Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
While I was driving,the 2007 Monterey Mini-van suddenly stopped responding to the accelerator. The brakes were still responsive, as was steering. There was absolutely no warning to this abrupt problem, and it was particularly worrisome because there were vehicles following me on the 4-lane road and I was unexpectedly not moving besides coasting to a stop. The vehicle had to be towed. Our mechanic, not a dealer, suspects the torque converter. Of note, the 2004 and 2005 montereys were recalled for torque converter failure because it was a safety issue. The only other years of montereys that were made, 2006 and 2007, should be investigated for recall, also. This type of failure- while the vehicle is in motion- is exceedingly dangerous.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Mercury Monterey. While driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently went into neutral. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000. The VIN was not available.
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.
The contact's fianc e owns a 2005 Mercury Monterey. The contact stated while his fianc e was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to respond and inadvertently stopped. The contact's fianc e pushed the vehicle over the third of a mile by herself until she received assistance to push the vehicle to a parking lot. The vehicle was hauled to the contact's residence. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into gear, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact, who is an independent mechanic diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,357.
You'll be driving down the street or highway and it all of sudden it loses power and the light that means transaxle problem has been detected and shifting May be restricted. Have system services immediately if light remains on. I looked it up with my VIN number and I know there is a recall due to this problem. I looked it up on a site and it said it hadn't been fixed and I called one dealership and they said they don't see where it had been fixed either. Then all of sudden when I discover another dealership that is closer to me a couple days later and decided to call them to see if they could get me in instead of the first dealership cause it was closer to my house they all of sudden say it was already had been fixed back in 2012. …
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. …
Related recalls (1)
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.
NHTSA investigations
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Monterey years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (203), 2005 (97) and 2006 (34) model years. Transmission complaints make up 72% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Mercury Monterey transmission problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 12V-006 (torque converter, Jan 9, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Monterey transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles; 14% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (181 mentions), followed by the automatic transmission › torque converter (21).
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.