1998 Mercury Villager Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 10%of 83 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 84,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1998 Mercury Villager, 10% of the 83 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 84,500 miles. 2 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.
“Sometimes when I go from a stop position or slow down and you want to accelerate, you put your foot down and get nothing, when tap harder on it, it will lurch forward, and whip back your passengers (children). It seems to occur when humidity is higher, regardless of season.”
NHTSA complaint #10315469, filed 2010-03, 40,000 miles“1998 Villager-4 rapid acceleration situations-starting to brake the engine starts revving up to the point you cannot hold the car with the brake, only by shifting to neutral. Sept.2005,10/2006, 8/2010 & 12/09/10. Caused accident on 12/09 and totaled vehicle. Fortunate no injuries but a very shook up driver trying to get it stopped. It dragged her across the intersection up onto a sidewalk and took her several feet down the sidewalk barely missing houses & trees. All the time she was pushing on the brake & the engine was racing & the tires were digging up the dirt dragging the vehicle. …”
NHTSA complaint #10370299, filed 2010-12, 115,000 miles“I have owned a 1996 and 1998 Mercury Villager. Both vehicles had a failure of the driver's side cv boot with the eventual failure of the trans axle cv joint. Each time the transaxle had to be replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #10093226, filed 2004-09, 70,000 miles“The vehicle was in park when a small child mistakenly knocked gear shifter to reverse. The vehicle rolled backwards onto the grass which helped it come to a stop.”
NHTSA complaint #10042284, filed 2003-10, 99,000 miles“Dt: contact put the vehicle in park and exited the vehicle and it rolled backwards. The door pulled the contact under the vehicle, and both sets of tires ran her over. She sustained a broken pelvic bone, a broken hip, a broken femur, a broken knee, a broken ankle, and a broken back from l1-5. As a result, she spent the summer in a nursing home. The vehicle has not been to a mechanic for this problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10142425, filed 2005-11Related service bulletins
- 10014086Dec 13, 2004General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10013369Nov 1, 2004General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 1998 Mercury Villager
14 complaintsBody and structure
12 complaintsBrakes
10 complaintsSuspension
9 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
7 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsTires
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Mercury Villager
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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