YearToAvoid

2009 Mercury Milan Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

40/100

#4 most-complained of 6 Milan years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Mercury Milan has 226 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 40 out of 100 — #4 highest of 6 Milan model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is brakes (116 complaints, 51% of the total). Complaints report 12 crashes, 1 fire, and 5 injuries.

Complaints
226
Recalls
6
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
12 / 1
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
22
19 city / 27 hwy

Top 2009 Mercury Milan problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Brakes116 (51%)
  2. Airbags85 (38%)
  3. Engine14 (6%)
  4. Other8 (4%)
  5. Structure & Body6 (3%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain4 (2%)
  7. Electrical System3 (1%)
  8. Fuel System2 (1%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (1%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers2 (1%)
2009 Mercury Milan complaints: complaints filed per quarter282009 Q22012 Q12014 Q22016 Q32018 Q12019 Q32021 Q12023 Q1
243 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q2 to 2025 Q1; peak 2017 Q1 (28).

2009 Mercury Milan recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. NHTSA 21V081000Feb 16, 2021Airbags1,067 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, 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 inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

  3. 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.

See all 6 recalls for the 2009 Mercury Milan →

2009 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.

2009 compared with other Milan years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100200620072008200920102011
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Caution604344 !22
2008Avoid804514 !22
2009Good402266 !22
2010Avoid1001,00211 !24.5
2011Best201917 !24

All Mercury Milan years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Mercury Milan a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Mercury Milan ranks #4 of 6 among Milan model years (Complaint Index 40/100, verdict: Good). It has 226 complaints and 6 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mercury Milan?
The most reported problem areas are brakes (116 complaints), airbags (85 complaints), and engine (14 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 85,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Mercury Milan have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2009 Mercury Milan, most recently reported 2021, covering airbags and brakes. At least one carries a Do Not Drive advisory.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Mercury Milan?
EPA rates the 2009 Mercury Milan at 22 MPG combined (19 city / 27 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,950. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

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.