Mercury Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Owners have filed 16,705 complaints about Mercury vehicles with NHTSA, and the brand has issued 132 recalls since 1995. Choose a model to see its problems by year and the years to avoid. Mercury no longer sells new cars in the U.S., but its models are still common on the used market.

Models

Sable1995–2009 · 3,081 complaintsAvoid: 2000, 2001, 2002Grand Marquis1995–2011 · 3,015 complaintsAvoid: 2005, 1997, 1996Milan2006–2011 · 2,519 complaintsAvoid: 2010Mountaineer1997–2010 · 1,989 complaintsAvoid: 2002, 1997, 1998Mariner2005–2011 · 1,296 complaintsAvoid: 2008, 2010, 2009Cougar1995–2002 · 1,089 complaintsAvoid: 1999, 2000, 1995Villager1995–2002 · 1,057 complaintsAvoid: 1995, 1996, 1999Mystique1995–2000 · 1,013 complaintsAvoid: 1995, 1998, 1996Monterey2004–2007 · 453 complaintsAvoid: 2004, 2005Tracer1995–1999 · 314 complaintsAvoid: 1997, 1995Marquis1995–2004 · 262 complaintsAvoid: 1997Montego2005–2007 · 256 complaintsAvoid: 2005Mariner Hybrid2006–2010 · 215 complaintsAvoid: 2008Marauder2003–2004 · 87 complaintsNo years flaggedMilan Hybrid2010 · 59 complaintsNo years flagged

Mercury model years to avoid

Latest Mercury recalls

All recent Mercury recalls →

Frequently asked questions

Which Mercury model years should you avoid?

By owner complaints compared at the same age, the worst Mercury model years include the 2004 Monterey, the 1999 Cougar, the 2010 Milan, the 1995 Villager and the 2008 Mariner.

How many Mercury recalls are there?

NHTSA lists 132 recalls for Mercury vehicles from 1995 onward, the latest on March 10, 2021. See the latest Mercury recalls.

What Mercury model gets the most complaints?

In the last ten model years, the Sable has drawn the most complaints (0) — partly because it is one of the brand's best sellers. Compare years on the Mercury Sable page.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.