2002 Mercury Mountaineer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Mountaineer years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 372 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer. That is the most of any Mountaineer model year in the database (15 years). The most reported problem area is power train (144 complaints, 39%), typically at around 77,592 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 7 fires, 38 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 372owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Mercury Mountaineer 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 | 144 | 39% | 77,592 | “check transmission” (13%) | $3,850 |
| Structure problems | 70 | 19% | 58,500 | “pe04045 pco” (17%) | — |
| Suspension | 36 | 10% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 33 | 9% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 31 | 8% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 23 | 6% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 20 | 5% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 5% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 5% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 17 | 5% | 44,269 | — | — |
| Equipment | 13 | 3% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 2% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 2% | 163,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 2% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 2% | 62,750 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 4 | 1% | 52,113 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 192,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 148,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 883 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Mercury Mountaineer recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Fix: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Tires:sidewall
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right side tires may have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly.
Risk: Over time, the tire could fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the tires and, if any slices are found, the cut tires will be replaced. Owner notification began june 7, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time 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
- Vehicle Rollaway Allegations (EA09013) — opened Aug 18, 2009, closed Feb 12, 2013.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Stuck engine throttle (PE05037) — opened Jul 7, 2005, closed Nov 2, 2005.
- Rear liftgate glass assembly (PE04045) — opened Jun 2, 2004, closed Sep 28, 2004, led to recall 04V442000.
- Mis-assembled airbag clockspring (EA02010) — opened Jul 2, 2002, closed Feb 25, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Aftermarket rack and pinion system re-manufactured by Detroit Axel began leaking fluid and caused a loss of power steering within 3 months of purchase. A second unit was installed and after about a year had the exact same failure as the first unit. Also resulting in the loss of power steering. It…
Body : to much rust, corrosion, on rear of truck other failure or detachment of exterior body like rear gate frame components, and other structural components that may present a safety hazard. Electrical :Â electrical systems and items such asa wiring and cable on or inside the door, ignition…
Heard a pop noise under hood. Engine shut off battery light came on. Went to open hood and there was a fire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury mountaineer. The contact stated that the rear lift gate failed to latch securely on several occasions. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact stated on one occasion while driving the vehicle, the lift gate ajar warning light…
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 mercury mountaineer. While driving, the vehicle slid on ice. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained head, chest, lower and upper back, abdominal, and neck injuries that required medical…
Other Mercury Mountaineer years
← 2001 Mountaineer · 2003 Mountaineer →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Mountaineer | 13 | 1 |
| 2009 Mountaineer | 6 | 0 |
| 2008 Mountaineer | 96 | 1 |
| 2007 Mountaineer | 81 | 0 |
| 2006 Mountaineer | 117 | 1 |
| 2005 Mountaineer | 82 | 0 |
| 2004 Mountaineer | 210 | 0 |
| 2003 Mountaineer | 152 | 0 |
| 2002 | 372 | 2 |
| 2001 Mountaineer | 22 | 3 |
| 2000 Mountaineer | 123 | 6 |
| 1999 Mountaineer | 151 | 7 |
| 1998 Mountaineer | 236 | 5 |
| 1997 Mountaineer | 328 | 6 |
| 1996 Mountaineer | 3 | 1 |
See all Mercury Mountaineer 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 2002 Mercury Mountaineer?
Owners most often report power train, structure, suspension problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 144 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Mountaineer model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.