Most common 2004 Mercury Monterey problems
Share of the 283 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Monterey complaints by model year
Best Monterey years: 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2004, 2005. Compare all years →
2004 Mercury Monterey recalls (4)
Seats
Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles manufactured from March 24, 2003, through November 7, 2006, equipped with a third row seat and originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new third row seat latch striker mounting brackets, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2013.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Torque converter
Ford is recalling certain model year 2004 and 2005 Ford freestar and Mercury monterey vehicles. The torque converter output shaft May fail.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converter free of charge. The safety recall began on August 9, 2012. Owners May contact the Ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Wheels › Hub
Certain minivans May have been produced with front wheel hub assemblies that were not heat treated correctly. This condition May lead to the development of small cracks in the hub.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front hub, rotors, and wheel bearings. The recall began September 20, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
On certain minivans, the power steering low-pressure line May not be fully seated at the rack and pinion steering gear.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the power steering low-pressure line to ensure that it is seated properly at the rack and pinion steering gear. Owner notification began November 10, 2003.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 2004 Mercury Monterey:
Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment
ODI has received 18 complaints on the subject vehicles from the salt belt states that allege severe corrosion at the rear wheel wells.Additionally, ODI identified 4 similar reports from Ford's response to the investigation.Ford submitted a total of 10 reports to ODI (6 of 10 Ford reports are duplicates of ODI reports).The complaints indicated difficulty or inability to latch the rear seat as some of the complaints…
Service Jack Failure
The subject vehicles (SV) are all automatic transmission, front wheel drive vehicles with hand actuated mechanical park brakes. The investigation focused on allegations that the service jack failed and caused the vehicles to fall. The subject scissors-type jack appears to fail at the slotted hinge joints where the jack screw is located (bends at mid-point).
Engine Stalling
The subject vehicles suffered from a design issue whereby water could run down onto the cowling under the hood and located in the area of the windshield wipers and then drip onto a computer module, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), which could be manifested in a variety of symptoms depending on which part of the circuit board became wet or which of the connector pins shorted out.In addition to causing an engine…
Torque converter output shaft failure
Odi has received 227 owner complaints alleging a sudden and unexpected loss of motive power due to an internal transmission failure in the subject vehicles.of those complaints, 124 can be attributed to the torque converter output shaft splines stripping causing a sudden loss of power to the drivetrain.the remaining 103 complaints experienced a loss of motive power but the specific internal failure cause within the…
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Please see the attached closing resume summary.It has been attached to this document as a PDF.
Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment
Ford is conducting a safety recall to repair the third-row seat's latch mechanisms in approximately 196,667 model year (MY) 2004 through 2007 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles (see NHTSA recall 13V-081 for more details).The recall covers vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in the salt belt states or high corrosion areas of the United States: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia,…
Transmission Torque Converter Failure
On January 4, 2012 Ford Motor Company submitted a Defect Information Report (NHTSA Recall No. 12V-006) to NHTSA regarding a defect in the performance of the transmission torque converter for approximately 205,896 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles.The supplier of the torque converter manufactured converters containing a pump shaft spline that did not consistently meet the specified heat treatment…
What 2004 Mercury Monterey owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 203 →
The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Monterey. The contact stated that while driving through a drive thru, the vehicle independently shifted into neutral and was unable to shift into the intended gear. The automatic transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. A dealer was contacted back in 2012 who confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000 (Power Train); however, parts were not available. The contact called that same dealer in 2015 who confirmed that parts were available for the recall repair however, there was no available appointment and advised the contact to bring in the vehicle to be repaired only if a failure was experienced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Tamara recall. On 5/26/15 the man I bought my 04 Mercury Monterey van 4.2l had problems with it surging when stopping or barely moving. Found bad trans,had it rebuilt, found motor mount, trans range sensor bad also torque converter and over haul kit,3 shift sol and reverse boost valve. 6 months later I bought it.on dec7,2016 my van didn't seem right to me I could tell it had a skip and seemed slugeshed when it would shift. My check engine,and transaxle light came on as long as I keep it in 1,3or drive it don't come on or blink so I looked in the owners guide to see if I could find something. Seen where it has to do with the transmission, transaxle, and alot more. So I got on the fords website seen a list of recalls so I put my VIN# in and sure enough there I was.I have almost got hit when I was trying to get back home. …
Body & structure
Corrosion of third row seat attachment. On 23 June 2016, removed interior panel to service auxiliary A/C unit and discovered severely rusted area around the third-row seat attachment. Both left and right sides of the vehicle are rusted; the left side is much worse than the right side at this time. Contacted local dealer and their representative body shop; both refused to repair the problem due to potential liability issues. Was referred to Ford customer relationship service. They noted there are no active recalls for my vehicle - and since I am not in a "high corrosion" state, recall 13s01 does not apply (NHTSA campaign number 13V081000). Have attached pictures of the affected areas. Am trying to determine what resources are available to repair this problem if the dealer and their representative body shop refuse to approach it.
Lower control bolt that mounted to subframe rusted threw frame . If not caught on time the tire would seperate I took the vechicle to a wedler for temperary repair. But unfortanley the design on the subframe has holes so it allows water to enter and cause frame to rust! Alert when braking you May experience clunking that is the lower control arm bolt broken. Very dangerous. I have vechicle with physical proof of rusted frame if needed I can take pictures when the time comes.
Seats
There is a recall on Mercury Monterey 2004 vehicles to replace the seat anchor mechanism on the third row seat due to corrosion. NHTSA campaign number 13V081000. My vehicle is not part of this recall by VIN number but my vehicle's seat anchor mechanism has become dislodged from the wheel well and moves freely causing my third row seat not to latch in place properly. I am asking for an investigation to be started into other Mercury Monterey 2004 vehicles outside of this recall notice to determine if they need to be included on this recall. My vehicle is currently registered in virginia which is not listed on the recall but for the first 6+ years of its life was located in northern virginia and driven on district of columbia roads which is part of the recall notice. I believe virginia should be added to the list of states in which this recall should apply.
Corrosion of third row seat attachment. On 23 June 2016, removed interior panel to service auxiliary A/C unit and discovered severely rusted area around the third-row seat attachment. Both left and right sides of the vehicle are rusted; the left side is much worse than the right side at this time. Contacted local dealer and their representative body shop; both refused to repair the problem due to potential liability issues. Was referred to Ford customer relationship service. They noted there are no active recalls for my vehicle - and since I am not in a "high corrosion" state, recall 13s01 does not apply (NHTSA campaign number 13V081000). Have attached pictures of the affected areas. Am trying to determine what resources are available to repair this problem if the dealer and their representative body shop refuse to approach it.
2004 Mercury Monterey engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Mercury Monterey a good car?
Based on 283 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Monterey rates avoid: 9.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Monterey at the same age. It is one of the Monterey 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 2004 Mercury Monterey?
The transmission & drivetrain — 203 complaints, 72% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the body & structure (19) and seats (16).
How many recalls does the 2004 Mercury Monterey have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2004 Mercury Monterey, the most recent from March 7, 2013 (seats). 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 Monterey?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004 and 2005. See the full Mercury Monterey years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Mercury Monterey problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 78,000 miles; 15% 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.