Most common 2010 Mercury Mountaineer problems
Share of the 13 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 →
2010 Mercury Mountaineer recalls (1)
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, explorer, explorer sport trac, and Mercury milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between December 15, 2009 through February 3, 2010 equipped with front seat manual recliners. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before April 30, 2010. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2010 Mercury Mountaineer:
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three…
What 2010 Mercury Mountaineer owners say
Brakes
Front brakes started automatically seizing up random times and speeds due to a defective wheel bearing that disrupted the antilock brake sensors. This created an extremely dangerous driving issue. Ford refused to take responsibility or pay for any repairs because it was outside the warranty period.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mercury Mountaineer. While the contact's wife was driving 70 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal and the front driver's seat started to slide backwards and the interior lighting illuminated. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The driver lost control of the vehicle as it made a 360 degree spin. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Speed control & acceleration
While driving the Mountaineer I was slowing for a stoplight shortly after starting it up (had driven about 1/3 mile). The engine suddenly started to speed up and required significant extra braking force to come to a stop. I put the car in neutral and the engine ran at about 3,300 RPM for about 10 seconds. This is the third time this has happened. The first time the thermostat was replaced. The second time the throttle body was replaced. The third time the vehicle was checked but no defect could be found. The second time I also put it in neutral and it also ran at about 3,300 RPM for about 10 seconds.
There is a manufacturing fault with the position of the brake and the gas pedal. It is very easy to move the right foot from the gas to the brake and leave enough of the foot on the gas at the same time. It allows the brake to be pressed but also applies gas to give a vehicle a surge while braking. Had the same situation with a 2001 Ford taurus and Ford issued a recall notice to have the placement of pedals changed.
Engine & cooling
Pulled into parking space, placed shifter in park, turned off ignition, released brake and vehicle rolled backwards as if not in park. Attempted to restart vehicle and no response. Set parking brake. Could not get vehicle to lock into park, shifter moved regardless of brake on or not and would not start. Moved shifter through entire range of gears and returned to park, vehicle still would not start and park would not hold. Called dealer and was told to have it towed in. Returned to vehicle and tried once more and it started and proceeded to respond normally. Vehicle taken directly to dealer who could not find any problem or cause of preceding situation. On two subsequent dates (most recent 5/25/2012), vehicle was backed into a parking space, placed in park and ignition turned off. When an attempt to restart vehicle was made there was no response. …
While driving the Mountaineer I was slowing for a stoplight shortly after starting it up (had driven about 1/3 mile). The engine suddenly started to speed up and required significant extra braking force to come to a stop. I put the car in neutral and the engine ran at about 3,300 RPM for about 10 seconds. This is the third time this has happened. The first time the thermostat was replaced. The second time the throttle body was replaced. The third time the vehicle was checked but no defect could be found. The second time I also put it in neutral and it also ran at about 3,300 RPM for about 10 seconds.
2010 Mercury Mountaineer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Mercury Mountaineer a good car?
Based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Mountaineer rates better than average: 88% 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 2010 Mercury Mountaineer?
The brakes — 5 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the speed control & acceleration (4) and engine & cooling (3).
How many recalls does the 2010 Mercury Mountaineer have?
There is 1 recall for the 2010 Mercury Mountaineer, the most recent from April 20, 2010 (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 2010 Mercury Mountaineer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 39,000 miles; 55% 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.