2008 Mercury Mariner Steering Problems

Which parts fail

• Column
  3
• Electric power assist system
  1

Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  52%
• 25k–50k
  21%
• 50k–75k
  218%
• 75k–100k
  5120%
• 100k–150k
  11545%
• 150k+
  6325%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Mercury Mariner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed; however, the failure reoccurred while driving 35 MPH. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, however, the failure persisted. The contact used physical strength to steer the vehicle and drove to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stopped driving the vehicle. …

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, he heard abnormal sounds coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated he lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle was shuddering. The ABS warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated as he drove, the vehicle continued to shudder. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a loss of the steering torque sensor signal. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired, and the failure had been reoccurring while driving at various speeds. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) because the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel seized temporarily. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while driving, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact's husband assisted her in driving the vehicle to the residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. …

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the vehicle lost power steering assist. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle in manual steering mode causing the vehicle to be difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to the residence and was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the steering sensor was not operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at 55 -60 MPH, the power steering failed. The steering wheel became increasingly difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was turned off while the contact inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted but a short distance afterwards the failure reoccurred. No warning lights illuminated. The contact called the dealer who informed them the vehicle was included in a recall for the vehicle, NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering), approximately 10 years ago, which had a software update as the remedy. The dealer confirmed the remedy had already been completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220.000.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and an inspection was performed along with a software update. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality making it difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality was restored. The failure occurred three times on the same day. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure however, the vehicle had not been taken the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,669.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while her husband was driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her husband exited the freeway and veered to the side of the road while using physical force to steer the vehicle. The contact's husband was able to drive to the residence even though the failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) because the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the electric power steering had failed. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,392.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and had the recall repair completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on December 27, 2022, while exiting her garage porch the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the electric power steering failed, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence. The contact had his friend who is an independent mechanic diagnose the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the power steering sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Steering complaints in other Mariner years