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2005 Mercury MontegoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 135 owner complaints about the 2005 Mercury Montego, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

2005 Mercury Montego
38
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.6× the Montego median · #1 of 3 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints13517 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage58kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 20, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Mercury Montego has problems

135 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 train493
Electrical system273
Vehicle speed control242
Service brakes, hydraulic161
Structure101
Engine100
Engine and engine cooling70
Fuel system, gasoline60
Air bags53
13 other systems252

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

2 recalls

2005 Mercury Montego 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.

–no report yet

Doors: latch

Recall 06V-383 · Oct 5, 2006 · 139,537 vehicles

Risk. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR LATCH PAWL MAY NOT RETURN TO THE LATCH POSITION WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED, AND THE DOOR COULD OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING.

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?

58kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 44 power train complaints. 82% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
3under 30k miles36under 100k miles8100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Power train

8 owners mentioned a cost

$3,174median

Middle half: $1,850 – $4,250

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other Montego 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 Montego median. How we score

'70'72'73'74'75'76'04'05'06'07
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2005 Mercury Montego safety ratings

2005 Mercury Montego 4-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2005 Mercury Montego, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Idle instabilityPE11018 · closed Feb 7, 2013
    No recall
In owners' words

What Montego owners report

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

I OWN A 2005 MERCURY MONTEGO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES WOULD ILLUMINATE AND DROP TO ZERO AND THE SEAT BELT INDICATORS WOULD ILLUMINATE AND CHIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS…
Complaint 11377774 · Dec 3, 2020 · 5 miles
THE LINKAGE THAT CONTROLS THE GEAR SHIFT ALLOWED THE CAR TO ROLL WHILE THE CAR WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN IN PARK. MOREOVER. THE CAR WAS IN PARK BUT WOULDN'T START. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK PUT THE CAR ON THE FLAT BED, THE CAR TRIED TO ROLL OFF EVEN THOUGH THE CAR SHIFT LEVEL WAS IN PARK. THE CAR WAS IN…
Complaint 11297286 · Jan 6, 2020 · 120,000 miles
WITH ONLY 70,000 ON THE TRANSMISSION IT BEGAN TO HESITATE WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE AND BUCK WHEN I WOULD COME TO A STOP. THIS BECAME HAZARDOUS WHEN I WAS TRYING TO COME OUT OF A PARKING LOT ONTO A BUSY STREET AND THE FORWARD PROPULSION WOULD HESITATE CLOSING THE SAFE GAP BETWEEN ONCOMING CARS AND…
Complaint 10916257 · Oct 15, 2016 · 70,000 miles

Own a 2005 Montego?

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