Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2008 Mercury Mariner
NHTSA data on file today
The 2008 Mercury Mariner has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 461 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #15V606000 Rebuilt Transmission Shift Lever May Disengage NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15E045000 Front Wheel Bearing has Wrong Dimensions NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V526000 Motor Electronics Coolant Pump Failure NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V284000 Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Steering 297 complaints
- Power Train 66 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 31 complaints
- Service Brakes 29 complaints
- Electrical System 27 complaints
- Unknown or Other 19 complaints
Of the 461 complaints on file, 9 report a crash; across all 461 complaints, owners report 5 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $6,500–$12,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2008 Mercury Mariner has below-average reliability due to high complaint counts and notable recall campaigns. Steering issues and powertrain problems dominate the complaints. The recalls also highlight significant concerns in the powertrain and steering systems, which are critical to vehicle safety and performance. The volume of complaints supports these being common failure points, but the data lacks details on failure mileage.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering system | Unknown | $800–$1,500 | very common |
| Powertrain | Unknown | $1,200–$2,500 | common |
| Vehicle speed control | Unknown | $500–$1,000 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake servicing
- Tire rotations and replacements
- Transmission fluid changes
- Steering system checks
- Battery replacements
- Suspension checks
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Power steering warning light
- Sudden loss of power
- Transmission shifting issues
- Brake pedal feels soft
- Unusual engine noises
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2008 Mercury Mariner at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.