Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2008 Ford Escape vs 2008 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.

Metric2008 Ford Escape2008 Mercury Mountaineer
NHTSA complaints1,97296
Recall campaigns31
Service bulletins (TSBs)4121
Investigations31
Crash reports593
Fire reports60
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)19–3215–16
Median reported mileage100,000 mi70,000 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentFord EscapeMercury Mountaineer
Steering1,1253
Power Train3299
Vehicle Speed Control1752
Electrical System13539
Service Brakes1202
Engine836
Seats454
Structure413

Symptoms owners describe

Steering problems2330
Vibration / shaking1560
Loss of power1330
Stalling926
Hesitation / surging610
Rust / corrosion340
Clunking / rattling240
Won’t start230
2008 Mercury Mountaineer

Compare all Ford Escape 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.