2008 Mercury Milan Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2008 Mercury Milan has a complaint index of 80, the second-worst of six model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. NHTSA lists 451 complaints dominated by airbag failures (47%) and brake problems (45%), plus four recalls including two do-not-drive Takata airbag campaigns.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 80/100
- #2 of 6 Milan years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 451
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- 2 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 22
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 8
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 19 city / 27 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 8 / 1
Top 2008 Mercury Milan problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags211 (47%)
- Brakes201 (45%)
- Engine31 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain17 (4%)
- Structure & Body13 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (2%)
- Other10 (2%)
- Electrical System8 (2%)
- Fuel System7 (2%)
- Steering5 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy in side-impact and T-bone crashes, leading to head and glass injuries.
- Owners report brake pedals going to the floor during stops, resulting in rear-end and intersection collisions.
- Some drivers describe unintended low-speed surging or acceleration that jumped curbs or struck parked vehicles.
- Multiple owners waited years for replacement parts under the Takata airbag recall while driving with a suspended front passenger seat.
- Brake failures occurred across a wide mileage range, from 74,000 to 155,000 miles, often during wet or snowy conditions.
2008 Mercury Milan recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V158000Mar 10, 2021Airbags2,602,668 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
- NHTSA 19V904000Dec 18, 2019Brakes600,166 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.
Risk: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.
- NHTSA 17V024000Jan 10, 2017Airbags654,695 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
2008 Mercury Milan fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 27 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2008 compared with other Milan years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Mercury Milan reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Milan ranks second-worst among the six model years with data, with a complaint index of 80 and an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercury Milan?
- NHTSA complaints are dominated by airbags (47% of complaints, 211 total) and brakes (45%, 201 total), with a median failure mileage of 100,000 miles for both.
- Does the 2008 Mercury Milan have a Takata airbag recall?
- Yes. It is included in do-not-drive recalls 17V024000 and 16V384000 for Takata driver-side airbag inflators, plus a separate 2021 driver-side airbag inflator recall.
- Are there brake recalls on the 2008 Mercury Milan?
- Yes, recall 19V904000 covers ABS Hydraulic Control Unit valves that may react badly with certain brake fluids, requiring a fluid flush and new reservoir cap.
- Which Milan model years are safer than 2008?
- The 2009 (complaint index 40) and 2011 (complaint index 20) model years show lower complaint indexes than 2008's 80, though both still carry Caution verdicts.