Mercury Mountaineer Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 161 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the Mercury Mountaineer across 12 model years. The 2006 model year has the most (43). The words owners use most often: “spark plug” (6% of reports).
- 161engine and engine cooling complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Spark plug: mentioned in 10 of 161 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the Mercury Mountaineer at $1,500, and half of them between $590 and $5,100.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 101 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 161 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 4 an injury.
Mercury Mountaineer engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Mountaineer | 3 | 3% | 200,000 |
| 2007 Mountaineer | 4 | 5% | 62,750 |
| 2006 Mountaineer | 43 | 37% | 57,150 |
| 2005 Mountaineer | 5 | 6% | 34,177 |
| 2004 Mountaineer | 11 | 5% | 44,423 |
| 2003 Mountaineer | 10 | 7% | 79,747 |
| 2002 Mountaineer | 33 | 9% | 86,000 |
| 2001 Mountaineer | 1 | 5% | 500 |
| 2000 Mountaineer | 5 | 4% | 49,654 |
| 1999 Mountaineer | 12 | 8% | 53,000 |
| 1998 Mountaineer | 20 | 8% | 69,000 |
| 1997 Mountaineer | 14 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the Mercury Mountaineer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle stalled while driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The…
The contact owns a 2006 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that her husband informed her that the vehicle had experienced an unknown radiator failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the radiator was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was repaired…
My spark plug on #2 cylinder just shot out of my truck's engine... Argh!!!! Destroyed my coil pack and could have busted the fuel line. And now i cant put in the spark plug. Wtf........??????? *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mercury mountaineer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 mph, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the radiator was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an…
Tl* the contact owned a 2000 mercury mountaineer. While driving approximately 65 mph, fuel fumes emitted into the vehicle and the engine began to smoke before it caught fire. The check engine indicator illuminated. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mercury Mountaineers have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 161 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the Mercury Mountaineer. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mercury Mountaineer engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the Mercury Mountaineer?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $590 and $5,100), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the Mercury Mountaineer?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plug”, in 10 of 161 complaints.
Other Mercury Mountaineer problems
- Power Train problems (385)
- Tires problems (327)
- Structure problems (283)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (215)
- Electrical System problems (182)
- Seats problems (125)
See all Mercury Mountaineer problems.