IllustrationAT HIGH SPEEDS, THE CAR STALLS. IT ALSO STALLS AT STOP LIGHTS. THIS HAPPENS REPEATEDLY, AND FORD CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT.
2010 Mercury Mountaineer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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
Limited mileage data: 11 of 13 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Service Brakes. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Engine complaints
3 reportsWHILE DRIVING THE MOUNTAINEER I WAS SLOWING FOR A STOPLIGHT SHORTLY AFTER STARTING IT UP (HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 1/3 MILE). THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED TO SPEED UP AND REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT EXTRA BRAKING FORCE TO COME TO A STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE RAN AT ABOUT 3,300 RPM FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. THIS IS THE THIRD TI…
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WHILE DRIVING THE MOUNTAINEER I WAS SLOWING FOR A STOPLIGHT SHORTLY AFTER STARTING IT UP (HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 1/3 MILE). THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED TO SPEED UP AND REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT EXTRA BRAKING FORCE TO COME TO A STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE RAN AT ABOUT 3,300 RPM FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. THE SECOND TIME THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. THE THIRD TIME THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BUT NO DEFECT COULD BE FOUND. THE SECOND TIME I ALSO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND IT ALSO RAN AT ABOUT 3,300 RPM FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. *TR
PULLED INTO PARKING SPACE, PLACED SHIFTER IN PARK, TURNED OFF IGNITION, RELEASED BRAKE AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AS IF NOT IN PARK. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE AND NO RESPONSE. SET PARKING BRAKE. COULD NOT GET VEHICLE TO LOCK INTO PARK, SHIFTER MOVED REGARDLESS OF BRAKE ON OR NOT AND WOULD NOT START. MOVED SHIFTER THROUGH EN…
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PULLED INTO PARKING SPACE, PLACED SHIFTER IN PARK, TURNED OFF IGNITION, RELEASED BRAKE AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AS IF NOT IN PARK. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE AND NO RESPONSE. SET PARKING BRAKE. COULD NOT GET VEHICLE TO LOCK INTO PARK, SHIFTER MOVED REGARDLESS OF BRAKE ON OR NOT AND WOULD NOT START. MOVED SHIFTER THROUGH ENTIRE RANGE OF GEARS AND RETURNED TO PARK, VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START AND PARK WOULD NOT HOLD. CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT TOWED IN. RETURNED TO VEHICLE AND TRIED ONCE MORE AND IT STARTED AND PROCEEDED TO RESPOND NORMALLY. VEHICLE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM OR CAUSE OF PRECEDING SITUATION. ON TWO SUBSEQUENT DATES (MOST RECENT 5/25/2012), VEHICLE WAS BACKED INTO A PARKING SPACE, PLACED IN PARK AND IGNITION TURNED OFF. WHEN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART VEHICLE WAS MADE THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. PARK APPEARED TO HOLD NORMAL, BUT UNABLE TO ENGAGE IGNITION. DASH LIGHTS, CHIMES AND ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS APPEAR TO WORK NORMAL BUT WAS STILL UNABLE TO ENGAGE STARTER. AGAIN STARTED PROCESS TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR OF SITTING (WITH NO OTHER ACTION) VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY. AGAIN DEALER AT A LOSS FOR CAUSE AND CANNOT EFFECT REPAIR SINCE UNABLE TO RECREATE PROBLEM. CONCERN IS FOR TRANSMISSION/IGNITION INTERLOCK FAILURE OR OTHER ACTION THAT COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE OR INJURY. *TR
Official recalls
110V161000 · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
Apr 20, 2010
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FUSION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND MERCURY MILAN AND MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 15, 2009 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3, 2010 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINERS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINT." THE RECLINER GEAR PLATE TEETH MAY BE OUT OF DIMENSION SPECIFICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN LIMITED PAWL TO GEAR PLATE TOOTH ENGAGEMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL RECLINERS FOR BOTH POWER AND MANUAL SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 30, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
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
1AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.