Is the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer a bad year?
372 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 145, 9.7× a quiet Mountaineer year.
Consider selling
Half of all transmission complaints about the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer were filed between 60k and 104k miles. You're at 79,000 miles.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2002 Mountaineer owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 79,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 145 (39%) | 60k–104k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Suspension | 36 (10%) | 55k–94k miles · around this mileage | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| Visibility and wipers | 33 (9%) | 58k–119k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Engine | 29 (8%) | 72k–140k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Brakes | 21 (6%) | 30k–79k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Air bags | 20 (5%) | 66k–130k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structureSTANDS OUT | 70 (19%) | 48k–78k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Steering | 23 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Electrical system | 19 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Speed control | 18 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Equipment | 14 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 8 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Tires | 8 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Seat belts | 7 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 79,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 372 complaints: 17 mention a crash · 7 mention a fire · 25 report an injury · 1 says the car was towed.
No complaints in the last 12 months; the newest was filed in Dec 2023.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
My transmission failed while I was driving on the freeway with my child in the car. This cause my car to "Buck" And come to almost complete stop.
I have a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer that has 59,000 or so miles on it. I just had to have the transmission replaced.
While driving the "Od" Light started flashing and the vehicle would not shift from 2nd to third gear. It would just rev up.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 79,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer: 4
The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn. A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Certain curved tempered replacement glass manufactured by hangzhou safety glass ltd and supplied to safelite by auto temp inc., identified as DOT-430, and sold for use on certain domestic and foreign vehicles may not break into small pieces as expected of tempered glass and fails to conform to federal motor vehicle… In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant(S) may be seriously injured by shattered glass.
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right side tires may have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly. Over time, the tire could fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. Vehicle description: 2002 Ford explorer and Mercury montaineer sport utility vehicles. The brackets connecting the left cylinders to each side of the liftgate glass could rotate out of position if either the urethane bond or torque are not sufficient. Rotation of the brackets could potentially cause the lift cylinders to detach from the glass or, in some cases, could potentially cause the liftgate glass to break. Either condition is most likely to occur when the glass is being closed.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Mercury: 1
Repair instructions Mercury sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
NHTSA defect investigations: 5
Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
Stuck engine throttle
Rear liftgate glass assembly
Mis-assembled airbag clockspring
Neighbouring years
2001 Mountaineer: 22 complaints, keep it · 2003 Mountaineer: 152 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission.
Every Mercury Mountaineer year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · All Mountaineer years side by side
Other Mercury models: Mercury Cougar · Mercury Grand Marquis · Mercury Mariner · Mercury Mariner Hybrid · Mercury Milan · Mercury Montego · Mercury Monterey · Mercury Sable. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer a bad year?
372 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 145, 9.7× a quiet Mountaineer year. At 79,000 miles the tool says: Consider selling. Half of all transmission complaints about the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer were filed between 60k and 104k miles. You're at 79,000 miles.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (145), suspension (36), visibility and wipers (33), engine (29), brakes (21). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 60k–104k miles.
How many recalls does the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer have?
4 recall campaigns list this model year: Speed control (NHTSA 09V-399), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 07E104000), Tires (NHTSA 01V-171), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 01I010000). A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.