1997 Mercury Mountaineer Tires:tread/belt Problems

NHTSA component category: TIRES:TREAD/BELT · data through 07/14/2026

81Tires:tread/belt complaints

24.7%Of all 328 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How tires:tread/belt ranks on this vehicle

TIRES:TREAD/BELT81 · 24.7%

TIRES78 · 23.8%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL36 · 11%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP24 · 7.3%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL15 · 4.6%

Share of the 328 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer overview page.

What owners report

“PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS NOTICED WITH STEEL BELT COMING THROUGH THE TIRE, MOUNTED ON A 1997, MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT…”NHTSA complaint 870355 — filed 09/13/2000

“ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, MERCURY, MOUNTAINEER, P235/75R15 SIZE DOT# WZHL1PY107 AND WZHL1PY296. TREAD ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS STARTING TO SEPARATE. FIRESTONE HAS…”NHTSA complaint 869860 — filed 09/07/2000

“PE00-020; P23575R15, DOT W2HC1PY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WITH 40,000 MILES. CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL FROM FIRESTONE , CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE. DEALER…”NHTSA complaint 869741 — filed 09/06/2000

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Tires:tread/belt complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer have tires:tread/belt problems?

Tires:tread/belt is the most-reported problem area on the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer: 81 of 328 complaints on file (24.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer have in total?

328 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 41 involved a crash, 10 involved a fire, 19 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's tires:tread/belt category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the TIRES:TREAD/BELT category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.