1999 Mercury Mountaineer Recalls, Complaints & Specs
7 safety recalls list the 1999 Mercury Mountaineer, and owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
7 safety recalls for the 1999 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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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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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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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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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.
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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.
151 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1999 Mercury Mountaineer have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA; 13 describe a crash and 5 describe a fire. Reports cite 9 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 80,996 miles. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 42 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Curse control occasionally makes engine accelerate while and after brake applied while moving under 5 MPH and even while stopped with brake still applied. More than once a pedestrian was at risk in a”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 27, 2018 · Vehicle speed control
“Exploding airbags filled vehicle with smoke and ash. I received minor burns and abrasions on arms and face, daughter riding in back seat received black eye form flying object and required scan of head”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 7, 2018 · Air bags
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1999 Mercury Mountaineer (Mountaineer 2WD, Mountaineer 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 14–16 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 13–14 / 17–19 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility 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 1999 Mercury Mountaineer
How do I know if my 1999 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. 7 campaigns currently list the 1999 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 00V072000).
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.