2004 Mercury Mountaineer Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report cracks in the plastic rear liftgate panel and failures of the liftgate window hinges, many found while the vehicle was parked or when closing the gate. Transmission complaints are the second most common theme, describing hard shifts, slipping, and loss of reverse, and a smaller set concerns the engine stalling while cruise control is engaged. Many reports arrive between roughly 40,000 and 100,000 miles, and some describe failures at fairly low mileage.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Cracked rear liftgate panel around the emblem

   • 50 complaints (24%)
   • median 58,800 mi at 6.5 yrs old (48 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $500 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2017

   Owners describe a crack appearing in the plastic panel of the rear liftgate, usually starting near the Mercury emblem beneath the rear window and spreading down or around the badge. Many say the vehicle was parked, sometimes after cold weather, and the crack was simply found one day. According to the complaints, dealers often said they were aware of the problem but that no recall applied, and some quoted a few hundred dollars for a replacement liftgate panel. Reported from roughly 45,000 to over 100,000 miles, in some cases after cold snaps or long storage.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Open and close the liftgate and look closely around the emblem and below the rear window for hairline cracks or bubbling. Ask whether the panel has been replaced and check for paint bubbling near the edges.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Small crack started on rear hatch between wiper blade and Mercury logo, within 2 weeks crack wrapped around the logo and continued through the bottom of the panel. I contacted ford when the crack first occurred since then I have taken photos with my camera phone of other Mercury mountaineers with the same problem. I have a total of 14 photos so far.”

   NHTSA complaint #10219937, filed 2008-03, 46,700 miles

   “Was looking at my vehicle when I noticed the crack from the top to bottom of lift gate, next to Mercury emblem. No accident or collision, it was sitting in my driveway. After reading online there are numerous reports of the same exact occurrence on the lift gates of fords, Mercury and lincolns. Please issue a recall in fairness so that we may all have our vehicles repaired!”

   NHTSA complaint #10583358, filed 2014-04, 72,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh shifts, slipping, and transmission failure

   • 57 complaints (27%)
   • median 67,924 mi at 5.5 yrs old (46 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,950 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2021

   Owners describe delayed or harsh engagement into reverse and drive, hard shifts between gears, slipping, and in some cases loss of reverse or forward gears altogether. Many reports mention the transmission failing and being rebuilt or replaced, sometimes more than once, at costs owners describe as significant. Some complaints note fluid and filter changes were tried first, with mixed results, and that dealers could not always reproduce the problem. Reports cluster from roughly 40,000 to 100,000 miles, with several failures noted under 70,000 miles.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test the transmission from cold: shift into reverse and drive and note any delay, clunk, or harsh engagement. Check for a service record of transmission fluid and filter work or a rebuild, and verify reverse and overdrive work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rear door panel cracked, visual, then found several more 2004 mountaineers with the same crack, now a lawsuit has been filed as class action, I hear a noise mechanical grind from rear of vehicle, stop by a ford dealer to get a trade in price, and see if anything is mentioned, they tell me to get my car fixed, !! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10384070, filed 2011-02, 108,808 miles

   “2004 Mercury Mountaineer v8, 47,000 miles. Transmission is shot. It slipped in and out or reverse (creating a very dangerous situation since I could not control the vehicle when it was in reverse) and it struggled to shift gears in drive. No warning light before the problems began. The vehicle aged out of warranty in july 2010. Ford will not pay for anything (although the dealer is cutting me a break on the service costs).”

   NHTSA complaint #10371151, filed 2010-12, 47,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Liftgate window hinge or strut failure

   • 45 complaints (21%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (42 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2018

   Complaints describe the hinges or struts holding the rear window hatch breaking, letting the glass drop suddenly or swing out, sometimes while someone was closing the gate. Owners report catching the glass or being struck by it, and in some cases the window shattered. Dealers replaced hinges when asked, and owners often note being told the vehicle was not covered by any recall for this. Mostly reported between about 25,000 and 110,000 miles; some occurred when the strut was cold or when the gate was opened after sitting.

   What to check: Open the rear glass and check both hinges for play, missing pins, cracks, or corrosion, and confirm the struts hold the glass up on their own. Ask whether the hinges have ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. The hinges holding the rear winsdhield in place broke and my windshield fell out. I understand there was a recall on the ford explorer for the same issue but not for the Mercury Mountaineer. Since there are no recalls for my vehicle I am responsible for paying on the repairs and I feel this is a safety recall issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10321356, filed 2010-03, 84,000 miles

   “Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments - the left hinge on the liftgate on my 2004 Mercury Mountaineer fractured, causing the glass liftgate to swing out. The right hinge held but shows corrosion. This appears to be the same issue in NHTSA campaign 04v442000 for model years 2002 - 2003. The liftgate is no longer operational. I have not yet replace the parts.”

   NHTSA complaint #10295321, filed 2009-12, 110,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Engine stalls while cruise control is engaged

   • 34 complaints (16%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2016

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off while driving with cruise control on, often on a slight downhill grade or at lower engine speeds. Owners report the vehicle coasting with warning lights on and restarting after being put in park, and one report attributes it to a cruise control switch. In other complaints the vehicle surged or accelerated unexpectedly, and some said the dealer found no stored codes or fault. Reported from about 20,000 to over 130,000 miles, typically while cruising at steady speed or going downhill.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the cruise control has shown intermittent stalling or surge behavior, and have the cruise control switch and throttle-related codes checked during a test drive on a downhill section.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Just purchased a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer today. Driving home, using cruise/speed control at around 30mph and driving on a slight decline, the vehicle shut down. All indicator lights went on, and I had to coast to the side of the road. I put vehicle in park and restarted it without problem. There were no indicator lights (check-engine, etc.) lit up. Immediately went to local ford dealership and they had no clue, especially since the computer did not have any codes indicating a problem.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10368236, filed 2010-11, 85,400 miles

   “My 2004 Mercury Mountaineer accelerated on it's own as I was pulling into a parking space. The vehicle made a roaring sound. My foot never left the brake pedal and I could not stop it. I jumped the curb, went over a grassy area, over the sidewalk and did not stop until I hit a concrete building at approximately 25-30 miles per hour. It caused significant damage to the building and to the car. Airbag did not deploy. I have had the body damage repaired and my auto insurance has paid over $3,000 for that. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10318100, filed 2010-03, 103,000 miles

Buying note. Check the rear liftgate carefully for cracks in the panel and worn hinges, and test-drive the transmission from cold on any 2004 Mountaineer you consider. A documented service history covering transmission fluid and previous hinge or panel repairs is worth asking for.

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.