Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Mercury Villager owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Came to a red light and the accelerator stuck. I had to push very hard on the brake and put the vehicle in park in order to stop. This type of situation happened several other times. I took the vehicle to alexander Ford in boaz, al. They said it was the throttle assembly, and would cost a lot of money to fix. The Nissan dealership said that they had experienced many instances of the same type of problem. They also said that to their knowledge a throttle assembly does not exist. A relative who works on cars cleaned the "butterfly" and this temporarily corrected the problem.
Gas pedal sticks on 2000 Mercury Villager. Had vehicle since 2000. Problem started in 2002 and got worse. We dealt with it but since my wife was diagnosed with ms in 2003, she found it hard to deal with. I deal with it, but find it very annoying. The problem is just as others describe where mostly when starting from a stop, the pedal sticks and requires a lot of pressure to release it cause hard starts and breaking traction. It sometimes occurs while driving. Problems occurs about 50% of the time.
2000 Mercury Villager has experienced problems multiple times with the accelerator pedal sticking. We have only had the vehicle approximately 1 year and this has happened in excess of 100 times. We have taken the vehicle into the shop and they have not been able to correct the problem. What can be done to correct this problem and why hasn't there been a recall for this problem? My research reveals several complaints for this same exact problem.
Accelerator sticks when in idle position and requires force to overcome which causes vehicle to jump forward. This occured when vehicle had 36,000 miles and was repaired under warranty. Now at 70,000 miles the problem re-occurs. This is a safety problem because the vehicle can jump forward and hita car or person in front. Brakes are required to be applied at the same time the accelerator is pushed to prevent the vehicle from jumping forward.
Dt*: the contact stated the accelerator pedal stuck when depressed, and when it unstuck, the added pressure caused the van to lurch forward. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined there was not enough lubricant on the accelerator parts. The problem persisted after visiting the service dealer. Updated 12/5/2006 - this has been a problem since the vehicle was purchased new.
Intermittent sticking gas pedal forcing driver to apply excessive force to gas pedal to un-stick. When pedal is forced to move, vehicle will rapidly accelerate. Most common occurrence is when vehicle has been stopped. Has happened while on the highway at high speeds. Talked to other Mercury Villager owners and have heard of the same problem. No one was able to re-create the problem while at dealership or with a technician.
The vehicle's throttle plate became stuck, which caused the vehicle to jump forward without warning. Please provide additional information. 2000 Mercury Villager has had throttle failure three times. Throttle plate becomes stuck while driving causing vehicle to lurch forward without warning. Failures occurred at 31,861, 48,831 and 65,718 miles.
The accelerator pedal would sticks intermittently from a stop position. This caused the vehicle to lurch forward when the accelerator pedal needed to be applied harder then normal. Consumer anticipated this condition May cause a vehicle crash. The vehicle has been to two separate dealers, and they were unable to duplicate the problem.
The accelerator pedal has been sticking since about 60,000 miles. It now has over 100K. I have lubed every component from the pedal to the throttle plate, but it has not helped. When pulling away from a stop, the pedal (or linkage) hangs and excessive force must be applied, resulting in either wheel spin or lurching forward.
The consumer has experienced the following: rear wiper hangs-won't clear the glass(to open rear hatch glass)-motor inoperative, accelerator sticks-has to keep tapping it to loosen, the rear bench seat recliner will let go and seat will collapse, the left handle is loose, and the rear seat latch is binding/collapsing.
Acceleration complaints in other Villager years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2000 Mercury Villager?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2000 Mercury Villager, 55% of the model year's 71 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (30 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Mercury Villager acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2000 Mercury Villager, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 2000 Mercury Villager acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 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.