YearToAvoid

2011 Mercury Milan Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

20/100

#5 most-complained of 6 Milan years

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

The 2011 Mercury Milan has 191 owner complaints and 7 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 20 out of 100 — #5 highest of 6 Milan model years (verdict: Best). The most reported problem area is steering (76 complaints, 40% of the total). Complaints report 1 crash and 2 fires.

Complaints
191
Recalls
7
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
1 / 2
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
24
22 city / 28 hwy

Top 2011 Mercury Milan problems

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

  1. Steering76 (40%)
  2. Electrical System39 (20%)
  3. Engine37 (19%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain31 (16%)
  5. Airbags17 (9%)
  6. Fuel System17 (9%)
  7. Brakes16 (8%)
  8. Other7 (4%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (2%)
  10. Collision Avoidance & Cameras1 (1%)
2011 Mercury Milan complaints: complaints filed per quarter352012 Q22014 Q12015 Q42018 Q12019 Q42022 Q22024 Q32026 Q2
246 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2013 Q3 (35).

2011 Mercury Milan recalls

7 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 19V001000Jan 7, 2019Airbags782,384 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and 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: 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. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.

See all 7 recalls for the 2011 Mercury Milan →

2011 Mercury Milan fuel economy and fuel cost

City
22 MPG
Highway
28 MPG
Combined
24 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,700
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.

2011 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
2009Good402266 !22
2010Avoid1001,00211 !24.5
2011Best201917 !24

All Mercury Milan years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Mercury Milan a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 Mercury Milan ranks #5 of 6 among Milan model years (Complaint Index 20/100, verdict: Best). It has 191 complaints and 7 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mercury Milan?
The most reported problem areas are steering (76 complaints), electrical system (39 complaints), and engine (37 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 59,500 miles.
Does the 2011 Mercury Milan have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2011 Mercury Milan, most recently reported 2021, covering airbags, fuel system, steering, and suspension, wheels & tires. At least one carries a Do Not Drive advisory.
What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Mercury Milan?
EPA rates the 2011 Mercury Milan at 24 MPG combined (22 city / 28 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700. 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.