Problems · NHTSA complaints

2007 Mercury Mountaineer problems

Owners filed 81 complaints about the 2007 Mercury Mountaineer with NHTSA between Apr 2007 and Jun 2025. The most-cited component is seats (26).

Complaints
81
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Seats26
  2. Power train25
  3. Electrical system16
  4. Vehicle speed control7
  5. Engine5
  6. Steering5
  7. Structure5
  8. Engine and engine cooling4
  9. Seat belts3
  10. Wheels3
  11. Tires2
  12. Interior lighting2
  13. Exterior lighting2
  14. Visibility2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20074
20083
20094
20102
20116
20129
20139
201412
20155
20164
20174
20187
20195
20200
20211
20221
20232
20241
20252

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Seats

26 reports
“It happens every time I drive this vehicle. The ignition is lose, so the key jiggles and if their is too much bumping or shaking the key slightly moves and the seat and interior lights come on now I’ve tried Combat the issue with keeping the lights off on the interior and thought maybe I could turn off the seat function still haven’t figured that out yet”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 19, 2023Electrical system, SeatsODI 11502548

Power train

25 reports3 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 18, 2025Power trainODI 11667812

Electrical system

16 reports
“1ST WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SEAT CONTINUES TO MOVE BACK N FORTH FROM WAY BACK TO UP CLOSE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHILE THIS SEAT MOVES IS VERY DANGEROUS EVERYTIME I LOCK THE DOORS THEY UNLOCK N ONLY LOCK WHEN OFF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 6, 2019Electrical system, Seats, Unknown or otherODI 11253752

Vehicle speed control

7 reports2 crashes
“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!!!!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 4, 2017Power train, Structure, Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11043298

Engine

5 reports
“CAR RAN ROUGH & HESITATED/SURGED UPON ACCELERATION. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON FORD PROBLEM INVOLVING PREMATURE SPARK PLUG BREAK DOWN IN THE FORD TRITON ENGINE SEE FORD SPARK PLUG CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT. SHULTZ FORD IN NANUET NY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS FAULTY PLUGS, THERE WAS ALSO A RISK OF BREAKING PLUGS UPON REMOVAL. I HAD THEM DO THE REPAIRS AT A COST OF $788. LATER I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT, HOWEVER MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED EVEN THOUGH IT HAD THE SAME ENGINE AS THE CARS/TRUCKS/ SUV'S THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO RE: REIMBURSING ME FOR THE REPAIR EXPENSE AS MY SUV WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT. THEY SUGGESTED I FILE THIS COMPLAINT. CAN I GET SOME SATISFACTION?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 28, 2018EngineODI 11123073

Steering

5 reports
“WHILE DRIVING MY SEAT WILL RANDOMLY MOVE BACK AND FORTH AS IF I TOOK THE KEYS OUT. THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY TRANSMISSION BUT AFTER HAVING THE GARAGE PUT TRANSMISSION FLUID IN IT STILL FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS MESSED UP EVEN THOUGH THE GARAGE SAYS THE TRANSMISSION IS FINE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 8, 2018Steering, Power train, Electrical systemODI 11083828
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.