Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, and 2010-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured February 25, 2009, to December 12, 2010. On vehicles with a 3.0L...
2001-2011 · 11 model years
Mercury Mariner Problems by year
Owners have filed 1,305 complaints about the Mercury Mariner across 11 model years, and it has 7 recalls. The 2008 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (461). The most reported problem area is the steering, followed by the transmission & drivetrain.
- Complaints
- 1,305
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes
- 36
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 37
- Deaths
- 0
Mariner complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common Mariner problems
Mercury Mariner recalls 7
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E...
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner...
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The...
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect...
Certain sport utility vehicles equipped without side air curtains or moonroofs fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "Occupant protection in interior impact." During testing, the free motion head form...
On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
Latest Mariner complaints
The contact owns a 2010 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, an alarm sounded, and the steering wheel locked up. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the residence nearby. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering shaft port sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
My vehicle was returned to me following a torque sensor replacement on 4/9/2026 in poor condition (locked steering and a catastrophic gash in the driver-side tire) rendering it undrivable and unsafe. Crossroads Ford of Prince George shop's inspection report claims the tire damage was pre-existing, I have conclusive evidence to the contrary: Virginia State Inspection: My vehicle passed a Virginia state safety inspection on 2/27/2026. Per state law, any tire with a gash or sidewall crack is an automatic failure. This...
Read the full complaint
legally certifies the tire was intact immediately prior to their service. Recent Tire Service: I replaced my rear tires at OK Tire and Auto on 3/30/2026. At that time, a full tread and sidewall inspection of my front tires confirmed they were in good condition. The timing of the dealership's communication confirms the damage occurred while in their care: I arrived for my 9:30a appointment around 9:25a. No damage was noted during the initial intake. I was in their facility when I watched a mechanic drive to the other side of the service parking lot without being informed of a "catastrophic" safety issue. I was only notified of the gash at the end of the day when the vehicle was scheduled for return. Their staff now deems the vehicle "unsafe to drive" for their own employees. If this gash were present at 9:30am, it would have been told to me before I left the dealership. The locked steering is a direct result of an improper torque sensor installation (which is the reason why I was dropping my car off to be serviced). My car was in driving condition as I drove it to the dealership for my appointment with no issues. I received a call from advisor Sade Gregory at 11:03 informing me that I would need a steering column now that is on backorder. At 11:13am I received a confirmation for car delivery to me then at 1:06pm confirmation that my car will arrive at my house at 1:15. At 1:20 Sade Gregory says my car can't be delivered now because its unsafe for them.
My dealer says my subframe needs to be replaced, and controll arm at a cost of 3600 dollars, I don't understand why my subframe needs to be replaced, I've owned cars for as long as 20 yrs and never had that problem. This sounds like a manufacturers problem.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds on several occasions, the steering wheel started shaking abnormally. The contact added that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, but the vehicle regained power steering functionality shortly afterwards. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on one occasion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,900.
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.
Questions about the Mercury Mariner
Which Mercury Mariner years have the most problems?
Which Mercury Mariner years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Mercury Mariner problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the steering (559), transmission & drivetrain (233), engine & cooling (194) most often.
How many recalls does the Mercury Mariner have?
NHTSA lists 7 recalls across all Mercury Mariner model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data