Most common 2005 Mercury Montego problems
Share of the 135 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Montego complaints by model year
Best Montego years: 2007. Years to avoid: 2005. Compare all years →
2005 Mercury Montego recalls (2)
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
On certain passenger vehicles currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode…
Remedy: Dealers will install a shield over the front latches; seal a drain hole in the rear window trim molding on the freestyle rear side doors; and apply grease to all front and rear side-door latch mechanisms free of charge.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
On certain passenger vehicles, the straps that secure the fuel tank to the vehicle body May break, causing the fuel tank and fuel tank heat shield to drop on the driveshaft (all wheel drive vehicles) or exhaust system (front wheel drive vehicles).
Remedy: Dealers will replace both fuel tank straps. The recall began on December 1, 2005. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2005 Mercury Montego:
Idle instability
On November 29, 2012, Ford Motor Company (Ford) initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 12N03 to extend warranty coverage terms for repair of engine idle RPM surge caused by throttle body deposits in all model year (MY) 2005 through 2007 Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego vehicles.The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle…
What 2005 Mercury Montego owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 49 →
With only 70,000 on the transmission it began to hesitate when I would accelerate and buck when I would come to a stop. This became hazardous when I was trying to come out of a parking lot onto a busy street and the forward propulsion would hesitate closing the safe gap between oncoming cars and myself. This has been a known problem with the 2005 Mercury vehicles both in the CVT transmission and the 6-speed. I don't know why they have not had a recall on the transmissions since there are hundreds of complaints on the internet with this same exact problem. My first Montego passed the lemon law with the transmission problems when I first bought it. Now the second Montego is having the same issues after only 70,000 miles on the vehicle. I had too many close calls driving this vehicle with the inconsistency in acceleration. And the bucking and thumping when braking is severe. …
The linkage that controls the gear shift allowed the car to roll while the car was supposed to have been in park. Moreover. The car was in park but wouldn't start. When the tow truck put the car on the flat bed, the car tried to roll off even though the car shift level was in park. The car was in park and the engine was off. And the key wasn't in the ignition.. The car was repaid to the tune of about $800.00. It had to do with some linkage that runs underneath the battery box. Also the car wouldn't start.
Electrical system all 27 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Montego. While attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle began to accelerate and the traction control, check transmission, and failed safe mode warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact crashed into a bush while attempting to park the vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The failure recurred randomly. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Montego. While driving 30 MPH, there was a sudden loss of acceleration. The contact noticed that the passenger side wheel well was in flames and the wheel well on the drivers side was emitting smoke. The contact and the driver extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was not available.
Speed control & acceleration all 24 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Montego. While attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle began to accelerate and the traction control, check transmission, and failed safe mode warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact crashed into a bush while attempting to park the vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The failure recurred randomly. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Mercury Montego. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. Prior to the failure, the engine rpms erroneously increased and the vehicle surged forward. The front end of the vehicle sustained severe damage, but the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 150,000.
2005 Mercury Montego engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | CVT | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mercury Montego a good car?
Based on 135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Montego rates avoid: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Montego at the same age. It is one of the Montego years we suggest avoiding. 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 2005 Mercury Montego?
The transmission & drivetrain — 49 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the electrical system (27) and speed control & acceleration (24).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mercury Montego have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2005 Mercury Montego, the most recent from October 5, 2006 (latch). 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 Montego?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005. See the full Mercury Montego years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Mercury Montego problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 25% 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.