At a glance

Reported mileage141,200 mi

LocationCo, USA

ColorBlue

Last listed price$2,300

Open recalls1

Vehicle identity & specifications

Make

Mercury

Model

Mountaineer

Year

2003

Trim

Luxury

Body style

Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]

Vehicle type

MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)

Engine

4.6L 8-cyl 239 hp

Cylinders

8

Fuel type

Gasoline

Drivetrain

AWD/All-Wheel Drive

Doors

4

Assembly plant

HAZELWOOD, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES (USA)

Manufacturer

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

What's a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer worth?

What comparable 2003 Mercury Mountaineer vehicles are listed for — a quick gut-check before you negotiate.

Low

$850

Typical price

$1,927

High

$3,400

Most 2003 Mercury Mountaineer listings fall between $850 and $3,400, from 67 comparable cars.

Is the seller's price fair? Get this exact VIN's current market value — retail, trade-in & loan value — in the full report.

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Full vehicle history report

$14.99 USD · one-time

What a full report checks for VIN 4M2DU86W13ZJ12039

⚠️ 1 open safety recall — shown above, free 🔒 Title & brand records 🔒 Accident & damage history 🔒 Salvage, total-loss & theft 🔒 Odometer & owner count 🔒 Liens & market valuation

A full report searches national title databases (NMVTIS) and licensed history providers for this VIN and shows whatever records are on file — not every vehicle has every record type. The decode, safety recalls and owner complaints above are always free.

📜 Title status Clean, salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood or lemon

🏷️ Title brand history Every brand ever applied, by state

🧾 Number of owners How many registrations on record

🛞 Odometer readings Reported mileage over time

🔎 Rollback check Mileage inconsistency / tamper flags

💥 Accident & damage Reported collisions and damage events

🚧 Total-loss records Insurance total-loss declarations

♻️ Salvage & auction Salvage-yard and auction history

🚓 Theft records Reported / recovered theft events

🏦 Liens & impounds Outstanding liens or impound records

🏷️ Sale & listing history Past marketplace and dealer listings

💰 Market valuation Estimated value for this exact spec

Unlock full report — $14.99 → or get up to 20 reports a month for $19.99/mo → One-time purchase · permanent access · VIN 4M2DU86W13ZJ12039

Safety recalls 1

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF TEMPERED GLASS AND FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS."

Remedy: SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND REIMBURSE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS FOR CURRENT INVENTORY AND AT A SPECIFIED RATE FOR REPLACING THEIR CUSTOMER

NHTSA Campaign #07E104000 · 11/12/2007

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Common problems & what to inspect

Based on 152 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer, here are the most-reported problem areas — and exactly what to check before you buy.

💥 2 involved a crash 🚑 5 reported injuries

Structure 5 reports

🔍 Inspect for rust, fresh undercoating, mismatched paint, uneven panel gaps and any sign of prior collision or frame repair.

Power Train 4 reports

🔍 Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.

Air Bags 3 reports

🔍 Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

Wheels 2 reports

🔍 Inspect wheels for bends, cracks and curb rash, and feel for vibration at highway speed.

Suspension 2 reports

🔍 Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.

Engine 1 report

🔍 Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.

Pre-purchase checklist

Match the VIN on the dash, door jamb and title — they must be identical.
Cold-start the engine; listen for knocks and check for blue or white exhaust smoke.
Test-drive through all gears at low and highway speed — no slipping, shudder or pulling.
Confirm every warning light clears at startup (none should stay on).
Check fluids — oil, coolant, transmission — for level, color and leaks.
Look underneath for rust, fresh undercoating or signs of collision repair.
Always get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic.

Owner complaints 152

Complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

After disconnecting the battery for battery replacement original equipment 6 cd in dash player only shows CD Error. no error number. When investigating on the internet I found over 100 complaints with the same issue. I tried all the corrections suggested but nothing works. I own the car since new has very low mileage. I have 6 diskettes in the unit I cannot…

NHTSA ODI #11459433

POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

BIG O TECHS CONNED WIFE INTO BUYING 2 TIRES AND WE OWN AWD SUV THAT REQUIRES 4 AT THE SAME INTERVALS .I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THEM THAT THIS IS NOT SAFE AND WILL DAMAGE MY CAR THEY CONTINUED FOR OVER 2 MONTHS TO LIE TO ME ABOUT HAVING SOMEMONE COMTACT ME . I HAVE ALL THE COMMUNICATIONS I'VE HAD WITH THEM THROUGH MESSAGES. A FEW WEEKS AFTER THEY PUT THE TIRES ON…

Crash · 1 injured · NHTSA ODI #11349674

POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,ENGINE

I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR AND NO MATTER WHAT I DO THERE ALWAYS A PROBLEM SHIFTING GEARS

NHTSA ODI #11231457

STRUCTURE

I HAVE A MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 2003 AND IT WAS STATIONED THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE BACK MIDDLE OF THE HATCH NOW THERE A HUGE CRACK AND MY WINDOW OF THE TRUNK CAME UNHINGED AND FELL OFF I SEE THIS PROBLEM IN ALL MOUNTAINEERS THEY ALL HAVE THE CRACK IN THE HATCH HOPE THEIRS DON'T FALL OFF I SEE IT IN ALMOST EVERYONE'S. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE WHAT WOULD …

NHTSA ODI #11030250

POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT. WHILE PARKED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKES FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LI…

NHTSA ODI #10972300

STEERING,SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE

1) FRONT WHEEL BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY FAILURE RESULTING IN UNSAFE UNDRIVEABLE (THIS HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY REPORTED BY VEHICLE OWNERS REGARDLESS OF VEHICLES MILAGE) FAILURE ACCURED WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOPLIGHT AFTER EXITING A PARKING LOT OF A RESTAURANT 2) LIFT HATCH CRACKED CENTER OF HATCH ABOVE THE EMBLEM POTENTIALLY ALLOWING WATER INTO T…

NHTSA ODI #10969975

AIR BAGS

MY 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER HAS A SOLID AIR BAG LIGHT ON. IT HAS A CODE OF 33, WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR ON, THE LIGHT GOES ON AND BLINKS 3 TIMES THEN 3 MORE TIMES. THIS INDICATES A CODE 33. FORD HAS A TECHNICAL LETTER ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE LETTER STATES THERE IS A KIT FOR THIS PROBLEM. 1L2Z-78610E22-AAA IS THE KIT FOR A MEDIUM DARK PARCHMENT KIT. THIS SHO…

NHTSA ODI #10925937

SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER RECALLS I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, IGNITION COILS, I'M HAVING A GAS SMELLS NOW, TRANSMISSION THUMPS HARD WHEN GOING INTO FIRST GEAR, SOUNDS LIKE MY REAR END IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT, MY FRONT SEAT IS ELECTRIC AND DOESN'T MOVE, THE O/D LIGHT COMES ON, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, BRAKE LIGHT ON, I KEEP TRYING TO FIX EVERYTHING T…

NHTSA ODI #10907125

+ 144 more complaints on record.