Research · complaint index

Mercury Villager years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 7 model years of the Mercury Villager by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 1999, 1996 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
19966
19974
19983
19997
20003
20011
20021
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
20023510.502Fewest complaints
20012010.313Fewest complaints
20007330.929Typical
199918572.3411Most complaints
19988331.0211Typical
199712841.535Typical
199619362.2211Most complaints
  • 200235 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
  • 200120 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
  • 200073 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 1999185 complaints · 4 recallsMost complaints
  • 199883 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 1997128 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
  • 1996193 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 9, 2026

Fewest complaints for their age: 2001, 2002.

02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Mercury Villager years have the most complaints?

Adjusted for years on the road, 1999, 1996 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 7 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.