AI Damage2002 Mercury Mountaineer: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer filed 372 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 372
- involving a crash
- 17
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 39% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 19% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 9% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 144 complaints (39% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 70 complaints (19% of all).
- Suspension: 36 complaints (10% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 33 complaints (9% of all).
- Visibility: 33 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.6 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 4 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 372 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 144 | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 70 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 20 | 9 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| Equipment | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 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 air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained head, chest, lower and upper back, abdominal, and neck injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing.
2002 mercury mountaineer with sudden acceleration problems. State farm insurance would like to know if someone wanted to look at the vehicle before repairs were made. The consumer hit a homeowners garage.
The air bags failed to deploy. Her daughter suffered a mild concussion and received headache medication from her doctor. The vehicle's hood and fender were damaged. The dealer currently has the vehicle. A police report was filed. The current mileage was 66,246 and failure mileage was 65,246. Updated 02/01/08.* lj
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was in two accidents and the airbags did not deploy. In the first accident which occurred in july 2005, the vehicle was stolen when the accident occurred and the airbags did not deploy.
My wife was pulling into a parking space when the vehicle surged forward resulting in a crash with a metal hand rail and two air conditioning units. No definitive cause has been established except. A witness says she heard an engine rev up just prior to the crash.
The consumer experienced sudden acceleration. The consumer believed that the pedal stuck. The transmission pan was removed and then re-sealed. The main control valve body was removed and repaired.
When braking brakes failed, causing the vehicle to go into an embankment. Vehicle was towed. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
The part also has rust present on the inside of the break which is an indication that a crack was present that was most likely created by the high mechanical stresses in the swedging process. I am concerned that this problem is present on all the new 2002 ford explorers/mountaineers.
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 1,069 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Mountaineer has 125 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 372, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- Mountaineer 19963 sources
- Mountaineer 1997328 sources
- Mountaineer 1998236 sources
- Mountaineer 1999151 sources
- Mountaineer 2000123 sources
- Mountaineer 200122 sources
- Mountaineer 2003152 sources
- Mountaineer 2004210 sources
- Mountaineer 200582 sources
- Mountaineer 2006117 sources
- Mountaineer 200781 sources
- Mountaineer 200896 sources
- Mountaineer 20096 sources
- Mountaineer 201013 sources
- Mountaineer 99999 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, structure, suspension. Total complaints: 372. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (13%), warning lights, check engine (9%), transmission slipping (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer?
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 2002 Mercury Mountaineer 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 2002 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.