2004 Mercury Monterey Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Monterey years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 283 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Mercury Monterey. That is the most of any Monterey model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is power train (203 complaints, 72%), typically at around 77,450 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 6 fires, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
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- 283owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Mercury Monterey problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 203 | 72% | 77,450 | “torque converter” (37%) | $4,450 |
| Structure | 19 | 7% | 124,440 | — | — |
| Seats | 16 | 6% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 4% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 4% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 3% | 81,626 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 2% | 106,227 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 2% | 99,833 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 2% | 91,619 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 2% | 95,325 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 2% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1% | 102,454 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 100,100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 102,454 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | 56,494 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 146,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 71,456 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 0% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 41,600 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Mercury Monterey recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles manufactured from March 24, 2003, through November 7, 2006, equipped with a third row seat and originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The third row stowable seat can experience corrosion and structural degradation at the seat anchor mechanism mounted to the rear wheel wells. As a result of the corrosion, the third row seat may not fully latch into its seating position.
Risk: In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new third row seat latch striker mounting brackets, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train:automatic transmission:torque converter
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2004 and 2005 ford freestar and mercury monterey vehicles. The torque converter output shaft may fail.
Risk: This condition results in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converter free of charge. The safety recall began on august 9, 2012. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Wheels:hub
Problem: Certain minivans may have been produced with front wheel hub assemblies that were not heat treated correctly. This condition may lead to the development of small cracks in the hub.
Risk: If the cracks were to progress, this could eventually result in wheel separation. Wheel separation may lead to loss of vehicle control, and potentially result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front hub, rotors, and wheel bearings. The recall began september 20, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections
Problem: On certain minivans, the power steering low-pressure line may not be fully seated at the rack and pinion steering gear.
Risk: If this line becomes disconnected, it may create the potential for fluid to come into contact with the exhaust system, which could result in smoke or fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the power steering low-pressure line to ensure that it is seated properly at the rack and pinion steering gear. Owner notification began november 10, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing (EQ12010) — opened Sep 28, 2012, closed Dec 31, 2012.
- Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment (EA12003) — opened Apr 23, 2012, closed May 2, 2013, led to recall 13V081000.
- Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment (PE11039) — opened Dec 21, 2011, closed Apr 27, 2012.
- Service Jack Failure (PE11033) — opened Sep 13, 2011, closed Dec 7, 2012.
- Engine Stalling (PE10033) — opened Aug 23, 2010, closed Jul 15, 2011.
- Transmission Torque Converter Failure (EA09016) — opened Nov 10, 2009, closed Feb 2, 2012, led to recall 12V006000.
- Torque converter output shaft failure (PE09033) — opened Jul 15, 2009, closed Nov 17, 2009.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2004 Mercury Monterey. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 223,476 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 361,749.
Reported on third seat on 2004 Mercury Monterrey premier van was recalled , also air bags was recalled and also on wheel of vehicle was recalled in which I want to see if I can take my vehicle and have it inspected and keep my vehicle on the list if any recall and Thank You .?
The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Monterey. The contact stated that while driving through a drive thru, the vehicle independently shifted into neutral and was unable to shift into the intended gear. The automatic transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. A dealer…
The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Monterey. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The driver manually shifted gears to slow the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury monterey. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine light was illuminated on the instrument panel prior to the failure. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially…
Other Mercury Monterey years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Monterey | 7 | 1 |
| 2006 Monterey | 44 | 2 |
| 2005 Monterey | 119 | 3 |
| 2004 | 283 | 4 |
See all Mercury Monterey problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Mercury models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercury Monterey?
Owners most often report power train, structure, seats problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 203 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Mercury Monterey?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Mercury Monterey a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Monterey model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.