 3%of 328 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 59,800miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the body and structure of the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer, 3% of the 328 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 59,800 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I have owned my 1997 Mercury Mountaineer since 1998. Within a year after purchase one of the rear door mechanisms broke. Since it is rare for anyone to ride in the back seat, I didn't bother fixing it. This past weekend the other side broke. It is impossible for a rear passenger to exit the vehicle in an emergency without someone opening the doors from outside. I noticed this same complaint has been filed in your database by numerous customers. I phoned ford/Mercury at their toll free number and was told there was no factory recall on this issue. …”
NHTSA complaint #10073055, filed 2004-05, 10,000 miles“The tailgate of my 1997 Mercury Mountaineer fell off in july 2001 due to rust and / or metal fatigue and / or an engineering defect? It was replaced on 7/30/01 and the metal is now cracking again. Ford motor company does not seem interested!”
NHTSA complaint #10065617, filed 2004-04, 59,800 miles“The contact owns a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer. He experienced difficult steering, because the front sway bar linkage had fractured. Secondly he would intermittently smell an odor of gasoline inside of the vehicle. Thirdly during brake application the accelerator pedal would also stick. This condition would cause the vehicle to lurch forward. Lastly the main bar that held the two bumpers together had corroded. The failures were described in recalls (98v060000, 00v422000, 00v402000). …”
NHTSA complaint #10295389, filed 2009-12, 156,000 miles“Pulling handle on either door while locked will not unlock door. Instead handle breakage is likely to occur, trapping occupants inside vehicle. This has happened to me on two separate occasions. Door can only be opened from exterior of vehicle afterwards.”
NHTSA complaint #739440, filed 2001-01“The back doors lock automatically, the inside doors handles on both sides have broken, and no one in the back seat can get out of the vehicle without opening the door from the outside. If the vehicle caught fire, no one in the back could get out quickly.”
NHTSA complaint #712997, filed 1999-10Related recalls
- 97V137000Aug 19, 1997Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles. The liftgate assist gas cylinder bracket on the right hand bodyside outer panel was incorrectly welded.Covers: Mercury Mountaineer 1997, Ford Explorer 1996
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 8% |
| 2008 | 3 | 3% |
| 2007 | 5 | 6% |
| 2006 | 7 | 6% |
| 2005 | 26 | 32% |
| 2004 | 79 | 38% |
| 2003 | 59 | 39% |
| 2002 | 70 | 19% |
| 2001 | 3 | 14% |
| 2000 | 6 | 5% |
| 1999 | 4 | 3% |
| 1998 | 11 | 5% |
| 1997 | 9 | 3% |
Other parts of the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
138 complaintsVehicle speed control
59 complaintsBrakes
40 complaintsElectrical system
15 complaintsSuspension
15 complaintsEngine cooling
14 complaintsSeat belts
12 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
11 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsEquipment
7 complaintsFuel system
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology