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1996 Mercury MountaineerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 3 owner complaints about the 1996 Mercury Mountaineer, most often about the tires. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints30 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem2Tires

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 8, 2000. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1996 Mercury Mountaineer has problems

3 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
Tires20
Vehicle speed control10

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

1 recall

1996 Mercury Mountaineer 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

Vehicle speed control

Recall 97V-074 · Apr 30, 1997 · 23,000 vehicles

Risk. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE CAN BE CONTROLLED BY EITHER APPLYING THE SERVICE BRAKES OR SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL, INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORTS OR SOME…

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.

Best & worst years

1996 vs. every other Mountaineer 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 Mountaineer median. How we score

'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Mountaineer owners report

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

I HAD TIRE BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING AT APROX.55-60 MPH. VEHICLE VEERED FROM THE ROAD. TIRE SHOWS SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION IN AN AREA ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG THAT RUNS ALONG THE SIDEWALL AND RAPS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY ACROSS THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS A RIGHT REAR WILDERNESS AT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE:…
Complaint 735972 · Nov 8, 2000
MY WIFE PURCHASED A 1996 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER IN HAWAII IN FEBRUARY 1998. THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH WILDERNESS AT TIRES (VNHL IPY 336 235/75 R15). IN DECEMBER 1999, TREAD ON ONE OF THE NEW TIRES SEPARATED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 25,005 MILES ON IT WHILE DRIVING IN HAWAII AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 55…
Complaint 728356 · Aug 18, 2000

Own a 1996 Mountaineer?

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