Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Mercury Milan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car did not stop when brake was applied resulting in a crash into the car that was in front of me. Both cars were getting ready to enter the main road from a side street. I was starting to proceed and we had to stop and wait for oncoming traffic when I hit my brakes it did not stop before I hit the car. Recall # 19s54
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Mercury Milan. The contact stated that a bump was on the dashboard over the location of the passenger side air bag. The air bags and the wiring were not exposed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to morrie's minnetonka Ford (13400 wayzata blvd, minnetonka, mn 55305, [phone]), but the cause of the failure was not determined. The contact was informed by a service technician that the dashboard repair would cost approximately $3,000. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V024000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer stated that parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
"Takata recall" - received recall notice dated July 2016... But it stated that a 2nd notice/letter will be sent when parts become available and then can contact a dealer for repair... Meanwhile, now whenever I turn the car on, the airbag light comes on that I have to turn the ignition off and on again, hoping the airbag light doesn't show... And the fear that this airbag will explode and can actually kill you is so stressful.. Please please expedite these airbag replacement/repairs so they can be done sooner. It is now January 2017 and this is a daily occurrence.
1. The Airbag light on the driver side is on 2. The vehicle under is extensively rusty 3. Braking is very slow
I am unable to open driver side door from the inside of car. The handle remains in the unlocked position and can only be opened from the outside of the car. The car can't be locked with the remote, only with the key. In the event there was an emergency, the driver would not be able to get out of the car unless they could open the window and then open the door from the outside. This problem appears to be prevalent with the 2006 models both Ford and Mercury. Just search the internet. It appears the resolve is to have the inside door handle replaced. There have been recalls on other Ford models for similar problems but not the fusion or Milan, which have the most complaints seen on the internet. The dealer will fix the problem for a fee but it seems like this is not due to normal wear and tear. …
The plastic interior door handles broke without even touching them. Both front handles broke within a week of each other. I didn't know the front passenger side was broken until my wife asked me to get out of the car to let her out on her side. And then approximately a week later the driver's side interior handle broke also. Now neither door can be opened from the inside. The window needs to be rolled down and the outside handle needs to be used. When we bought the car (used) the rear driver's side interior handle plastic was broken and we knew this. Even broken you can still use it to open the rear door. I was in the drivers seat when the driver's interior handle broke. I was parked, and I heard a click before I tried opening my door from the inside and the door would not open. …
Pulled into a parking lot with my son in the front passenger seat. Shut off the engine and attempted to pull the driver door handle to exit the vehicle. It (the handle) broke in half and was unable to exit the vehicle quickly or safely. I began to panic as I felt trapped. So I rolled down the power window for air and to calm down. Before I was able to think clearly and try opening the door with the exterior handle from the inside, I exited the vehicle through the driver window. This is clearly a safety issue as the handles are a chronic problem on all 4 interior doors. Someone will need to exit their vehicle quickly. If this happens they are slowed down if not trapped inside. How many complaints will it take to make this a recall issue? Ford has made no effort to correct this problem and re installs the same defective door handles at the dealers. …
I have a 2006 Mercury Milan and I have had to replace the driver's door handle twice. Once was under warranty due to the "chrome" peeling off. The second time it was replaced the door handle broke and I ended up paying $54 for a new plastic handle. I have also had the passenger side door handle to break in the same spot and had to replace it and that cost me $35 at the time due to me working for a local Ford company. I strongly feel that this is a safety hazard because if the vehicle caught on fire or you had an accident and the handle happens to break at the same time you would have to roll the window down to open the handle from the outside or crawl to the passenger side to get out. Anyone of larger size would have trouble crawling to the passenger side to get out of the vehicle. …
The inside front passenger door handle broke from under the door panel and became inoperable. This required the inside door handle to be replaced on or about 10/2009. Car was purchased new in oct. 2006, had less than 30,000 miles and was rarely occupied by anyone other than the driver I.e. The front passenger door was rarely used. Since then, both inside rear door handles are becoming difficult to operate and will most likely require replacement in the very near future. On or about 9/15/2014, the front inside passenger door handle which was previously replaced again became inoperable and had to be replaced on 10/2/2014. The front driver inside door handle broke and became inoperable on or about 9/30/2014 and was replaced also on 10/2/2014. The handles appear to be of very poor quality and do not hold up at all. …
"door handles" - arrived at work and when I pulled on driver's side door handle to exit car, there was a loud click sound and handle wouldn't work.. Felt loose. I had to turn the car back on, roll the window down, stick my hand out the window to pull on the exterior door handle to open the door. It's been like this since October and difficult to deal with in this brutal wisconsin winter. Ford should pay for repair since the many reports about this situation makes it a defect on Ford cars, which is also a glaring safety issue if it hampers exiting vehicle in an emergency. I am a senior citizen on limited income and can't afford to pay for repairing these defects. This is an every day occurrence. Please help.
Body complaints in other Milan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2006 Mercury Milan?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the body & structure of the 2006 Mercury Milan, 11% of the model year's 214 complaints. The component named most often is body (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Mercury Milan body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2006 Mercury Milan, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Mercury Milan body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.