1998 Mercury Mountaineer Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer, and owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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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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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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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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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…
236 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA; 22 describe a crash and 23 describe a fire. Reports cite 29 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 91,213 miles. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 93 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“At this point all 4 door locks/latches are messed up. Both driver &passenger back doors won't open from outside or inside. Driver &passenger front doors won't open from outside unless open from inside”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 14, 2018 · Structure
“Under my hood started smoking, i popped my hood to find flames under it. I had to get my kids out the truck and put the flames out with and extinguisher. That's when i noticed that my brake fluid rese”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 19, 2017 · Vehicle speed control
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer (Mountaineer 2WD, Mountaineer 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 14–16 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 12–14 / 17–18 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD, Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 6/8 cyl, 4/5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Automatic 5-spd |
Compare Mercury Mountaineer model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercury Mountaineer model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 3 |
| 1997 Mercury Mountaineer | 6 | 328 |
| 1998 Mercury Mountaineer | 5 | 236 |
| 1999 Mercury Mountaineer | 7 | 151 |
| 2000 Mercury Mountaineer | 6 | 123 |
| 2001 Mercury Mountaineer | 3 | 22 |
| 2002 Mercury Mountaineer | 2 | 372 |
| 2003 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 152 |
| 2004 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 210 |
| 2005 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 82 |
| 2006 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 117 |
| 2007 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 81 |
| 2008 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 96 |
| 2009 Mercury Mountaineer | 0 | 6 |
| 2010 Mercury Mountaineer | 1 | 13 |
Checking a specific 1998 Mercury Mountaineer
How do I know if my 1998 Mercury Mountaineer has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercury dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 00V422000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
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.