Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 15% | 6,000 miles |
| 2008 | 9 | 9% | 71,000 miles |
| 2007 | 25 | 31% | 78,000 miles |
| 2006 | 39 | 33% | 53,000 miles |
| 2005 | 19 | 23% | 48,000 miles |
| 2004 | 64 | 30% | 66,000 miles |
| 2003 | 42 | 28% | 78,000 miles |
| 2002 | 144 | 39% | 78,000 miles |
| 2001 | 1 | 5% | 1,000 miles |
| 2000 | 15 | 12% | 60,000 miles |
| 1999 | 8 | 5% | 70,000 miles |
| 1998 | 9 | 4% | 34,000 miles |
| 1997 | 8 | 2% | 100,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer. While in park and turned off, the vehicle rolled forward and collided with another vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated or injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,500.
Since I purchased in 2009, engine kills anytime, mostly when gas pedal not pressed. Pulling out of parking lots, sitting at red lights, or letting off gas on interstate, engine just kills. Sometimes feels like a jolt. I have to put the shift in neutral and restart the engine. Records of all visits for the problem at dealership. Never could solve problem, but too unsafe to donate to my grandson. If something were to happen to him because of a defect that was never found, I don't know what I'd do. Cannot check transmission fluid level. Sealed. I do have some fluid stains on my driveway. For years I've reported to the dealership and specified the concern for safety but to no avail. It kills anytime. May not die for a week, or tomorrow, or even a month. No particular pattern. Feels like a transmission problem. If I'm sitting in a parking lot with motor running, sometimes it just kills. …
The contact owns a 2007 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that after shifting the transmission from park(P) to reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact removed and reinserted the fob key in the ignition to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that an unknown transmission part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic instructed the contact to pull the park release lever each time to shift the vehicle out of park (P). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
My 2007 Mercury Mountaineer never had any problems until recently, thought it was the transmission because of the way it drove. Took it to the mechanic and got transmission fluid put in but the problems remained the same and was told the transmission was fine. My thermostat housing unit was leaking (this is very common with these cars and very dangerous, needs immediate attention!) and had caused very expensive wiring issues. Almost acts exactly like the transmission is going out - RPM's are way too high, the vehicle would not accelerate in the middle of city traffic, the car jumped at a stoplight and caused me to hit the car in front of me, and it doesn't shift properly. Problems occurred out of nowhere and are too dangerous to be ignored but very expensive to be fixed. Its very common and should be recalled before someone gets seriously injured!!!!
My car has had a continuing problem with the transmission. It shifts roughly and lurches when beginning to move. For example, when stopped at a stoplight, and then beginning to drive, it will lurch, jolting the passengers. Our driveway is sloped toward the street. When I park the car, I always set the emergency brake as well. The car always rolls a few inches before the brakes lock, even though it is stopped and in park. On sep. 4, 2009, my mother borrowed my car to go to lunch. She couldn't find the emergency brake release. She put the car in park and got out to locate the emergency brake. She found it and released it. The car popped into reverse and rolled backwards to the street. The door knocked my mother down and she hit her head hard enough to sustain a closed head injury with minor bleeding in her brain. …
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.
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!
Related recalls (1)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with the 4.6l engine and 6r transmission, the bolt securing the transmission oil cooler line fittings at the transmission May not have been sufficiently torqued during vehicle assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and have the transmission cooler line attachment bolt tightened free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle hesitation/stalling
There is no summary currently available
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Mountaineer years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (144), 2004 (64), 2003 (42), 2006 (39) and 2007 (25) model years. Transmission complaints make up 39% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Mercury Mountaineer transmission problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 07V-453 (cooling unit and lines, Sep 26, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Mountaineer transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (205 mentions), followed by the driveline › differential unit (13).
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.