Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Mercury Montego owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercury Montego. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, he smelled a burning odor inside the vehicle. The engine was turned off and upon restarting, there was a complete loss of power steering. The contact inspected under the hood and noticed that the serpentine belt was fractured. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis and the air compressor serpentine belt was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 60, 540.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercury Montego. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine suddenly malfunctioned and shut off. During the incident, the check engine light illuminated and the engine failure message was displayed. After restarting the engine, the vehicle operated as normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the throttle body was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercury Montego. While driving 50 MPH up an incline, the vehicle jerked. As the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate and the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the valve body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
When accelerating suddenly the vehicle would just shift out of gear, make a loud clunking noise and violently thrust forward and then back. It happens a lot when trying to accelerate onto a highway. It is very scary feeling. It is a sudden jolt. When we took the car to the dealership the repairman said has seen a lot of the harsh shifting failure with the transmission with the Montego.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercury Montego. The contact stated that the service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the code was reset, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
As I backed out of a parking space, the car surged & I hit another parked car behind me. Even though I had my foot on the brake, the car accelerated for a few seconds. I then placed the other foot on top of the right foot & put the gear into park & the car stopped.
I like my car except, except for being scared of driving on the freeway or trying to go up a hill and don't even think about passing someone. When the car's engine need to shift it will shift so hard it almost throw me into the back seat of another car or that is how I feel if I don't hold on to the steering wheel tightly. Their is something wrong with the transmission drive shaft or trans system and it needs to be recall. I just had to replace the upper roll retractor which was recalled on other Mercury cars except according to Mercury not my year or car... Come on..... Yes it's should have been a recall on my car as well. Question what to do....
When shifting out of park or neutral, or from drive to reverse (or reverse to drive), the car lurches forward or back with no warning. This can be a hazard, if near pedestrians or if parked in a tight space. Additionally, if this occurs several times,(eg:parking) the car will stall & the repair "wrench" on the dashboard lights up. The car must be turned off for about 1 minute & re-started to get back to normal. This unfortunately is too common occurrence. Is Ford waiting for a fatality before taking steps for corrective action.
When driving the car comes to a sudden stop and only allows me to go 20-25 MPH. Very unsafe. I was on the freeway going about 65mph and then engine lost power - speed dropped to 20 MPH on the freeway. Luckily I was able to pull over in time avoid a high speed collision. The sudden engine power loss happens going at different speeds even as slow as 30 MPH. The RPM needle goes up and down. I have had the the throttle body cleaned at the dealer from a previous recall, and have gotten the throttle body cleaned again.
Purchased my 2006 Mercury Montego in 2007. Car has always seemed to idle too fast. Car will suddenly lurch forward or backward, seemingly without provocation. I am fearful of my safety, safety of others or of damage to surrounding vehicles/property. Mechanics I have contacted have reset the computer, but the car always returns to the same issue after a day or so. Mechanics are baffled over this issue. It is almost as if the car has a mind of its own.
Engine complaints in other Montego years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Mercury Montego?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Mercury Montego, 28% of the model year's 85 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2006 Mercury Montego engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Mercury Montego. 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 Montego engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.