2003 Mercury Mountaineer consumer reviews

We purchased our '03 Mountaineer brand new - we needed the space and have heard many good things about Ford trucks. This is what we loved: leather heated seats, DVD rear entertainment system, AWD, comfortable and quite interior, CD changer, etc. this thing is loaded. Now for the negatives: we are now in our ninth year of ownership and we've put thousands of dollars in high dollar repairs into this vehicle. Multiple brakes, stabilizer sway bar, compressor (may be working on two here soon), a/c leaks, ruins tires at an alarming rate, strange crack that formed in the middle of the back hatch (seen on many older model Mountaineers and Explorers), just to name a few. Pouring at least $1-$2k a year into this vehicle is getting old. Want to get rid of it, but its paid off and very hard to find an decent priced SUV with the same features that we've come to love.

Excellent, reliable vehicle-great for traveling, tailgating, toting family to soccer or friends to Football games!

We bought the mountaineer to replace a blazer.The mountaineer gets just as good of gas mileage as the blazer did.The blazaer just had a six cylinder motor while the mountaineer has a eight cylinder motor.I drove the mountaineer on a trip and it got 23 miles to the gallon on gas.I really like the extra power of the eight cylinder.The mountaineer has plenty of room.It is great in snow.The only thing I really dislike about the mountaineer is the noise the awd makes at times but I heard it is normal.I would probably buy another one.

I have owned mine for years, its a 2003. It is not good on gas but it is one of the best vehicles I have ever had. It will plow through any heavy snow, it is safe, it will automatically switch to 4 wheel drive. Heated leather seats and luxury inside.

Bought from dealership used with 48,000 miles. Within 4 months, the CV joints were beginning to fail and would make a serious of loud and disturbing clunks in a slower speed turn. Dealership would not back it under warranty because it was not the engine or transmission (despite me getting a DRIVETRAIN warranty). The alternator also went within one week. I should have known when the battery was dead at the dealership but thought it could've been from sitting. They gave me a new one but I noticed my charge level gauge kept falling, eventually would have stalled engine if I didn't catch it. It's also a heavy SUV; it eats tires and brakes. All in all, had to get rid of it within 6 months because the dealership "couldn't let me drive it off the lot because it was unsafe" yet they wouldn't repair the $6,000 in work it needed under warranty. BTW, steering wheel volume/climate controls failed and needed to be replaced.

I am heartbroken that Ford won't be churning out more of these. As far as SUV's go, for a family of 3 kids this has all we could want. Stylish leather interior is easily wiped down, roomy seating for 7 but comfort seating for 6 (that first row is a bit too tight IMO for 3 kids). Daughter of a mechanic, the tip to a good car is good preventive maintenance. Now these are common to transmission issues with high mileage and mine has been from CA to OK to FL and everywhere in between - MANYYYYYY miles and yes, the trany has been replaced. But she runs like a top. That is part of being an older suv, not just with this model. "Bertha" as I lovingly refer to her is the best car I have ever owned. We put tons of miles on her with 3hr trips to and from Grandma's, vacations and everywhere in between. VERY reasonable on gas. Comfortable for long distance drives for front and back. Granted storage space isn't the best (that's a given with any 3rd row vehicle). But the seats are SIMPLE to lay flat for extra storage (Bulk groceries anyone) and my 5 yr old twins can easily lift and lower them. This is my FAVORITE car. I am on Cars.com because I was looking into a newer one. I would happily purchase this again and plan to.

bought my 2003 about 9 months ago. Was having problems with it going into gear so took it in, transmission fluid severely burnt, smelled bad, now I need a new transmission at 106,000 miles, head gasket, and another gasket in the back of the engine. In this economy we needed a dependable vehicle, this was not it. We now have to include it in our bankruptcy. Not happy

We bought our 2003 Mountaneer a year ago. WE have loved it ever since. It is a very smooth ride, and very reliable. I gave it to my wife to drive, because I want her in a reliable vehickle while driving the kids around. I took over the minivan. we reccomended this to our friends, and they went out 2 weeks ago and bought a 2007 Mountaneer because they fell in love with ours.

Yes I do want to sell the car, but I have to say, its the best car I've owned except for my new car.(Lincoln Aviator, basically the same car) I have had to do no mechanical work until recent, and that was only brakes, tires and allignment(normal wear and tear for 61k miles). We are sad to see the car go, It was agreat family car. I don't know where the other reviewer got his/her car, but maybe you should blame the former owner for perhaps over abusing the car instead of saying the car itself was a piece of junk. I would buy the car again and I pretty much did.

only 41k miles on it. already needs transmission work as well as a front-rear differential. Car is great in the snow and rain with the all wheel drive. My wife and I loved the vehicle but there is no reason we should be having this many problems with this few miles. the main reason we got the vehicle was because of the excellent mechanical reviews. So much for that.