AI Damage2006 Mercury Mariner HEV: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mercury Mariner HEV filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 50% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 25% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The brakes failed and abs and brake lights came on. Had a soft pedal almost to floor before any braking was present. After turning of engine and restarting brakes returned to normal. The first time this happened my wife ran into e repair shop building causing $3000.oo dollars damage.
I was driving down the freeway in a fully loaded car and traffic was building up yesterday. I saw brake lights ahead and decided to slow proactively. I pressed on the brakes and there was no slowing and I had to push the brakes as hard as I could with the pedal fully depressed to the floor.
While driving on the freeway a loud bang sound was heard from the engine compartment. The car shook at the same time when the bang occurred. The charging indicator is now very sensitive to gas acceleration. I checked the engine and battery and around the car and didn't notice anything unusual.
He saw flickering flames in the back cargo area. The adjacent truck was moved out of harms way and the car was by then engulfed in flames in the interior with flames shooting out of the battery vent. The windows blew out and two more bluish explosions came from the back of the car. The car is a total loss.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 15,524 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mercury Mariner HEV?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, service brakes, fuel system. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (25%), smoke, burning smell, fire (25%), tires: bulges, blowouts (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mercury Mariner HEV?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Mercury Mariner HEV from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.