2006 Mercury Mariner problems & reliability
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Mercury Mariner, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Mercury Mariner vehicles were involved in 17 fatal crashes with 12 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 13 | 21% |
| Power Train → | 11 | 17% |
| Steering | 9 | 14% |
| Engine | 8 | 13% |
| Suspension | 8 | 13% |
| Structure | 5 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 87,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,000 and 109,000 miles), based on 51 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Vehicle sub-frame broke at point where lower control arm attaches, causing Right front wheel to suddenly turn right. Sub-frame rusted through!”
Suspension · filed Nov 14, 2022
“As I am driving down the road, on a city street. The vehicle will just shut off, for no apparent reason. It does this several times. Every time the car is been driven it will shut off several times and me and my family have been in traffic when this has occurred. It continues to do this at any speed and every time the…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Mar 23, 2021
“Tl* the contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns a 2006 mercury mariner. The contact stated that after his daughter turned into a parking lot driving approximately 15 -20 mph, the vehicle collapsed without warning on the front passenger's side. The contact managed to veer to the shoulder of the road out of…”
Suspension · filed Sep 11, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
27 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Mercury Mariner. The 10 most recent:
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Ford/mercury: mil on with dtc p0351-p0356; multiple coil primary circuit. Built on or before 10/03/05. Some vehicles equipped with a 3.0l engine may exhibit a mulfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with two or more…
TSB-10-18-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 14, 2010
2005-08 escape/escape hybrid/mariner - 2006-08 mariner hybrid - wheel speed sensor ring replacement procedure update to workshop manual. *nj
20213 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2008
Slow fuel fill and/or dtc p0451. *nj
08-5-5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2008
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) u2062 (hybrid only). *nj
08-3-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2008
Service harness installation - corrosion of a resistor in the battery power unit. Also have an owner's letter. *nj
0748 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2007
Slow fuel fill due to clogged vent. *kb
19536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2006
Possible engine damage - install special service tools prior to removing crankshaft pulley bolt - service tip. *tt
06116 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Turn signals - rapid flashing. *tt
0667 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Neutral tow capability - service kit requirements. *tt
0645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Mercury Mariner has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Mercury Mariner?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 87,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.