2003 Mercury Mountaineer Structure:body Problems

NHTSA component category: STRUCTURE:BODY · data through 07/14/2026

26Structure:body complaints

17.1%Of all 152 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 structure:body ranks on this vehicle

STRUCTURE:BODY26 · 17.1%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION19 · 12.5%

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE15 · 9.9%

POWER TRAIN15 · 9.9%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10 · 6.6%

Share of the 152 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer overview page.

What owners report

“WE HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO WELL KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER. THE BODY PANEL ON THE BACK HATCH IS CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE AND FRIDAY WE…”NHTSA complaint 10423238 — filed 09/04/2011

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DECKLID PANEL WAS CRACKED DUE TO THE COLDER WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 10392156 — filed 03/18/2011

“2003 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER CRACKED PANEL ON BACK LIFT GATE FROM WINDOW AROUND RIGHT SIDE OF ROUND EMBLEM TO BOTTOM. SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. FIRST…”NHTSA complaint 10375390 — filed 01/10/2011

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

Structure:body complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer have structure:body problems?

Structure:body is the most-reported problem area on the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer: 26 of 152 complaints on file (17.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer have in total?

152 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 6 involved a crash, 5 involved a fire, 9 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's structure:body category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STRUCTURE:BODY 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.