What's Wrong with the 2nd Generation (2002–2005) Mountaineer?

Mountaineer owners have made 401 complaints about the 2002–2005 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it dead last in overall reliability, with significant body and transmission concerns.

Compare With Other Mountaineer Generations

Common 2002-2005 Mercury Mountaineer Problems

Some of the worst issues 2nd generation Mountaineer owners have to deal with.

  1. Cracked Rear Panel

    Own a 2002–2005 Mountaineer? Chances are your lift-gate is cracked. Complaints about cracked rear panels in that generation of Ford SUV’s including the Mountaineer, Lincoln Aviator, and Ford Explorer is one of the most commonly issues repor…

    Continue reading article "Cracked Rear Panel"

  2. What Are We Missing?

    We know there's more problems than this. Let us know which one you'd like to see us cover next.

    Continue

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

2nd Generation (2002–2005) Mountaineer Key Numbers

  1. 4 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 401 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 28th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 28 eligible generations.

Recent 2nd Generation (2002–2005) Mountaineer News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. The affected SUVs named in a new cracked tailgate lawsuit are the 2002-2005 Ford Explorer, 2002-2005 Mercury Mountaineer and the 2003-2005 Lincoln Aviator.

    The lawsuit alleges that even though Ford sold millions of those SUVs, consumers might not have purchased the SUVs if the defect had been known.

    The cracked rear panel is a widespread issue in the 2nd generation Mountaineer, as well as the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator.

    keep reading article "Class-Action Lawsuit Wants Ford to Do Something About Their Cracked Rear Panel Problem"