Most common 2011 Mercury Mariner problems
Share of the 87 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Mariner complaints by model year
Best Mariner years: 2007, 2005, 2006. Years to avoid: 2008, 2010, 2009. Compare all years →
2011 Mercury Mariner recalls (2)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, and 2010-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured February 25, 2009, to December 12, 2010. On vehicles with a 3.0L engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM flange with one that has a redesigned fuel supply port, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable.
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2011 Mercury Mariner:
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles.
Rear Liftgate Window Glass Breakage
In its response to the agency, Ford acknowledged a higher than normal level of glass breakage incidents in the model year (MY) 2010 to early-build MY 2011 subject vehicles.The incidentsoccurred when the liftgate glass was being opened, or more typically while being closed, but in both cases while the vehicle was stationery, i.e., not moving on the roadway.Additionally failures often occurred during early morning…
Loss of power steering while driving
On May 27, 2014, amended June 2, 2014, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving in approximately 746,067 model year (MY) 2008 through 2011 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (NHTSA 14V-284, Ford 14S05).
What 2011 Mercury Mariner owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 28 →
The contact owns a 2011 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, after which the vehicle stalled. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle briefly returned to normal functionality, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the throttle body. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Customer Satisfaction Program 13N03, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 116,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the fuel odor was noticeable all the way to the rear seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the tools needed to perform the repair were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact was informed by the Insurance Provider of an unrepaired recall, under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V777000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Transmission & drivetrain all 24 →
Last year, driving on state highway and vehicle loses power. Wrench light comes on, engine is running, no gas, etc. Shut off, wait, and start again. Light is off and runs OK. This happened several more times. Contacted Ford customer assistance and showed there was a customer experience recall on throttle body. Took it to a dealer and they found nothing wrong. I got it back, and problem reoccurred. Took it back to dealer,they drove it around, and couldn't find anything wrong. Finally, in another city, left work and lost power and engine light came on and didn't go off after restart. Contacted dealer and they replaced throttle body sensor (or similar) for free. This last week, was driving on interstate 75mph in traffic and I lose power in passing lane. Luckily coasted to shoulder, restarted and lights off. Happened again this morning going to work on state highway at 60mph. …
Wrench light on Mercury Mariner 2011 with slow (20-40mph max) and rough ride home. Yesterday while leaving work, I turned right out of the parking lot onto the main road. Immediately my Mariner hesitated, jerked forward, and a wrench light came on. My SUV slowly accelerated to 20mph and struggled to get to 40mph. It road rough and I wasn't sure if it would stall or not; however, I was able to slowly make it home. I looked up the wrench light and learned I was likely having a throttle body or powertrain problem. I found online that the dealer would fix it, but unfortunately, that was only through January 2015 and had expired (before the dealer even sold me the SUV.) I started the SUV this morning to take to the dealer to get fixed, but the wrench light has gone off and there is not proof to show the dealer of the problem. …
Steering all 20 →
The contact owns a 2011 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. After turning off the vehicle and restarting the engine, the vehicle would operate normally. The vehicle was taken to and independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering shaft torque sensor was faulty and need to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 140,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE WAS B2278. …
The contact owns a 2011 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while attempting to make a turn from a complete stop, the steering wheel became significantly difficult to turn. The contact was able to turn the vehicle by using physical force. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with electric power steering system torque sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,968.
2011 Mercury Mariner engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | FWD | 34 / 30 / 32 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD | 30 / 27 / 29 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Mercury Mariner a good car?
Based on 87 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Mariner rates better than average: 41% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Mariner at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Mercury Mariner?
The fuel & propulsion system — 28 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (24) and steering (20).
How many recalls does the 2011 Mercury Mariner have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2011 Mercury Mariner, the most recent from October 26, 2016 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercury Mariner?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007, 2005 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2010 and 2009. See the full Mercury Mariner years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Mercury Mariner problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 53,000 miles; 47% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.