Most common 1998 Mercury Mountaineer problems
Share of the 236 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Mountaineer complaints by model year
Best Mountaineer years: 2009, 2010, 2001. Years to avoid: 2002, 1997, 1998, 2004, 1999. Compare all years →
1998 Mercury Mountaineer recalls (5)
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with 4.0l sohc engines and still retain the original throttle body (part numbers 97jf-9e926ab or 97jf-9e926-ac). Some of the original throttle bodies installed allowed a gap between the plate and bore to be built too narrow.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the original throttle bodies.
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The secondary hood latch May corrode at the latch pivot and stick in the open position.
Remedy: Dealers will install a secondary hood latch with components that are coated prior to assembly for improved latch pivot corrosion protection.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from May 29, 1996 through March 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l single overhead cam engines. The engine fuel lines can be damaged if the vehicle is jump started and the ground cable is attached to the fuel line bracket that is located near the battery.
Remedy: Dealers will install a warning label on the fuel line bracket advising owners not to use it for a jump start ground. Also a revised bolt will be installed in the alternator bracket to provide a convenient jump start…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer:
Vehicle hesitation/stalling
There is no summary currently available
Fuel line damage from jump starting
There is no summary currently available
Windshield wiper malfunction
There is no summary currently available
Steering knuckle separations
There is no summary currently available
Front seat back recliner attachment
By letter dated August 4, 2003, Ford notified the agency that it is conducting a voluntary safety recall (NHTSA recall no. 03V281) involving certain model year (my) 1998-2001 Ford explorer / Mercury mountaineer 4-door, my 1998-2000 Ford explorer 2-door and my 2001-2002 Ford explorer sport and sport trac vehicles equipped with high back seats.complaints allege that the driver's seat back reclined without warning.a…
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 1998 Mercury Mountaineer owners say
Wheels & tires all 97 →
The tires are an "all terrain" design, however they perform very very poorly in snow/slush/very wet conditionswhen combined with the vehicles that have all wheel drive. I've talked to three experts who have all concluded that the problem is with the rubber band on the outer edge of the tread on both sides (this band has no lugs in it, resulting in poor traction in turns.) essentially, the all wheel drive tries to pull the car forward and is supposed to adjust power away from the wheels with poor traction. When it does so, the car has a major tendency to lose control at all wheels. Since I have owned the car I have seen or heard of two other identical vehicles getting into similar accidents with the same options/tires as my vehicle, so I asume it is a re-occuring problem. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Mercury Mountaineer equipped with turbo tech radial a/sr tires, line size p235/75r15, dot number ut1tt2e4305. The contact was driving approximately 55 MPH when a loud pop sounded from the exterior of the vehicle. The contact suddenly lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle flipped over twice and landed onto the center lane of the highway. The contact sustained a mild concussion and injuries to the knee, back and neck. A police report was available. The failure was caused by the rear driver side tire exploding. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage yard. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
Speed control & acceleration all 36 →
Under my hood started smoking, I popped my hood to find flames under it. I had to get my kids out the truck and put the flames out with and extinguisher. That's when I noticed that my brake fluid reservoir was melted and so were the wires that connect to the cruise control switch. Not I am without a vehicle to get to work and get my children to school.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle erupted in flames, an hour and a half after it had been parked in the carport. The contact's house became engulfed in flames and was a total loss. The fire department responded and there was a police report taken. The insurance company and manufacturer inspected the vehicle. The insurance company was unable to come to a final determination about the fire, but stated it looks as though the fire started in the vehicle speed control area. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. There is a NHTSA recall, # 05V388000, regarding the vehicle speed control. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Engine & cooling all 22 →
One of the braided stainless steel fuel lines that attaches to the engines fuel rail developed a leak. I kept smelling a strong odor of gas, but I could not find out where it was coming from. After two weeks of smelling the gas, I took it to a garage and they showed me the gas squirting from the braided hose going to the engine. I took the vehicle to the Ford dealer and showed them the leak. They took the vehicle in their shop and removed the fuel lines. Because of the age of the vehicle, Ford does not provide any replacement parts. I was unable to get replacement fuel lines from Ford. I checked with "junk yards" all over the country. I had no luck finding replacement fuel lines. Junk yards cut the fuel line when they pull engines. I finally located a company in new castle, de that supplies hydraulic hoses, etc. …
When the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer was running on hwy 121 south merging into hwy 114 west in grapevine, tx, the 1998 Mercury suddenly became out of control at a speed less than speed limit. The car was being accelerated even if the accelerator pedal was off. The driver applied break to stop the car but the break did not work. Then the driver had to steer the car into the bush off road to avoid collision to other cars. The driver changed the at to p (parking) to stop the car. The engine surged and started fire underneath of the car. Then the driver removed the key and evacuated from the car. The fire was extinguished by the fireman.
1998 Mercury Mountaineer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer a good car?
Based on 236 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Mountaineer rates avoid: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Mountaineer at the same age. It is one of the Mountaineer 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 1998 Mercury Mountaineer?
The wheels & tires — 97 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the speed control & acceleration (36) and engine & cooling (22).
How many recalls does the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1998 Mercury Mountaineer, the most recent from August 5, 2003 (recliner). 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 Mountaineer?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2010 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 1997, 1998, 2004 and 1999. See the full Mercury Mountaineer years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Mercury Mountaineer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 10% 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.