2004 Mercury Mountaineer Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 2%of 210 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 80,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the steering of the 2004 Mercury Mountaineer, 2% of the 210 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
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 had picked up my kids from daycare and I put my vehicle in reverse and backed up. While backing up I heard a loud pop and I got out to see but there was nothing visible. So I put the vehicle in drive and as I was going down the street my vehicle axle broke and my truck hit the street in the middle of traffic. I took it to the ford dealership and they said it was my axle and my differential had broken also, am I am lucky that I didn't have a bad accident with the extend of the damage of the differential. After I fixed that and it cost $2900. …”
NHTSA complaint #10640980, filed 2014-10, 78,000 miles“Transfer case defect causes steering difficulty on slow turns. Transmission issue reported to ford in 2005 at 38,000 miles. Again at 51,000. I opted for an aamco transmission when ford refused to cover. Now transfer case is making driving dangerous. Turning ability greatly reduced.”
NHTSA complaint #10429033, filed 2011-10, 91,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and there was a sudden loss of power steering. The contact mentioned that the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the failure was unable to be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10523274, filed 2013-07, 70,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that while attempting to change the wheel drive, the vehicle failed to utilize the forward wheel drive. In addition, the vehicle began exhibiting several failures simultaneously. The power steering assist failed, the gear shifter failed, and the transmission was causing the vehicle to jerk abnormally. Also, the power windows had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. The contact was informed that the transfer case and transmission needed to be replaced. …”
NHTSA complaint #10552687, filed 2013-11, 83,000 miles“Takata recall air bag light stays on for no apparent reason... All the time grinding noises while turning left or right sounds like gears are freely spinning while engaged and driving. No issues with changing gears as far as mechanic says.”
NHTSA complaint #11165492, filed 2019-01Related service bulletins
- 10012950Feb 21, 2005Increased turning effort during low speed sharp turns false 4x4 engagement.
Steering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 15% |
| 2009 | 2 | 33% |
| 2008 | 3 | 3% |
| 2007 | 5 | 6% |
| 2006 | 1 | 1% |
| 2005 | 5 | 6% |
| 2004 | 5 | 2% |
| 2003 | 6 | 4% |
| 2002 | 23 | 6% |
| 2000 | 5 | 4% |
| 1999 | 4 | 3% |
| 1998 | 4 | 2% |
| 1997 | 5 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
79 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
64 complaintsVehicle speed control
21 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsAir bags
12 complaintsEngine cooling
11 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaintsEngine
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsSuspension
6 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Mercury Mountaineer
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 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