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2011 Mercury MarinerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 87 owner complaints about the 2011 Mercury Mariner, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-777 the manufacturer reports only 52% of affected cars repaired.

2011 Mercury Mariner
51
CarFlaw IndexSolid year2% below the Mariner median · #5 of 7 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 52%Owner complaints873 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage46kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 19, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Mercury Mariner has problems

87 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train240
Fuel/propulsion system220
Steering200
Vehicle speed control151
Engine110
Fuel system, gasoline70
Electrical system60
Visibility/wiper30
Engine and engine cooling30
4 other systems72

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2011 Mercury Mariner recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

52%repaired · 2019 Q1

Delivery: fuel pump

Recall 16V-777 · Oct 26, 2016 · 329,265 vehicles · 170,211 repaired

Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

72%repaired · 2015 Q4

Steering: electric power assist system

Recall 14V-284 · May 29, 2014 · 740,878 vehicles · 534,179 repaired

Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercury.

Mileage at failure

When do power train problems start?

46kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 22 power train complaints. 95% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles21under 100k miles1100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2011 vs. every other Mariner year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Mariner median. How we score

'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2011 Mercury Mariner safety ratings

2011 Mercury Mariner 4DR SUV 4x4 in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
  • Rollover: 3 stars (20.4% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 Mercury Mariner, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Loss of power steering while drivingDP15001 · closed Jun 14, 2018
    No recall
  2. Rear Liftgate Window Glass BreakagePE11016 · closed Aug 18, 2011
    No recall
  3. Electronic Throttle Body MalfunctionPE13003 · closed Feb 28, 2014
    No recall
In owners' words

What Mariner owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

THE THROTTLE IS NOT WORKING RIGHT. I WAS ALMOST IN 2 ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS. I STEP ON THE GAS AND NOTHING HAPPENS. I HEAR THAT 1000S ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IN A 75 MPH ZONE AND SUDDENLY NO POWER. *TR
Complaint 10938982 · Jan 1, 2017 · 32,012 miles
I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MILES AN HOUR ON AN EXPRESSWAY WHEN THE THROTTLE CONTROL/POWERTRAIN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE. AS I PULLED OVER TO STOP, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. *TR
Complaint 10919251 · Oct 27, 2016 · 63,000 miles
WRENCH LIGHT ON MERCURY MARINER 2011 WITH SLOW (20-40MPH MAX) AND ROUGH RIDE HOME. YESTERDAY WHILE LEAVING WORK, I TURNED RIGHT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT ONTO THE MAIN ROAD. IMMEDIATELY MY MARINER HESITATED, JERKED FORWARD, AND A WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. MY SUV SLOWLY ACCELERATED TO 20MPH AND STRUGGLED…
Complaint 10910244 · Sep 28, 2016 · 90,000 miles

Own a 2011 Mariner?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.