What breaks most · 2005 to 2011 model years
Mercury Mariner problems by year
Owners have filed 1,296 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercury Mariner across model years 2005 to 2011. Three years stand out: 2008 for steering complaints, 2009 for steering complaints and 2010 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 2006 and 2005.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2009, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2006, 2005
- Complaints on file
- 12962005 to 2011, all trims
- Worst year
- 2008461 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 352 fires · 37 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 92kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 7 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (15) | |
| 63 | 5 | 4 | Speed control and throttle (13) | |
| 33 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (11) | |
| 461 | 9 | 4 | Steering (297) | |
| 315 | 9 | 2 | Steering (167) | |
| 270 | 2 | 3 | Speed control and throttle (66) | |
| 87 | 2 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (24) |
What fails on the 2008 Mercury Mariner
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 64% |
297 | 4 | Shop steering parts for the 2008 Mercury Mariner |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
66 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
31 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2008 Mercury Mariner |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
29 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2008 Mercury Mariner |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
27 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 Mercury Mariner |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
19 | 3 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 3% |
14 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 Mercury Mariner |
| Air bags | 2% |
8 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Power steering goes out at regular intervals. in the same type of issue as the following Recall notice 14S05/NHTSA Or the Electric assist system as bad.
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My steering has been locking while I am driving and causing loss of steering and control of car. I have contacted crossroads dealer and I have not gotten a response as I am now aware there has been a safety recall on this vehicle.
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When intering to tunnel my car suddenly speed up it felt like i had the gas pedle down to the floor. Even while holding the brake all the way down, this did not slow the car down much. There were no warning lights or check engine lights on then or now
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercury Mariner years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2009, 2010 carry the most filings on the Mercury Mariner. The 2008 alone has 461 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Mercury Mariner problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 297 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercury Mariner problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercury Mariner complaints that include mileage is about 92,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.