no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
2002 Mercury MountaineerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 372 owner complaints about the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 27, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer has problems
372 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
144Power train6 crash/fire/injury
70Structure11 crash/fire/injury
36Suspension
33Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
31Visibility5 crash/fire/injury
23Steering
20Air bags
19Electrical system
18Vehicle speed control
8217 other systems8 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 144 | 6 |
| Structure | 70 | 11 |
| Suspension | 36 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 33 | 2 |
| Visibility | 31 | 5 |
| Steering | 23 | 3 |
| Air bags | 20 | 10 |
| Electrical system | 19 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 5 |
| 17 other systems | 82 | 8 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2002 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
Tires: sidewall
Risk. OVER TIME, THE TIRE COULD FAIL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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?
78kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 122 power train complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.
10under 30k miles86under 100k miles36100k 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
31 owners mentioned a cost$2,500median
Middle half: $1,500 – $3,000
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
2002 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
NHTSA crash tests
2002 Mercury Mountaineer safety ratings
2002 Mercury Mountaineer 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer, and the recalls they led to.
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADNo recall
- MIS-ASSEMBLED AIRBAG CLOCKSPRINGNo recall
- Vehicle Rollaway AllegationsNo recall
- REAR LIFTGATE GLASS ASSEMBLYLed to recall 04V-442
- STUCK ENGINE THROTTLENo recall
In owners' words
What Mountaineer owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Body : to much rust, corrosion, on rear of truck other failure or detachment of exterior body like rear gate frame components, and other structural components that may present a safety hazard. Electrical : electrical systems and items such asa wiring and cable on or inside the door, ignition switch…
I PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE FROM REDEFINED AUTO SALES LOCATED IN SKOKIE, IL ON 3/11/17. SINCE THEN I HAVE SPENT OVER $1500.00 IN COST FOR REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE, BEGINNING WITH I HAD TO GET THE OIL CHANGED THE SAME DAY THAT I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CHANGE OIL REQUIRED LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON…
WHEN GOING 25-30 MPH VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT.IT ACTUALLY KICKED THE VEHICLE BACK. OD LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH THEN SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON.BEEN DOING THIS SINCE. WENT TO GO GET MOUNTAINEER READ AND OF COARSE..THE TRANSMISSION..SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE OTHERWISE THIS MIGHT EVENTUALLY LEAD…
Own a 2002 Mountaineer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.