There are 3 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2008 Mercury Mountaineerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, he was unable to remove the key from the ignition. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he was able to remove the key after disconnecting the battery. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the steering column lock module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,782.
POWER STEERING PROBLEM INTERMITTENT STEERING SEEMS TO CHANGE FROM MANUAL STEERING WHEN TURNING MAKING VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER
ONCE THE KEY IS INSERTED THE SEAT WILL MOVE INTO POSITION AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TURN OFF. THAT IS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENS IS MY KNEE NUDGES THE KEY THE CAR WILL THINK I HAVE TAKEN THE KEY OUT AND WILL TURN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ON AND MOVE MY SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK TO ITS OUT POSITION. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE ME FEET NO LONGER TOUCH THE PEDALS. AS SOON AS THIS HAPPENED MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON BUT NO CODES ARE SHOWING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND I AM SURPRISED THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS SINCE THERE ARE OTHERS SUFFERING WITH THIS AS WELL THAT I HAVE SEEN POSTED IN ONLINE FORUMS. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026