PlainCars

MERCURY · vehicle model

MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

2,646 NHTSA complaints and 15 safety recalls across model years 1996–2010.

Complaints
2,646
Recalls
15
Model years
15

The MERCURYMOUNTAINEER appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 2,646 consumer safety complaints and 15 recall campaigns across 15 model years (1996–2010). That averages roughly 176 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 3 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
201024
20098
2008156
2007119
2006153
2005113
2004271
2003220
2002504
200132
2000164
1999182
1998298
1997399
19963

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 139 in 2017-2021 to 29 in 2022-2026, a fall of 79.1%. That is the 18th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

2
’96
28
’97
29
’98
96
’99
349
’00
136
’01
126
’02
132
’03
129
’04
135
’05
107
’06
98
’07
140
’08
152
’09
162
’10
140
’11
106
’12
107
’13
158
’14
72
’15
74
’16
43
’17
35
’18
32
’19
20
’20
9
’21
13
’22
10
’23
1
’24
5
’25

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare MERCURYMOUNTAINEER to Similar Vehicles

MERCURYMOUNTAINEER vs MERCURYCOUGAR → MERCURYMOUNTAINEER vs MERCEDES-BENZE350 → MERCURYMOUNTAINEER vs VOLKSWAGENATLAS → MERCURYMOUNTAINEER vs HONDAFIT →

NHTSA Investigations

PE05037Preliminary EvaluationClosed2005-07-07

STUCK ENGINE THROTTLE

PE04045Preliminary EvaluationClosed2004-06-02

REAR LIFTGATE GLASS ASSEMBLY

PE03020Preliminary EvaluationClosed2003-05-21

FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the MERCURY MOUNTAINEER?▼
The MERCURY MOUNTAINEER has received 2,646 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1996 to 2010, with 15 recalls. That averages about 176 complaints per model year.
What years of MERCURY MOUNTAINEER are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the MERCURY MOUNTAINEER from 1996 to 2010 (15 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the MERCURY MOUNTAINEER have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many MERCURY MOUNTAINEER model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common MERCURY MOUNTAINEER complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the MERCURY MOUNTAINEER are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my MERCURY MOUNTAINEER has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. MERCURY MOUNTAINEER totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.