Research · complaint index
Mercury Mountaineer years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 14 model years of the Mercury Mountaineer by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2002 stands out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2008 | 96 | 5 | 0.9 | 2 | 3 | Typical |
| 2007 | 81 | 4 | 0.7 | 1 | 3 | Typical |
| 2006 | 117 | 6 | 1.0 | 2 | 6 | Typical |
| 2005 | 82 | 4 | 0.7 | 1 | 6 | Typical |
| 2004 | 210 | 9 | 1.6 | 1 | 11 | Typical |
| 2003 | 152 | 6 | 1.1 | 1 | 6 | Typical |
| 2002 | 389 | 16 | 2.8 | 4 | 17 | Most complaints |
| 2001 | 22 | 1 | 0.2 | 4 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2000 | 125 | 5 | 0.8 | 8 | 16 | Typical |
| 1999 | 160 | 6 | 1.0 | 9 | 16 | Typical |
| 1998 | 241 | 8 | 1.5 | 6 | 22 | Typical |
| 1997 | 331 | 11 | 2.0 | 7 | 41 | Typical |
- 201013 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 20096 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 200896 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200781 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2006117 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200582 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2004210 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2003152 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2002389 complaints · 4 recallsMost complaints
- 200122 complaints · 4 recallsFewest complaints
- 2000125 complaints · 8 recallsTypical
- 1999160 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
- 1998241 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 1997331 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2009, 2010, 2001.
About this comparison
What Mercury Mountaineer years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2002 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 14 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.