Mercury Mountaineer Recalls & Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA lists 19 safety recalls and 1,992 owner complaints across 15 model years of the Mercury Mountaineer (1996–2010). The most-complained-about year is 2002.
Pick your Mercury Mountaineer model year
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 13 |
| 2009 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 6 |
| 2008 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 96 |
| 2007 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 81 |
| 2006 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 117 |
| 2005 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 82 |
| 2004 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 210 |
| 2003 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 152 |
| 2002 Mercury Mountaineer | 2 | 372 |
| 2001 Mercury Mountaineer | 3 | 22 |
| 2000 Mercury Mountaineer | 6 | 123 |
| 1999 Mercury Mountaineer | 7 | 151 |
| 1998 Mercury Mountaineer | 5 | 236 |
| 1997 Mercury Mountaineer | 6 | 328 |
| 1996 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 3 |
What Mercury Mountaineer owners complain about
Across all model years, owners have filed 1,992 complaints with NHTSA. The 2002 model year has the most, with 372.
All Mercury Mountaineer recalls (19)
Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Mercury Mountaineer, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.
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Recliner (seats)
Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, explorer, explorer sport trac, and mercury milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between december 15, 2009 through february 3, 2010 equipped with front seat manual recliners. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before april 30, 2010. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Model years: 2010
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Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
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Cooling unit and lines (power train)
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with the 4.6l engine and 6r transmission, the bolt securing the transmission oil cooler line fittings at the transmission may not have been sufficiently torqued during vehicle assembly. As a result, the bolt may loosen and the transmission oil cooler lines may disengage from the transmission,…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and have the transmission cooler line attachment bolt tightened free of charge. The recall began on august 30, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Model years: 2008
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Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch…
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Motor (visibility)
On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673 or lincoln/mercury at…
Model years: 2006
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Recliner (seats)
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures and does not jam in the seat back frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner…
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Cables (vehicle speed control)
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable may bind when the speed control is activated.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
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Tires: sidewall
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right side tires may have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tires and, if any slices are found, the cut tires will be replaced. Owner notification began june 7, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date…
Model years: 2002
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with 4.0l sohc engines and still retain the original throttle body (part numbers 97jf-9e926ab or 97jf-9e926-AC). Some of the original throttle bodies installed allowed a gap between the plate and bore to be built too narrow. This reduced clearance allowed the engine deposits normally…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the original throttle bodies.
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Suspension
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. Under certain conditions, a front sway bar link can fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both the left and right front sway bar links.
Model years: 1997
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Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and MINI vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began october 26, 2000. Owners who take…
Model years: 2000
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Air bags: side/window
Vehicle description: 4-door sport utility vehicles equipped with side air bags. The subject vehicles have a revised level side crash sensor that could deploy the side air bag if the ignition key is in the "run" position and the seatbelt webbing is forcibly extracted from a locked retractor with a jerking motion.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the side crash sensors with a revised design that will reduce the likelihood of an unexpected side air bag deployment.
Model years: 2000
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Fuses and circuit breakers (electrical system)
Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles equipped with 4.0l engines and all-time 4-wheel drive (a4wd) powertrains. The generic electronic module (gem) could experience a condition referred to as "lock-up" in which the gem controlled electronic functions (e.g., front windshield wipers, interior lights, 4x4 system, etc.) could not be…
Remedy: Dealers will install a resistor in the gem circuit.
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Latch (latches/locks/linkages)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The secondary hood latch may corrode at the latch pivot and stick in the open position.
Remedy: Dealers will install a secondary hood latch with components that are coated prior to assembly for improved latch pivot corrosion protection.
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right front brake line to the hydraulic control unit (hcu) connection could separate causing the line to leak when the brake pedal is applied.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the flare nut on the brake line.
Model years: 1999
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from january…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l single overhead cam engines. The engine fuel lines can be damaged if the vehicle is jump started and the ground cable is attached to the fuel line bracket that is located near the battery. Since the bracket is not grounded, the stainless steel fuel line braid could…
Remedy: Dealers will install a warning label on the fuel line bracket advising owners not to use it for a jump start ground. Also a revised bolt will be installed in the alternator bracket to provide a convenient jump start…
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Support device/strut (structure)
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles. The liftgate assist gas cylinder bracket on the right hand bodyside outer panel was incorrectly welded.
Remedy: Dealers will reinforce the bracket attachment with two pop rivets.
Model years: 1997
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 5.0l engines originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, idaho, iowa, maine, michigan (upper peninsula only), minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. These vehicles, when…
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised pcv system with water heated vacuum source.
Other Mercury models
- Sable5,381 complaints
- Grand Marquis3,951 complaints
- Milan2,519 complaints
- Cougar1,893 complaints
- Villager1,725 complaints
- Mariner1,296 complaints
- Mystique1,019 complaints
- Tracer567 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.