IllustrationEXTREMELY HARD SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. SLIPPING IN 3RD GEAR WHEN TRANSMISSION IS RUNNING FOR 15 MINUTES. OVER DRIVE LIGHT FLASHES AND TRANSMISSION FAILS TO WORK WHILE ON HIGHWAY. I HAVE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL TURN THE CAR OFF THEN BACK ON (WHILE AT 65MPH) THEN IT WORKS FINE THE REST OF THE DAY. *TR
2005 Mercury Mountaineer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2005 Mercury Mountaineer do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 117.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Mountaineer years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
120–25K
2125–50K
1250–75K
775–100K
15100–150K
2150K+
69 reports with mileage · 13 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Power Train complaints
19 reportsTRANSMISSION SLIPPING ON A HILL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DRIFT BACKWARDS ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CAR BEHIND ME. *TR
MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 05 WITH LESS THEN 60,000 MILES, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS WEARING IN THE VALVE CASE FROM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSES TRANSMISSION TO SKIP AND SHIFT HARD AND POP FORWARD, I NEED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED , TRANSMISSION PLACE STATES THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH HAS A TECHNICAL ADVISORY ABOUT IT....WHAT'S MY …
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MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 05 WITH LESS THEN 60,000 MILES, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS WEARING IN THE VALVE CASE FROM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSES TRANSMISSION TO SKIP AND SHIFT HARD AND POP FORWARD, I NEED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED , TRANSMISSION PLACE STATES THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH HAS A TECHNICAL ADVISORY ABOUT IT....WHAT'S MY RECOURSE. *TR
I WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. I TURNED MY ENGINE ON AND PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND TAKE MY CAR OUT OF PARK, WHEN THEN GEAR SHAFT/STICK BROKE IN HALF. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND I HAD THEM COME GET THE CAR, THEY CONTACTED ME, AND STATED "THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE", THAT CAME FROM THE SERVICE MANAGE…
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I WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. I TURNED MY ENGINE ON AND PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND TAKE MY CAR OUT OF PARK, WHEN THEN GEAR SHAFT/STICK BROKE IN HALF. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND I HAD THEM COME GET THE CAR, THEY CONTACTED ME, AND STATED "THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE", THAT CAME FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER BILL AMADEI, AND ANOTHER PERSON BILL IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. IF I WAS NOT ALREADY IN THE PARK POSITION AND I WENT TO PLACE MY CAR FROM THE DRIVE TO PARK AND THIS HAPPENED, MY CAR COULD HAVE WENT RIGHT INTO MY HOUSE. WHEN I STATED THIS TO THE DEALER, HIS COMMENT WAS "YES, I GUESS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED." *TR
THERE IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE WITH THE MOUNTAINEER OR SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE CAR CHANGING GEARS. MY CAR IS ONLY A WEEK OLD (2005) AND IT JERKS WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE. ONLY HAS 61,000 MILES. OTHER MOUNTAINEER OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. *TR
MINIMAL EVENTS LEAD UP TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ODD SHIFTING WHEN ACCELERATING OCCURRED THE DAY OF THE FAILURE AND POSSIBLY SEVERAL TIMES OVERT THE TOW YEARS, BUT VERY INFREQUENTLY. FAILURE OCCURRED AT 74,000 MILES OF PRIMARILY HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH PERHAPS TWO REVERSES A DAY RESULTING AT MOST 2,000 REVERSES FOR THE LIFE OF THE…
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MINIMAL EVENTS LEAD UP TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ODD SHIFTING WHEN ACCELERATING OCCURRED THE DAY OF THE FAILURE AND POSSIBLY SEVERAL TIMES OVERT THE TOW YEARS, BUT VERY INFREQUENTLY. FAILURE OCCURRED AT 74,000 MILES OF PRIMARILY HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH PERHAPS TWO REVERSES A DAY RESULTING AT MOST 2,000 REVERSES FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE SAME DAY AS SHIFTING PROBLEMS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE WAY HOME REVERSE GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WOULD STAY IN GEAR FOR ONLY A FEW SECONDS BEFORE GOING BACK INTO NEUTRAL. NEVER WOULD GO INTO REVERSE AGAIN. FAILURE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE SOLENOID SHIFTERS AND VALVE BODIES. THIS IS THE SAME FAILURE THAT WAS A CAUSE FOR A RECALL OF SEVERAL PREVIOUS YEAR'S, INCLUDING 2004. *TR
REAR DIFFERENTIAL NEEDS REPLACED. MECHANIC SAID CAN BE DANGEROUS. I SEE THAT THESE FORD/MERCURY'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME. COST TOO MUCH TO FIX, YET I HAVE WIFE AND KIDS IN THAT CAR. *TR
2005 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER V6 WITH AWD WAS PLACED IN "PARK" , ENGINE TURNED OFF AND KEY REMOVED FROM IGNITION. THE CAR SLIPPED INTO REVERSE AND ROLLED DOWN DRIVEWAY STRIKING MAILBOXES ACROSS STREET. *JB
HAD WARPED ROTORS WITHIN FIRST 2,000 MILES. FORD WOULD ONLY GROUND ROTORS BUT DEALER REPLACED THEM AT NO CHARGE. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A LOUD, THUMPING NOISE WHEN I AM MAKING A SHARP TURN TO LEFT OR RIGHT AT A VERY LOW SPEED. ALSO, OFTEN WHEN PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE MANY TIMES THERE IS A LARGE THUMP AND VEHICLE APPEARS TO S…
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HAD WARPED ROTORS WITHIN FIRST 2,000 MILES. FORD WOULD ONLY GROUND ROTORS BUT DEALER REPLACED THEM AT NO CHARGE. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A LOUD, THUMPING NOISE WHEN I AM MAKING A SHARP TURN TO LEFT OR RIGHT AT A VERY LOW SPEED. ALSO, OFTEN WHEN PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE MANY TIMES THERE IS A LARGE THUMP AND VEHICLE APPEARS TO SHIFT HARD. FINALLY, WHEN STOPPED ON A STEEP HILL, AFTER REMOVING FOOT FROM BRAKE, VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS MANY TIMES. *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA09013 · Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
Opened Aug 18, 2009 · Closed Feb 12, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl); Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift; Steering; Steering:column; Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.
Additional source detail variants (5)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.
Steering:column
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.
Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.
Steering
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.