Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Mercury Mountaineer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear panel was cracked. The contact was concerned that the integrity of the rear window was compromised due to the cracks. The vehicle was taken to dick smith Ford (9505 e state rte 350, raytown, mo) where the cracks were confirmed. The dealer diagnosed that adhesive material needed to be added to the cracks to reinforce the panel. The manufacturer stated that if the contact were to repair the failure independently, she May be reimbursed if a recall were issued. The failure mileage was approximately 116,354.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that the rear hatchback panel was cracked in several locations. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact called the local dealer (five star Ford, 6618 ne loop 820 at rufe snow, north richland hills, tx 76180-7844, [phone]) and was informed that they could not repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. After parking the vehicle, the contact noticed the liftgate window hanging off the hinges. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000. Updated 06/15/16
Automatic transmission- this transmission is horrible a few times I noticed the severe noise and jerk when I went to reverse. I thought perhaps it was me. On christmas eve I went to pull away from stop light and car started to accelerate then slowed down I gave it a little gas and it jerked me so hard it hurt my neck (which is still bothering me today). The od light came on and check transmission. Repair cost $2,7000, basically everything went bad. After hearing from numerous people this is a problem that Ford is aware of. They even went so far as to correct it for future models but has yet to perform a recall on 2005 mountaineers and explorers. As Ford was aware of this problem corrected it for future models they should be liable and a recall notice should be forthcoming. Anyone who has experienced this should get full refund of monies paid. …
I bought this SUV cash from a dealership and was told no damages! I have all the original paperwork stating no damages to the vehicle. I paid 14300.00 cash. I went to trade in my SUV to downsize and was told there were title issues and the frame was cracked. I then looked over all my paperwork front and back to see if I missed anything-to see if any damages were noted. I contacted the dealership and they said it is not there fault that the dealership that I was trying to trade the SUV in was just telling me that to buy my trade in for a less value. I obtained the report from auto check and it clearly states the SUV was a lease. It was in an accident on 12/06/07 then sold for auction. New england auction reported clearly: auction announced as frame damage. Was sold to the dealership on 12/28/07 then sold to me on 01/09/08. Again no damages reported to me. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that there was a crack in the rear lift-gate, right down the middle and around the manufacturers emblem. The crack stretched from the top to the bottom of the lift-gate. Due to the crack being located near the windshield wiper motor, it would freeze and cause abrasions to the hands whenever the lift-gate was opened. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer at least three times, but the contact was informed that he would have to pay for the repair expenses. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 44,000. Updated 09/28/11 the consumer also stated ice formed in the cracked area causing bubbling of rear gate and freezing windshield, which caused the rear wiper to not work. Updated 10/07/11
I have a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer which has been garage kept and only 20,000 miles. I noticed the paint peeling from the roof of this vehicle and returned it to the dealer who referred me to the Ford customer care, who refused to help me with this problem because it was over the 36 month warranty. I took it to my local auto shop who told me this is a major issue and he told me the entire cars paint can peel because of the faulty way it was painted. He showed me the undercoat was not prepared properly and the paint is just not adhering to the undercoat. I did a search on the internet and now find that this was a known issue and an expensive fix as it means removing the paint and undercoat and redoing the entire vehicle. What can I do short of seeking legal remedies?
My 2005 Mercury Mountaineer developed a crack in the rear lift gate right around the Mercury emblem. I have seen many more with the same problem, both Ford explorers and the Mercury Mountaineer. When I took it to the dealer they were like too bad so sad it is out of warranty even though I bought a extended warranty from Ford. I have been looking around now and I see lots of them with the same problem. I have heard that Ford is fixing the explorers if it is under 5 years and under 75,000 miles but that just seems to be a dealer thing, I have not seen any official account of this.
Body complaints in other Mountaineer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer, 32% of the model year's 82 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Mercury Mountaineer body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Mercury Mountaineer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.