2008 Mercury Mariner problems & reliability
461 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 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.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Mercury Mariner vehicles were involved in 31 fatal crashes with 13 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 297 | 64% |
| Power Train | 66 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 31 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 27 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 19 | 4% |
| Engine | 14 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 2% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 2% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 1% |
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 107,500 miles (middle 50% between 80,000 and 143,782 miles), based on 396 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while at a stop sign, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of accelerator pedal with the oil warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The contact drove the vehicle despite the failure returning upon restarting the vehicle. The contact had…”
Power Train · filed Mar 4, 2025
“The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at 55 -60 MPH, the power steering failed. The steering wheel became increasingly difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was turned off while the contact inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted but a short distance afterwards the…”
Steering · filed Dec 26, 2024
“The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the electric power steering had failed. The…”
Steering · filed Oct 22, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of power steering while driving
Defect Petition DP15001 · opened Apr 1, 2015 · closed Jun 14, 2018
- TIRE VALVE CRACKING
Preliminary Evaluation PE08060 · opened Oct 14, 2008 · closed Apr 9, 2009
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Mercury Mariner. The 10 most recent:
Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Replacing the original equipment sync/navigation system with either an aftermarket sync/navigation kit or modifying original sync/navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 46332 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 24, 2017
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
Mercury/ford: in one or more speed settings, electronic manual temperature control (emtc) a/c system is warm and/or lack blower motor operation in settings due to damaged blower motor resistor caused by water entering…
TSB-14-0157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2014
Ford: the wrench light will illuminate when 4x4 function is inoperative due to active torque coupling solenoid coil wiring being broke, but a kit is available to service rear axle assembly/rear drive unit (rdu), at…
ASI-44427 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2014
Ford/mercury: if diagnostic code b2278 is stored in power steering control module (pscm), it needs replacing with torque sensor service kit that is available and if not, does not apply. Model 2008-2012 escape, 2008-2011…
TSB-14-0016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2014
Ford: there is excessive engine or exhaust noise, or an exhaust odor due to an exhaust leak. There will be no warning codes or lights. 2007-2008 escape/mariner. *rm
AS-21534 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2010
Ford/mercury: new service kit available for accelerator cable to pedal connection. Some vehicles may require the accelerator cable to accelerator pedal connection repaired. A new service clip has been released for use…
TSB-09-21-9 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2010
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 2008 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 2008 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 107,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.