Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5 | 38% | 38,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 17% | 118,000 miles |
| 2008 | 5 | 5% | 38,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% | 0 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 3% | 54,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 6% | 90,000 miles |
| 2004 | 5 | 2% | 35,000 miles |
| 2003 | 10 | 7% | 64,000 miles |
| 2002 | 23 | 6% | 52,000 miles |
| 2001 | 3 | 14% | 70,000 miles |
| 2000 | 8 | 7% | 38,000 miles |
| 1999 | 9 | 6% | 70,000 miles |
| 1998 | 6 | 3% | — |
| 1997 | 40 | 12% | 100,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
At 28000 miles the transmission started shifting erratic, the dealer reprogrammed the ECM and covered up the problem until the warrant ended and the battery failed at which time the car reverted back to default and continued to buck and jerk until the car reached highway speed. This continued until the transmission finally failed during operation on the highway on 3/5/20. The ABS module just failed during low speed operation for no apparent reason. Also the car indicated that there is an electrical problem even though all electrical components are in good operational condition. This error comes and goes constantly at any given time.
While driving the vehicle, the seat suddenly went all the way back and the interior lights came on. This has happened several times since then, we finally figured out it was the ignition, with the car acting like the key just got put in the ignition or just pulled out, and the seat moving all the way back for easier ingress/egress and the courtesy lights coming on. Since I am only 5 foot 4 inches, when the seat moves back I can no longer reach the petals, a very dangerous situation while driving.
Tl contact rented a 2006 Mercury Mountaineer. While making a left turn at approximately 5-10 MPH, the contact applied too much pressure to the accelerator pedal and the vehicle sped forward. The contact applied the brakes and the emergency brake, but the vehicle did not decelerate or stop. The vehicle crashed into four parked vehicles. Both passengers were transported to the hospital, but only the front passenger, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered bruises and soreness. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The VIN, powertrain, engine size, purchase date, and number of cylinders were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 6,000.
Truck cooling system died which caused the truck to catch fire while driving down the highway, smoke poring out, state troopers had to assist us. My daughter was scared to death and now refuses to get back in the truck even though we got a new engine. To make matters worse we spent 3000 on and engine...500 on cooling system and had the transmission reprogrammed. The truck is still have major problems and now for says it needs the transmission rebuilt or replaced. All of this is out of pocket. We cant even trade it in bc they will only give us 1/2 of what we paid for it 2 yrs ago. Nightmare and makes me sick that Ford doesn't care.
On December of 2007, I drove into my garage at a slow speed. I applied the brakes to be able to park the SUV. The car would not stop until it hit the inner wall of the house. The air bag did not go off after the impact.. Took the car in after repair to front of car was done. The dealer's service department could not find anything wrong. 01/10/08 on June 17, 2008, my husband was parking the car to let me out to go to the doctor's office, the SUV would not stop until my husband put the SUV in park and shut the engine off.
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!
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right front brake line to the hydraulic control unit (hcu) connection could separate causing the line to leak when the brake pedal is applied.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the flare nut on the brake line.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Mountaineer years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (40), 2002 (23), 2003 (10), 1999 (9) and 2000 (8) model years. Brake complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Mercury Mountaineer brake problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 99V-123 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, May 18, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Mountaineer brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles; 54% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (41 mentions), followed by the foundation components › disc › rotor (9).
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.