Most common 2001 Mercury Mountaineer problems
Share of the 22 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 →
2001 Mercury Mountaineer recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
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 › Cables
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable May bind when the speed control is activated.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began August 29, 2003. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2001 Mercury Mountaineer:
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…
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 2001 Mercury Mountaineer owners say
Suspension
Dealer installed Ford towing hitch and wiring assembly. I noticed that the driver's rear side of the vehicle was significantly lower than the passenger's rear side of the vehicle. The service writer indicated that the driver's rear leaf spring was sagging , and that this was common for this era of explorers/mountaineers. He indicated that it was safe to tow as-is and that it was not necessary to replace the spring. When at a body shop this week I showed it to the manager who said that the problem was common to explorers/mountaineers of the era and he recommended having Ford replace the spring under recall or customer service/technical bulletin, if there was one. I called Ford 800 number. They indicated that there was no defect or recall issue.
Problems with radio, paint and rear windshield wiper. There was a loud grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle as well as the engine area, when the noise stopped, a cloud of black emitted from the vehicle. The dealer stated it was normal, because the all wheel drive had activated for the first time. The weather stripping around the windshield was replaced and there was a problem with the power train.
Wheels & tires
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Mountaineer. The vehicle has cooper discoverer h/t, size p235/75/r15 tires. The correct tire size was unavailable in the drop down menu at the time of this complaint. While driving 70 MPH, the tread separated on the passenger side front tire. The tires were inspected and found to have dimples on the sidewalls at only 33,000 miles. The contact stated that the tread exploded off the tire and he lost control of the vehicle. The place where the tires were purchased stated that they have sold hundreds of these tires and have not had any failures. They offered to give him new tires at $20.00 off since he had a random set of defective tires. The contact did not accept their offer. He stated that the vehicle was serviced as scheduled and he just had the tires rotated. The VIN and engine size were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 107,000.
Left rear tire felt wobbly while driving up hill, then exploded, separating tread from sidewalls. Was able to pull over safely immediately. Tires were inspected during oil change about 2 days prior to incident. Police responded while I was changing tire, but no report filed (by me, anyway). Reported incident to Firestone and Mercury cust. Srvc. Firestone declined to help in any way to replace tires. Mercury helped expedite replacement, which was done w/in 2 days. I am happy with the new tires, from bf goodrich. (tiresize: p23575r15)
Body & structure
Vehicle's rear end "kicked out" counter clockwise on steep downhill grades. The consumer was involved in a spin out accident where the rear end spun out clockwise on a steep downhill grade of snow. The consumer found the seat belt was not designed for small framed people approximately 5 feet 2 inches of height. The seat belt had come off the center/sternum and slipped under her arm pit, and did not lock down on the lap. The seat belt cut into the left side of the neck and during the accident the belt slipped off the consumer's chest to her arm pit. The dealer suggested the consumer use a clip.
Problems with radio, paint and rear windshield wiper. There was a loud grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle as well as the engine area, when the noise stopped, a cloud of black emitted from the vehicle. The dealer stated it was normal, because the all wheel drive had activated for the first time. The weather stripping around the windshield was replaced and there was a problem with the power train.
2001 Mercury Mountaineer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Mercury Mountaineer a good car?
Based on 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Mountaineer rates better than average: 79% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Mountaineer at the same age. It is one of the best Mountaineer 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 2001 Mercury Mountaineer?
The suspension — 4 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rear. Next are the wheels & tires (3) and body & structure (3).
How many recalls does the 2001 Mercury Mountaineer have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2001 Mercury Mountaineer, the most recent from August 3, 2007 (vehicle speed control). 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 2001 Mercury Mountaineer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 38% 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.