YearToAvoid

2008 Mercury Mariner Steering Problems

NHTSA has 297 owner complaints about steering problems in the 2008 Mercury Mariner, 64% of all 461 complaints for this model year. That is the highest steering complaint count among 7 Mariner model years. These complaints report 4 crashes and 4 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 120,000 miles.

Steering complaints
297
64% of 461
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
4
Median mileage
120,000 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2008 Mercury Mariner steering complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 7, 2011, latest Dec 26, 2024.

2008 Mercury Mariner steering complaints: complaints filed per quarter272011 Q42013 Q42015 Q22016 Q42018 Q22020 Q12022 Q12024 Q1
297 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q4 to 2024 Q4; peak 2016 Q1 (27).

Steering recalls for the 2008 Mercury Mariner

  1. NHTSA 14V284000May 29, 2014Steering740,878 vehicles

    Steering:electric power assist system

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.

    Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 18, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S05.

Steering complaints by Mariner model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20052 (3%)
  2. 20069 (14%)
  3. 20071 (3%)
  4. 2008297 (64%)
  5. 2009167 (53%)
  6. 201061 (23%)
  7. 201120 (23%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Mercury Mariner have steering problems?
NHTSA has 297 owner complaints about the steering in the 2008 Mercury Mariner, 64% of all complaints for this model year, including 4 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 120,000 miles.
Which Mercury Mariner year has the most steering complaints?
The 2008 Mercury Mariner has the most steering complaints (297), compared with 297 for the 2008.
Is there a steering recall for the 2008 Mercury Mariner?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2008 Mercury Mariner concerns the steering: 14V284000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.