Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2002 Mercury Mountaineer vs 2003 Mercury Mountaineer

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2002 Mercury Mountaineer2003 Mercury Mountaineer
NHTSA complaints372152
Recall campaigns20
Service bulletins (TSBs)247120
Investigations52
Crash reports176
Fire reports75
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)14–1615–16
Median reported incident mileage75,000 mi78,949 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentMercury MountaineerMercury Mountaineer
Power Train14442
Structure7059
Suspension3610
Engine and Engine Cooling3310
Visibility316
Electrical System1911
Steering236
Air Bags209

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling2112
Shifting problems170
Vibration / shaking166
Clunking / rattling130
Airbag warning light90
Rust / corrosion90
Check engine light80
Hesitation / surging50
2002 Mercury Mountaineer
2003 Mercury Mountaineer

Compare all Mercury Mountaineer vs Mercury Mountaineer years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.