Vehicle make

MERCURY

29,561 NHTSA complaints and 83 safety recalls across 29 models — every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints
29,561
Recalls
83
Models
29

How does MERCURY compare?

MERCURYTOYOTAAll makes

Complaints per model(lower is better)Beats TOYOTA
MERCURY1,019
TOYOTA1,382
All makes500
Recalls per model(lower is better)Beats TOYOTA
MERCURY2.9
TOYOTA3.7
All makes3.4

MERCURY models by complaint volume

Top nameplates, all model-years combined

complaints

What this shows Within MERCURY's lineup, the SABLE carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road — drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

Source NHTSA consumer complaint database As of 2026

MERCURY is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 29,561 consumer safety complaints across 29 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 83 safety recalls and is currently tied to 22 active or historical federal investigations. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets — not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys — so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside MERCURY's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the SABLE (7,190 filings, model years 1984–2009), followed by GRAND MARQUIS and MILAN. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

No open NHTSA investigations are currently tracked against MERCURY in this dataset, meaning the Office of Defects Investigation is not, at this moment, reviewing a specific defect allegation for the brand. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which MERCURY models get the most complaints?

ModelComplaints
SABLE7,190
GRAND MARQUIS4,949
MILAN3,211
MOUNTAINEER2,646
COUGAR2,645
VILLAGER2,205
MARINER1,715
MYSTIQUE1,510
TRACER754
TOPAZ581
MONTEREY548
MARQUIS501
MONTEGO359
MARINER HYBRID314
MARAUDER126
MERCURY86
MILAN HYBRID80
CAPRI60
LYNX35
COLONY PARK12
ZEPHYR8
XR76
MERCURY TRUCK6
MARINER HEV5
4833963
MONARCH2
COMET2
BROUGHAM1
BOBCAT1

NHTSA Investigations

View all 22 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has MERCURY received?
MERCURY has received 29,561 NHTSA complaints across 29 models and 83 safety recalls.
Is MERCURY reliable?
MERCURY has 29,561 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which MERCURY vehicles have the fewest reported issues.
How do I check for MERCURY recalls?
Browse MERCURY models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.
Where does MERCURY complaint data come from?
All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.
What do MERCURY complaints cover?
NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Top MERCURY Models

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.