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1996 Mercury Mountaineer: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 1996 Mercury Mountaineer, most recently filed April 1997. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the tires.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Recalls 1campaign 1 vehicle speed control Source: NHTSA Complaints 3filed Owner reports, 1996–2005 shown Source: NHTSA ODI
Compare

Recalls (1)

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 1996 Mercury Mountaineer. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 1996 Mercury Mountaineer. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 97V074000 Filed Apr 30, 1997

FORD/THROTTLE

Vehicle speed control
Official NHTSA text
Summary
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 5.0L ENGINES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, IDAHO, IOWA, MAINE, MICHIGAN (UPPER PENINSULA ONLY), MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. THESE VEHICLES, WHEN OPERATED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND TEMPERATURES BELOW -20 DEGREES FARENHEIT, DO NOT RETURN TO IDLE DUE TO ICE IN THE THROTTLE BODY.
Consequence
ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE CAN BE CONTROLLED BY EITHER APPLYING THE SERVICE BRAKES OR SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL, INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORTS OR SOME INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE CAN RESULT.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REVISED PCV SYSTEM WITH WATER HEATED VACUUM SOURCE.
Repair progress not yet reported23,000 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 97V074000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Which Mountaineer years had the most recalls?Best & worst years →Every recall for the Mercury MountaineerAll model years →Where is the VIN on my car?VIN location guide →

Owner complaints (3)

3 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The tires is mentioned most often.

0involved a crash
0involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Mercury Mountaineer, by component (top 2). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 3.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 1996 compares with other Mountaineer years

Best and worst Mountaineer years →
3 328 236 151 123 22 372 152 210 82
1996199719981999200020012002200320042005
This year (1996)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 1996 Mountaineer for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Mountaineer years

Where to next

Which Mountaineer years drew the fewest complaints?Best & worst years →1997 Mercury Mountaineer report328 complaints · 6 campaigns →Have a VIN? Decode itVIN decoder →

1996 Mercury Mountaineer FAQ

How many recalls does the 1996 Mercury Mountaineer have?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign: 97V074000 (vehicle speed control). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 1996 Mercury Mountaineer problems?

Owners filed 3 complaints with NHTSA. Tires (2), Vehicle speed control (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

How does the 1996 Mountaineer compare with other years?

Among the 1996–2005 Mercury Mountaineer model years at least five years old, the 1996 drew the fewest complaints (3) and the 2002 the most (372). The 1996 drew 3. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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