Common Mercury Mariner Failures: Tips, Reliability And More!

The Mercury Mariner is a compact crossover SUV that was produced from 2005 to 2011. The Mariner was last sold in 2011, when Ford decided to discontinue the Mercury brand due to declining sales. Even knowing all this, keep in mind that no car is perfect, so you should know that there are some common Mercury Mariner faults that you should be aware of.

It is the Mercury Mariner very similar to the Ford Escape, but the Mariner has more luxury features. Since the Mariners are already a decade old, they only retain 15-25% of their original value. It is estimated that the Mercury Mariner will continue to depreciate, losing 12% of its current value in the next five years.

How good is the Mercury Mariner?

The Mercury Mariner has mixed reviews from owners. The model has received an average score of 3.7 out of 5.0. Owners who gave a satisfactory score of 3.0 said they have experienced a variety of isolated issues with the model, but around half of the owners say they are fairly satisfied with the model and say their Mariner has been reliable .

Plus the Mariner has earned good user ratings on Cars.com. The model scored an average of 4.5 out of 5.0, and 90% of owners recommended the vehicle. One user who reviewed the vehicle in 2020 even called the Mariner ” The best car I’ve ever owned! ” Many users praised the Mariner’s features and its tendency to be low-maintenance.

However, there are also some owners who have experienced isolated failures such as brake and transmission issues, among many others.

Common Mercury Mariner Faults

Despite being so reliable, there are also some owners who experienced isolated failures such as brake and transmission issues, among many others. The Mariner has good user reviews, there is still a percentage of owners who had problems with the model.

In this list you will read the most common failures of the Mercury Mariner.

1- Problems with the steering axis

Some Mariners had a steering axle that made a knocking or popping noise when turning. This noise can sound alarming, according to several owners. The frequency of the sound varies, with some owners reporting that they hear it every time they turn the steering wheel, while others only hear it from time to time. This issue affects all Mercury Mariner models.

This problem is caused by a faulty steering shaft and mating u-joint. To fix the fault, these parts must be replaced.

2- Failures in the power steering

Power steering failure is the most common Mercury Mariner problem. Many owners have reported that their power steering assist suddenly stops working. Several owners have reported that their steering wheel suddenly tenses up , leading them to narrowly avoid accidents.

There are almost 300 reports on record of this issue occurring on the 2008 model alone. This problem is also present on models from 2009 to 2011.

Ford issued a recall for Mercury Mariners built from 2008 to 2011 to address this issue. The recall prompted dealers to check the Mariners for trouble codes related to the power steering control module.

If a Mariner did not have the trouble code, only a software update was performed. This update was to allow the infotainment system to notify the owner if a problem occurred and direct them to get to the dealership as soon as possible.

However, when the problem was not immediately reported, Ford refused to repair the vehicle for free. This resulted in owners having to pay up to $1,500 for a problem that Ford should have fixed in the recall.

Users who had to repair their vehicles themselves have reported that they had to replace the steering column and torque sensors to fix the problem.

3- Transmission failure

Some owners have reported difficult gear shifting and noise that eventually leads to transmission failure. This is the worst Mariner problem and has happened to several Mercury Mariners made between 2006 and 2007.

Some of the reports have said that the transmission failure was not preceded by any problem or symptom. Hence the owners were surprised when they discovered that the entire transmission had to be repaired. The cause of the transmission suddenly failing has not been identified, but one cause could be low transmission fluid level causing excessive wear.

Transmission failure is expensive to repair and typically requires the transmission to be replaced or rebuilt, which is extremely time consuming and expensive.

4- Problem with the blower motor

A problem with the air conditioning system causes the blower motor to only turn on when it is set to its high position. As a result, some homeowners had to deal with having the air conditioner set to its maximum airflow setting or no airflow at all.

Some 2008 to 2011 Mariners had this problem, and the blower motor resistor is the main culprit. The blower motor resistor is essentially the switch that controls how much electricity the blower motor will receive. Blower motor resistors are prone to corrosion buildup, and this is probably what causes them to fail.

A blower motor resistor for the Mercury Mariner typically costs between $20 and $80.

5- Failure of the cooling pump in hybrid models

Mercury Mariner hybrid models are equipped with a cooling pump that is intended to cool the electronics responsible for the hybrid system. This cooling pump can fail, causing the SUV to suddenly lose power or its engine to stall. Owners who experienced the issue felt unsafe as the issue can occur while driving at highway speeds.

The coolant pump had brushes inside it that experienced increased wear, causing the pump to wear out prematurely. In response, Ford issued a recall for Mercury Mariner hybrid SUVs built between 2005 and 2008. Ford will inspect and replace the original engine’s electronic coolant pump with an upgraded brushless pump free of charge.

In summary

These issues can be a roadblock if you’re thinking about buying a Mercury Mariner. However, it is good to note that most of these issues only affect a small percentage of all models.

If you’re planning to buy this car you should know the common Mercury Mariner failures, then you should probably take a closer look at the steering and transmission of the SUV you’re inspecting, as those parts are the most prone to major problems.