Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was driving through my neighborhood on the way home from going out to dinner. I went around a curve and then when I started going up a slight hill, the engine surged. I didn't think to much about it until I lost almost all power. I could not get up to a speed higher than 5 miles per hour. I was able to get within one block of my residence. I waited for about an hour as I looked up the diagnostic code that my odb2 scanner gave me. I found out that it is code p2111, throttle actuator control system - stuck open. I went back to my car, after about an hour, and it started just fine. I was able to drive my SUV to my local Ford dealer, with someone in another car following to make sure that I didn't have a repeating issue. I did a night key drop tonight, the same day as when the issue happened. …
Car seems to stall all power stays on but the car shakes and then stalls and the wrench light comes on which is a powertrain light. Took car to dealer they say there is nothing wrong with it. They reset the light. One week after bring the car to the dealer the wrench light comes back on and the car stalls this time I was going 55 miles an hour on a parkway thankfully I was able to pull over before the car stopped. Brought to dealer, nothing is wrong with the car they recommended me to leave the heat off because there could be a problem with the heat. (don't understand that) last week the car stalled again and the wrench light came on. I am currently waiting to bring it in for service. This is not good nor safe.
When the weather is hot (close to 100 degrees or more) and I am driving with the a/c - my vehicle on 3 occasions will not start after parking the vehicle and trying to restart it. The red padlock sign blinks and it won't start. At first it is trying to turnover but then will continually sound worse and all other warning lights go haywire. I leave the car alone for half a day and it starts up again like nothing happened. On the fourth occasion, the car stopped while driving, just a quiet shutdown and the car glided. This time it did not work for over 24 hours and then started up again like nothing happened. Multiple mechanics and also the dealership cannot figure out the problem because by the time i have it towed to shop, it works again. They did a full check on the car and cannot find anything wrong and there were no diagnostic codes. …
I was driving when it felt like the vehicle was reving in park then the "wrench" icon appeared on my dash. I went a couple blocks & my vehicle felt like it wasn't shifting automatically as it should. I pulled over & turned it off. It started right back up with no lights on, I went half a block & stopped at a stop sign but while stopped the engine reved up. I was worried I was going to be in an accident. Then the "wrench" light came back on, since I was close to home I figured I'd just try to get home. About another block, the check engine light came on & was making strange noises. I kept my vehicle at about 5-10 mph & got it home. My car was very jerky.
While traveling approximately 35 MPH, driving in a straight line on a city street in traffic, the ABS abruptly applied the brakes - hard! The ABS light came on and a "check brake system" warning message was displayed. Also, the electrical system shut down and the engine lost power. After about 5 seconds, power was restored and vehicle was able to proceed. This occurred approximately 8 times over a two mile distance. During the last 4 times, the engine died, lost power completely, and needed to be turned off and restarted to continue. This failure was a dangerous safety hazard. Vehicle was towed to albuquerque Lincoln Volvo. The problem was diagnosed as a failed ABS module, 9l8z. The dealer replaced the ABS module with a faultly module. A second ABS module was installed and the vehicle was deemed repaired. The dealer did not return the defective part for analysis.
Power of vehicle drastically decreased while driving down secondary road. Had just enough power to pull over to side of the road. Pushed down accelerator in park and neutral but no power. Turned off. Restarted and resumed normal driving. Suspect electronic throttle body. The Ford dealership will not replace without a diagnostic fee because they state it is not a recall, although an internal vehicle health report states "there are recalls for your 2009 Mercury Mariner at this time" notice # 13n03 electronic throttle body extended coverage I believe using the word recall constitutes misrepresentation when in fact Ford motor company states it is just a customer satisfaction program to alleviate them from costs and any wrong doing. It is a very dangerous safety concern.
My wife was driving on her way home, and out of nowhere the steering felt weird, and while driving the car shut off. No power steering or power brakes (due to engine shutting off) and we do not know why this happened.
The car is reving high and accelerating poorly. Then the red triangle light telling me to stop safety now comes on causing me to pull over and shut car off. I turn the car back on and it drives but with same issues. Look on the carcomplaint.com website for TSB-09-19-12 and TSB-08-24-5 which detail what my car is doing and makes it appear like there is a cooling pump recall. Ford just told me there are no recalls listed for my VIN though. The frequency of which the red triangle light comes on is increasing this month. It was every few months and now it is weekly-daily.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Mariner years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (63), 2009 (60), 2008 (20), 2005 (16) and 2011 (14) model years. Engine complaints make up 23% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Mercury Mariner engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Mercury Mariner model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercury Mariner engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles; 37% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (4 mentions), followed by the exhaust system (1).
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.