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2008 Mercury Mountaineer

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Mercury Mountaineer do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 117.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

81 reports with mileage · 15 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Seats. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

2 reports
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38,319 miles · Feb 11, 2010
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicTraction Control System

MY FORD MOUNTAINEER 2008 TRANSMISSION IS ERRATIC AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE SLIPPING IS TAKING PLACE. BRAKING IS ALSO ERRATIC AS I FEEL A BUMPING WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT FEELS LIKE TO TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE/TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM IS ABOUT TO GO. I CALLED FORD AND THEY HAVE KN…

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MY FORD MOUNTAINEER 2008 TRANSMISSION IS ERRATIC AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE SLIPPING IS TAKING PLACE. BRAKING IS ALSO ERRATIC AS I FEEL A BUMPING WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT FEELS LIKE TO TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE/TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM IS ABOUT TO GO. I CALLED FORD AND THEY HAVE KNOW OF THE PROBLEM SINCE 2006 AS THE TRANSMISSION USED (6R60) CONTINUALLY NEEDS SOFTWARE UPDATES. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, MOST ALL OF THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS TRANSMISSION EVENTUALLY HAVE THE PROBLEM BUT VERY RARELY WITH THE BASE WARRANTY PERIOD, SO NOW ALL OF US HAVE TO PAY BUT FORD HAS KNOW OF THE PROBLEM EVEN B/4 MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED.........WHAT DO I DO, FORD IS NOT RECALLING FOR THIS A SHIFTING THE RISK OF THE ACCIDENT AND REPAIR TO THE CONSUMER. PLEASE HELP AND LET ME KNOW WHAT MY NEXT STEP MIGHT BE....THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ODI #10308801

17,000 miles · Dec 16, 2008
Electrical SystemService Brakes, Hydraulic

WHILE COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I TRIED TO STOP FOR THE RED LIGHT. I ALSO LOST POWER STEERING. LUCKILY, I FINALLY GOT THE SUV TO STOP AFTER I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS CLOSE TO MY HOME S…

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WHILE COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I TRIED TO STOP FOR THE RED LIGHT. I ALSO LOST POWER STEERING. LUCKILY, I FINALLY GOT THE SUV TO STOP AFTER I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS CLOSE TO MY HOME SO I SLOWLY DROVE TO MY HOUSE USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP IF NECESSARY. I CONTACTED MERCURY WHO TOWED THE SUV TO THEIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY ON THE 15TH OF DECEMBER. THEY HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE ALL DAY ON THE 15TH AND 16TH AND TOLD ME THAT I COULD PICK IT UP ON THE 17TH. THEY COULDN'T, HOWEVER. FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND SAID THE COMPUTERS SAY EVERYTHING IS FINE. THEY CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND ARE GIVING ME THE VEHICLE BACK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10252031

Official recalls

1

07V453000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines

Sep 26, 2007

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.6L ENGINE AND 6R TRANSMISSION, THE BOLT SECURING THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE FITTINGS AT THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TORQUED DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY LOOSEN AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID CONTACTS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IT MAY POSE A RISK OF FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND HAVE THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE ATTACHMENT BOLT TIGHTENED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking

Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO