Most common 2005 Mercury Mountaineer problems
Share of the 82 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 →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer:
Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular…
What 2005 Mercury Mountaineer owners say
Body & structure all 26 →
My husband was driving our 2005 Mercury Mountaineer and he was going less than 20 miles per hour on a main street and got in a accident the woman stopped short and he rear ended her. The car totalled up buckled up air bags never inflated they came out completely deflated. Issue with this car also is the electric driver window dies out mechanic could not figure out bought new motors still wouldnt open electric switches they thought it was fully electronic they where going to re wire very expensibe but car was totalled. Car horrible on gas also. Have pictures of delated air bags both driver and passanger
Transmission jerks . Have that crack in middle lift gate around emblem like I see everybody has . Lift gate window bolts rusted and one broke in half on the driver side back lift gate at top back window it cracked in half didn't know that when I noticed my warning light saying hatch was open I didn't noticed anything went too open and try to shut it and when I lifted open the door the glass fell out and bent the hinge that supports the whole rear glass I grabbed glass held it till others came to help me in parking lot glass was heavy im tiny petite girl so thank goodness for people who came to help me at store it was just hanging there and the other side was just as bad just didn't break in half at that point yet thank goodness or I think the whole thing would have fell to ground and shattered .very expensive to fix at a dealer so my husband order parts at store and online for a lot …
Transmission & drivetrain
started losing power ,did not want to go pas 30 miles per hr ,then it ramed up and came to a stop with no acceleration ,i shut it off then start it again and was able to get home at a low rate of speed while continuing to have these problems, another day while far away from home the engine rammed up again minimizing my speed as the transmission was slipping and not go fast then my O/D over drive went on flashing a light ,while the engine kept steady at 20-30 miles per hour while accelerating increasing no speed ,now my SUV will not run wright, it will kick into gear at times constantly and cause problems driving safely ,this is a common problem I'm hearing and reading in the internet with the ford/ mercury mountaineer the manufactory does not want to accept responsibility with this problem ..... …
While driving 50 MPH vehicle stalled three times. Took it to a garage, was told it was necessary to have the vehicle when it stalled. Found eleven (11) similar complaints on your site! Perhaps there is some validity to the complaints. All parts of the vehicle related to safe driving were rendered useless. Sounds like a safety issue to me!
Speed control & acceleration
started losing power ,did not want to go pas 30 miles per hr ,then it ramed up and came to a stop with no acceleration ,i shut it off then start it again and was able to get home at a low rate of speed while continuing to have these problems, another day while far away from home the engine rammed up again minimizing my speed as the transmission was slipping and not go fast then my O/D over drive went on flashing a light ,while the engine kept steady at 20-30 miles per hour while accelerating increasing no speed ,now my SUV will not run wright, it will kick into gear at times constantly and cause problems driving safely ,this is a common problem I'm hearing and reading in the internet with the ford/ mercury mountaineer the manufactory does not want to accept responsibility with this problem ..... …
I purchased a used 2005 Mercury Mountaineer last month, with 135,400 miles, while using cruise control and traveling approximately 35 MPH, the road went from level to a very slight downgrade. The car then just shut off after audible warning bell was heard. Noticed dashboard lights were all lit and battery gage was normal. I lost power steering, brakes and oil pressure. After pulling safely to the side of the road, I rested for 30 seconds before restarting the car, which subsequently operated normally. After taking it in for an oil change and safety check, I went on a 450 mile weekend trip and had no issues, restricting cruise control to highway speeds. The other day, I was traveling on a different stretch of level road in my town while using cruise control at approx. 35 MPH. After heading into a slight downgrade, I again heard the warning bell, followed by engine shut off. …
2005 Mercury Mountaineer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 2WD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer a good car?
Based on 82 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Mountaineer rates better than average: 42% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Mountaineer at the same age. 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 2005 Mercury Mountaineer?
The body & structure — 26 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (19) and speed control & acceleration (13).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. You can still confirm with your VIN using our 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 2005 Mercury Mountaineer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 48% 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.