Total Complaints
3 filings
MERCURY MOUNTAINEER · model year
1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996MERCURYMOUNTAINEER carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 MOUNTAINEER is vehicle speed control with 1 filings, followed by tires (1) and tires:tread/belt (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1996 MOUNTAINEER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20001109TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I HAD TIRE BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING AT APROX.55-60 MPH. VEHICLE VEERED FROM THE ROAD . TIRE SHOWS SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION IN AN AREA ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG THAT RUNS ALONG THE SIDEWALL AND RAPS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY ACROSS THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS A RIGHT REAR WILDERNESS AT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235 75 15)
20000831TIRES
MY WIFE PURCHASED A 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER IN HAWAII IN FEBRUARY 1998. THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH WILDERNESS AT TIRES (VNHL IPY 336 235/75 R15). IN DECEMBER 1999, TREAD ON ONE OF THE NEW TIRES SEPARATED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 25,005 MILES ON IT WHILE DRIVING IN HAWAII AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 55 MPH. WE WENT TO A FIRESTONE DEALER IN WAIPAHU, HI AND WERE TOLD WE HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE ($39.97 ) THAT WOULD BE PRORATED BASED UPON THE REMAINING TREAD. THE LOW COST FOR THE NEW TIRE REFLECTED THE LACK OF TREAD WEAR ON THE BAD TIE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS REPLACEMENT TIRE WAS ANOTHER WILDERNESS TIRE (8XHL 1PY 1100 235/75 R15). WHILE IN EL PASO IN MAY 2000, AS WERE DRIVING THE MOUNTAINER ACROSS COUNTRY, A SECOND OF THE ORIGINAL "VNHL" TIRES SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. AS WE WERE REPLACING THE SECOND TIRE, WITH ANOTHER WILDERNESS AT (8XHL 1PY 269, 235/75 R15 ), AT A PRORATED COST OF $64.99, THE MECHANIC, AT BOB MUSEL MESA FIRESTONE IN EL PASO, NOTICED THAT A THIRD "VNHL"
20000121VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THROTTLE REMAINS OPEN, CAUSING UNATTTENDED ACCELERATION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Compare 1996MERCURYMOUNTAINEER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER have?▼
The 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.