AI Damage2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid filed 116 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 116
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 24% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 21% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 15% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 34 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 28 complaints (24% of all).
- Steering: 24 complaints (21% of all).
- Electrical system: 22 complaints (19% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 17 complaints (15% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 116 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 34 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Hybrid propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 5 | 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.
In a hard-braking situation, brakes failed - no discernible deceleration at all, pushing harder than I've ever had to before. This made for rear-ending the guy ahead of me. Forensics investigator w/ mech found odb dtcs showed only p0a8d and b1318 - one of which shows a low voltage to abs system.
The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The Power Steering Assist Fault message was displayed. The contact was able to drive to her destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer.
The contact stated while driving 5-10 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving however, extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle.
The contact stated that while her son was starting the vehicle, the steering wheel lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's son was able to continue the drive the vehicle, however, extra effort was needed while driving the vehicle.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to andy mohr ford located at 2713 e. Main st, plainfield, [ZIP] however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired.
"takata recall" when I was leaving a store yesterday I noticed that my abs, brake light came on along with a description indicating my check brake system. I never noticed an issue with my breaks prior to these signals coming on and my fianc's car had been functioning well for the last four years.
The car wouldn't start, no electrical or lights, he could not even roll the vehicle by himself to a safe place w/out help. The electrical and propulsion simply stopped working; period. We ended up dragging it home. Dealership gave est. Amt of repairs around $18k. I found the recall in 2014 (14s19) for the same thing.
Abs light came on and brake system failed to stop the vehicle until pressed hard the brake pedal. The abs light comes on and off. Gave the vehicle for diagnostics to mechanic - codes u0418 invalid data from brake control module, codes c1478, c1479, c1480, wheel brake pressure control plausibility, u2023 communication…
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 3,214 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Mariner Hybrid has 35 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 116, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, steering. Total complaints: 116. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (30%), stalls while driving (17%), steering or power steering problems (16%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid?
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 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 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 2008 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 2026-11-05.