U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Mercury MARINER problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

315 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

97,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 251 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 166 of 315 complaints (52.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	167	53.0%
Engine operation	45	14.3%
Transmission and shifting	19	6.0%
Braking behavior	16	5.1%
Electrical and battery issues	13	4.1%
Fuel system concerns	2	0.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

166

Engine

Power Train

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Fuel/Propulsion System

Unknown Or Other

Fuel System, Gasoline

Steering: 166; Engine: 53; Power Train: 41; Vehicle Speed Control: 41; Electrical System: 21; Fuel/Propulsion System: 15; Unknown Or Other: 15; Fuel System, Gasoline: 14

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 21; 50,000 to 74,999: 44; 75,000 to 99,999: 52; 100,000 to 149,999: 82; 150,000 and above: 36

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (82). 64 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2009: 3; 2010: 4; 2011: 6; 2012: 6; 2013: 64; 2014: 23; 2015: 19; 2016: 30; 2017: 26; 2018: 27; 2019: 20; 2020: 19; 2021: 17; 2022: 18; 2023: 12; 2024: 12; 2025: 5; 2026: 4

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 167 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 45 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 19 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10500872 · 2013-02-28 (February 28, 2013)

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH, POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING MAKING VEHICLE VERY HARD TO STEER. BY TURNING KEY OFF AND RESTARTING, WHILE TUGGING ON STEERING WHEEL, POWER STEERING WILL START WORKING AND MAY LAST 30 MINUTES OR 3 MINUTES. WHILE WORKING, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND MAKES NOISE. VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT. FORD DENIES HAVING HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND WANTS TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN FOR $1,396.57. COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ARE NUMEROUS. I DO NOT WANT TO BUY ANOTHER DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN AND DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT …

Owner-reported narrative. 121,042 miles reported. Look up ODI 10500872 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10544732 · 2013-09-21 (September 21, 2013)

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2009 MERCURY MARINER AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL BASICALLY LOCKED UP. NO WARNING. I CHECKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! IF SHE OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HWY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I HAVE THREE GRANDDAUGHTERS WHO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE AS WELL. I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE JANUARY 2012. IT ONLY HAS 63300 MILES. I TAKE IT IN TO THE FORD DEALER FOR SERVICE CHECK UPS AND OIL CHANGES. I DO TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT. I HAVE S…

Owner-reported narrative. 63,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10544732 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10284481 · 2009-09-18 (September 18, 2009)

ENGINE STALLS AND PICK-UP IS WOBBLY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 17,360 miles reported. Look up ODI 10284481 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10396423 · 2011-04-13 (April 13, 2011)

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS STARTING IN JAN 2011, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO SELECT A GEAR AND ACCELERATE WHILE TRYING TO LEAVE A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN, OR AFTER MAKING A TURN LEAVING A FEW SECOND LULL WHERE THE VEHICLE IS UNRESPONSIVE. THE PREVIOUS TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE RE-FLASH WAS PERFORMED AGAIN EVEN THOUGH DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM. ISSUE STILL PERSISTS OCCASIONALLY, AS WELL AS A NEW SYMPTOM SINCE MARCH (23,000 MILES). NOW, SOMETIMES WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT DOWNSHIFT TO A LOW…

Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10396423 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10292513 · 2009-11-17 (November 17, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 TO 70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV AND THE RPM'S WERE HIGH. SUDDENLY, PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, HOWEVER, THE RESPONSE WAS MINIMAL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE TRANSMISSION OVER DRIVE PISTON. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WHENEVER 5T…

Owner-reported narrative. 13,088 miles reported. Look up ODI 10292513 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10303756 · 2010-02-01 (February 1, 2010)

VEHICLE IS A 2009 MERCURY MARINER PREMIUM (FWD, IVCT 2.5 L I4 DOHC, 16 VALVE, GASOLINE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION [6F MIDRANGE], PFI). ON 01/10/2010 THE THROTTLE BODY/POWERTRAIN INDICATOR ICON AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON ICON DISPLAYED SOLID ILLUMINATION AFTER ENGINE WARMUP. ON 01/14/2010, THE DEALERSHIP READ THE OMBD-II MALFUNCTION CODES AND NOTIFIED OWNER THAT THE ENTIRE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY (FORD PART NO. 7000) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT FORD PARTS WEB SITE, IT STATES THAT THIS PART IS RECALLED, BUT NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS PROVIDED; H…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10303756 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10401772 · 2011-05-14 (May 14, 2011)

COMING TO RED LIGHT ONE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I PUSHED DOWN ON BRAKE PETAL AND IT WAS HARD TO PUSH DOWN. ENGINE REVVED UP TO OVER 5 RPM'S AND CAR WOULDN'T STOP FINALLY I PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ENGINE WENT BACK TO IDLE POSITION. ALMOST REAR ENDED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TOOK MARINER TO DEALER WHO WASN'T VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE HE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE & WANTED TO KNOW IF I WANTED TO LEAVE MARINER THERE. ALSO ASK IF I HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS PETAL INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY CONCERN SO THEY REPLACED CANISTER PURGE VALVE. HAVE ALS…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,530 miles reported. Look up ODI 10401772 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10509318 · 2013-04-23 (April 23, 2013)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE INDEPENDENT ACCELERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10509318 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10398549 · 2011-05-02 (May 2, 2011)

THE VEHICLE STALLS RANDOMLY. I MAY BE DRIVING OR IDLING AND THE CAR STALLS. IT IS EASILY STARTED AGAIN BY PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNING THE KEY. I HAVE HAD FORD LOOK AT IT SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY FIRST CHANGED THE BATTERY AND THEN SECOND CHANGED THE GAS FILTER. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398549 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10435254 · 2011-11-11 (November 11, 2011)

THE VEHICLE STALLS RANDOMLY. I MAY BE DRIVING SLOWLY OR IDLING AND THE CAR STALLS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT YIELD SIGNS, RED LIGHTS AND GOING DOWN HILL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. ONE TIME AT A RIGHT SIGNAL ARROW IT STALLED GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE AND I ALMOST GOT HIT FROM THE BACK. IT IS EASILY STARTED AGAIN BY PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNING THE KEY. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T START AND HAD TO BE JUMPED. THEY REPLACE THE BATTERY AND BLAMED THE BATTERY ON THE PROBLEM. IT IS STILL HAPPENING AND I AM BRINGING…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10435254 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10291766 · 2009-11-10 (November 10, 2009)

FORD MOTOR CO. PRODUCED 2009 & 2010 MERCURY MARINER VEHICLES' FUEL SYSTEM LEAKS GAS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TOP OFF THE GAS TANK. ALL FORD VEHICLES PRODUCED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS MAY BE AFFECTED. FORD WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND TELLS THE CUSTOMER TO NOT TOP OFF THE GAS TANK ALTHOUGH NOTHING IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT THIS NOR ARE DEALERSHIPS ADMITTING ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PROBLEM NOR HAS FORD SENT ANY SERVICE BULLETINS TO AFFECTED DEALERSHIPS. ALL OF THE ABOVE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS BY MY SERVICING FORD D…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10291766 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11398983 · 2021-03-03 (March 3, 2021)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCURY MARINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE COULD SMELL A STRONG, ABNORMAL GAS ODOR UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOR WAS THE STRONGEST WHEN THE GAS TANK WAS FULL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WAS A LEAK AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED HIM THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. A DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURE…

Owner-reported narrative. 154,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11398983 at NHTSA ↗