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U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Mercury MILAN problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

451 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

91,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 252 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 210 of 451 complaints (46.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior19944.1%
Engine operation122.7%
Steering behavior81.8%
Transmission and shifting71.6%
Electrical and battery issues51.1%

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.

Air Bags
210
Service Brakes
178
Vehicle Speed Control
19
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
16
Power Train
15
Engine
12
Unknown Or Other
10
Structure:Body
6
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Air Bags210
Service Brakes178
Vehicle Speed Control19
Service Brakes, Hydraulic16
Power Train15
Engine12
Unknown Or Other10
Structure:Body6

Air Bags: 210; Service Brakes: 178; Vehicle Speed Control: 19; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 16; Power Train: 15; Engine: 12; Unknown Or Other: 10; Structure:Body: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
19
25,000 to 49,999
19
50,000 to 74,999
50
75,000 to 99,999
52
100,000 to 149,999
84
150,000 and above
28
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00019
25,000 to 49,99919
50,000 to 74,99950
75,000 to 99,99952
100,000 to 149,99984
150,000 and above28

Under 25,000: 19; 25,000 to 49,999: 19; 50,000 to 74,999: 50; 75,000 to 99,999: 52; 100,000 to 149,999: 84; 150,000 and above: 28

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (84). 199 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.

2008
3
2009
1
2010
7
2011
6
2012
2
2013
10
2014
18
2015
19
2016
52
2017
175
2018
80
2019
16
2020
29
2021
20
2022
7
2023
3
2024
1
2025
2
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20083
20091
20107
20116
20122
201310
201418
201519
201652
2017175
201880
201916
202029
202120
20227
20233
20241
20252

2008: 3; 2009: 1; 2010: 7; 2011: 6; 2012: 2; 2013: 10; 2014: 18; 2015: 19; 2016: 52; 2017: 175; 2018: 80; 2019: 16; 2020: 29; 2021: 20; 2022: 7; 2023: 3; 2024: 1; 2025: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 199 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 12 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 8 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 10214131 · 2008-01-07 (January 7, 2008)

MY MERCURY MILAN IS LESS THAN A MONTH OLD. I WAS DRIVING ON A SECONDARY SURFACE ROAD. I ACCELERATED TO PASS ANOTHER CAR, SUDDENLY THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY WOULDN'T WORK. I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE UP. IT WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I CONTINUED ACCELERATE. I WAS HEADING INTO HEAVER TRAFFIC. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL ON THE SHOULDER AND IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I STARTED THE ENGINE NOW THAT I WAS IN PARK AND THE ENGINE RACED. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME IT…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10214131 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10262832 · 2009-03-23 (March 23, 2009)

I OWN A 2008 MERCURY MILAN WHICH CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH MICHELIN P225/50/R17 V93 M&S RADIAL TIRES ON IT. I DISCOVERED A BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE AND HAD TO THROW THE TIRE AWAY WITH ONLY 8700 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED MICHELIN AND INQUIRED ABOUT THESE "50" SERIES SIDEWALL CONFIGURATION TIRES HAVING THIS PROBLEM AS TOLD TO ME BY MY TIRE DEALER. THEY AGREED WITH THEIR DEALER THAT THESE TIRES CAN'T TAKE POTHOLES AND WOULD BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL AND COULD BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS!! THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO CONTROL WHERE THE CAR MANUFACTU…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10262832 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10543085 · 2013-09-11 (September 11, 2013)

CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I HAD ABOUT 1/4 TANK OF GAS BUT WENT TO FILL THE TANK IMMEDIATELY. IT STILL ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL OUT, I DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND LEFT IT PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. LATER THAT EVENING I WAS TELLING MY HUSBAND ABOUT THE CAR, HE WENT OUT TO TEST DRIVE IT. THE CAR ACTED COMPLETELY FINE. TODAY I WENT TO GO ON A 65 MILE TRIP AND THE CAR STARTED SHAKING ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY MORE THAN 1/2 WAY WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS. I WAITED TIL I WAS IN A SAFE AREA AND PULLED OVER THINKING THAT MAYBE …

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10543085 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10563301 · 2014-02-06 (February 6, 2014)

MY 2008 MERCURY MILAN STALLS AND ACCELERATES RAPIDLY WHEN DRIVING. I HAVE TO PLACE MY FEET ON THE BRAKES AND GAS AT STOPS BECAUSE THE ENGINE INCREASES POWER AND THE CAR ACTUALLY JUMPS AT TIMES WITHOUT MY FOOT BEING ON THE PEDAL. THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE THIS RAPID ACCELERATION AND I HAVE ACTUALLY ALMOST HIT OTHER CARS BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. MY VEHICLE STALLED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND I WAS INFORMED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. 1. POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE 2. IGNITION COILS 3. SPARK …

Owner-reported narrative. 108,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10563301 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10299117 · 2010-01-12 (January 12, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MILAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHENEVER IT SNOWS, THE SNOW GETS CAUGHT INSIDE THE WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS OFF BALANCE WHICH CAUSED IT TO SHAKE AND IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE DEALER HAS NOT DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED FOR TWO YEARS AND IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10299117 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10439163 · 2011-12-09 (December 9, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY MILAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR TIRES WOULD RUB AGAINST THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE. THE V…

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10439163 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10360021 · 2010-10-11 (October 11, 2010)

I BROUGHT MY 2008 MERCURY MILAN PREMIER (PURCHASED 7-30-10) AS A CPO VEHICLE, 6,900 MILES, TO METROPOLITAN LINCOLN MERCURY, GARDEN CITY, MI [phone removed]). I REPORTED THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOUNT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE FIXED (THEY REFUSED, SAYING IT IS NORMAL), THERE IS EXCESSIVE TRAVELING DISTANCE WHEN BRAKING (THEY SAID THE BRAKES WERE "FINE"), THERE IS EXCESSIVE EXHAUST NOISE (A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THEY SAID THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THE FIX IS COMING), AND THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY (STAYS IN ONE GEAR TOO LONG/ALSO …

Owner-reported narrative. 8,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10360021 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10542407 · 2013-09-07 (September 7, 2013)

AFTER REPLACING MY CAR BATTERY, THE SERVICE LIGHT FOR THE THROTTLE BODY TRANSMISSION CAME ON. WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE OFF THERE WAS NO ENGINE POWER.

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10542407 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10575139 · 2014-03-27 (March 27, 2014)

AFTER I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL BATTERY, I STARTED THE ENGINE. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE ABOVE 750 R.P.M. WHICH IS THE APPROXIMATE IDLE SPEED OF THE CAR. WHILE IN GEAR, I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACK DUE TO LACK OF POWER. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER IN CHANDLER, AZ. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE BODY. AFTER REPLACEMENT, THE CAR IS OPERATING NORMAL, ALTHOUGH IT HAS ONLY BEEN FOUR DAYS SINCE THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED. I DO NOT TRUST IT ANYMORE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 68,703 miles reported. Look up ODI 10575139 at NHTSA ↗