Most common 2006 Mercury Monterey problems
Share of the 44 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 →
2006 Mercury Monterey recalls (2)
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.
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
On certain vans equipped with the power liftgate option, the power liftgate motor automatically disengages after the liftgate is powered open.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the power liftgate module to reduce the likelihood that the liftgate could fall free of charge. The recall began on March 15, 2006. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2006 Mercury Monterey:
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…
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,…
What 2006 Mercury Monterey owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 34 →
My family was traveling on the I-65 south interstate and the van, 2006 Mercury Monterey, stop responding in the middle of fast traffic. It took me by total surprise. The engine was still running. So, I initially thought it had accidently went in neutral but that wasn't the case. I tried a lower gear with not luck. Not wanting to be stuck in the middle of the interstate I then turned on my hazard lights and frantically maneuvered the van to the side of the busy interstate road. Once on the side of the road my husband tried every gear and the van wasn't responding in any of them. We ended up getting it towed to our house. After we got home my husband started researching the problem because he had never heard of a vehicle stop responding like that without any warning signs. He said this has to be vehicle defect and looked up recalls for the van on the NHTSA.org website. …
Our van was driving just fine and suddenly, with no warning at all, went into neutral, stopping in an intersection. The vehicle only has around 88000 miles on it. It was towed to the dealer, and the Lincoln dealer diagnosed that the torque converter had failed. I noticed Ford had already recalled all of the 2004 freestars and 2005 montereys for this problem, but yet somehow my 2006 with a September 2005 build date was not part of the recall. So guess what? Ford knowingly left me in an unsafe vehicle, and now I'm responsible for the repair bill. Ford so very clearly knew about the problem and never corrected the problem by the time by vehicle was built. NHTSA needs to encourage Ford to recall all the 2006 and probably all the 2007s as well. Ford should be paying for my repair, not me.
Brakes
I do not know the dates or mileages at the time, I'm sure it was over 36,000 miles or else I would have taken it into the dealer. Actually the first time I May have, and they probably said "your car didn't throw out a code" I've heard that many times... On at least two occasions, possibly three, I hit the brakes *lightly* in dry weather and it sets off the traction control. One time I was rushing my son to the hospital and I could not go over 40 miles an hour, I was on a highway so I could not safely pull over (that was not the first time it had happened so I knew I needed to stop and shut the car off to "reset" it. I just cried all the way to the hospital). I believe it went off when I tapped the brakes to get onto the onramp, I had a "yield". Another time I was on a busy two-lane road with traffic behind me, that May have been the first time it happened because I was freaked out. …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Mercury Monterey. While driving low speeds, the vehicle would decelerate and shut off. The contact had to restart the vehicle from the middle of the road. Once restarted, the vehicle functions properly. When the failure occurs, the advance track ABS light illuminates. She took the vehicle to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure. Ford sent an engineer to the dealer and he retro fitted something to the steering wheel to block light from affecting the sensors. The remedy has not corrected the failure. The failure has occurred five times and the vehicle has been taken to the dealer four times. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 8,000 and current mileage was 10,300.
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercury Monterey. The contact stated that while going up an incline, the transmission stalled and the vehicle jumped. The contact was able to gain control of the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power control module needed to be replaced, the transmission was contaminated with water and needed to be rebuilt, the fluid needed to be replaced and the wiper cowl needed to be removed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact referenced NHTSA action number pe10033 (vehicle speed control, power train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Mercury Monterey. While driving at an unknown speed, the traction control warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The vehicle decelerates, loses power steering and braking ability, and also stalls. The vehicle had to be restarted in order for it to operate normally. He took the vehicle to the dealer on numerous occasions, but they, as well as an investigator from Ford, could not duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was 10,000 and current mileage was 24,000. Updated 08/13/08 the ABS light and oil light illuminateed as well. Updated 08/13/08
2006 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 2006 Mercury Monterey a good car?
Based on 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Monterey rates better than average: 75% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Monterey at the same age. It is one of the best Monterey years by this measure. 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 2006 Mercury Monterey?
The transmission & drivetrain — 34 complaints, 77% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission › torque converter. Next are the brakes (4) and engine & cooling (3).
How many recalls does the 2006 Mercury Monterey have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2006 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 2006 Mercury Monterey problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 81,000 miles; 21% 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.