2011 Mercury Mariner Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
I purchased this car used with about 60,000 miles on it and the previous owner took good care of the car before I got it. He didn't have any major issues. Shortly after I got it, the transmission had to be rebuilt but this was covered under the warranty and I haven't had ANY problems since. Might just be a fluke. I have now had this car and I drive it hard (60 miles a day in Houston traffic) and it holds up well. Only reason I gave mine 4 star performance is because I have a V4 engine and it doesn't have enough "Giddy up" for me. Find a V6 if possible. Even though it's an older model, I am still proud to show off my car to friends because it's a stylish vehicle and a comfortable ride. Would be a great starter car.
VS
Critical Review
For over 20 years we had Nissan products and never had a problem with any of them. We also have a 2006 VW Jetta Diesel and that car has only had one recall and no mechanical problems. We traded our Murano in for the Mariner Hybrid because we needed something more fuel efficient and the Murano got TERRIBLE gas mileage (that's one thing that Nissan doesn't seem to care about). I looked at reviews of all Hybrid SUVs and the Mariner got very good marks out of the ones available in 2008. It was very difficult to find a car to test drive because dealerships at the time weren't stocking them, so you basically had to buy the car sight unseen. However, we lucked out and the dealership 2 miles from us had ONE on the lot. When we test drove it, we were not impressed with the interior even though it had the convenience packages and leather interior The door panels and the dash were all made out of cheap looking plastic. However, the ride was comfortable, and I have to say for an SUV, it gets around 25MPG in city driving. Where it has failed us is that last month, we received a recall in the mail for a mechanical failure on the power steering that could fail at any time without warning leaving the driver to deal with driving a heavy car with pure muscle. I was waiting to make a convenient appointment, when our neighbor knocked on the door and asked if we knew that the rear driver's seat window was down. I tried to bring it back up and could hear the motor whirring, but the window stayed in the down position. When I took it to the dealership for the recall, the technician explained to me that these electric windows have a scissor mechanism and the cables are steel, but the rotor is plastic and fails as it ages and gets brittle. OK, so $250 wasn't so bad. Yesterday (3 weeks after the first repair), I went to run some errands and pick up lunch on the way home. When I went to roll up the driver's window, it dropped! SAME problem! Since we have no garage and were expecting rain, I had to take it to the dealership and rent another car. I called FORD customer service and asked how I could complain about this and get some type of reimbursement for this faulty equipment. I was told there was nothing they could do, and there was no appeal process. The only thing I could do would be to write to FORD. I don't know why the other people rating this car love it so much. On the highway, it picks up road noise at an annoying level, has a very cheap looking interior for a $34,000 car, and at 6 years old is developing all kinds of rattles. That never happened with the Japanese cars we owned. I am disappointed - I though that the American auto makers had learned their lesson from the Japanese and other manufacturers, but I guess I was wrong. The double whammy is that it's worth 1/2 of what we paid for it when the engine compartment, interior, and exterior are still impeccable. The only defect is that someone had accidentally put a 3 inch scratch on the right side (fixed with touch-up paint and clearcoat), so it can't be rated as "perfect" condition. My VW Jetta which is a 2006 is worth almost as much and we only paid $23,000 for that one. I am done with Ford product. I have owned 3 Fords in my lifetime and they have all been pieces of junk.
2011 Mariner Reviews
Showing 8 of 163 reviews.
Thousands of these cars are still driving around without power steering, because Ford failed miserably with the recall repairs. The company opted for the cheaper of the three options with most of the cars, and once that repair option was performed, no further repairs were legally required, even if that first repair failed, which most did. That's quite the scam indeed.
Good sound system, moonroof, heated seats, AWD etc
Could have used a transmission upgrade
I may be a bit biased as I always wanted one and the one I got came fully loaded, black leather interior, moonroof. I absolutely love this vehicle. Got over 20 miles to the gallon, ton of space for its size, all wheel drive. Had an AUX port. Had the sound system upgrade from the factory. I'm a huge music fan and almost always drove with the sound system at max volume unless I had passengers. Never had an issue with distortion or blowing my speakers. It's a fun little vehicle, had the luggage rack on top. I drove it for work and I filled it from floor to ceiling with tools and equipment and supplies and materials. Hauling lumber on top. Never slowed me down, didn't affect my mileage all that much. Negligible. I always wanted one and I loved it, although all it takes is one of them whitetail wood rats they call deer just smack into the front end of it at 40 miles an hour to junk the thing. Man oh man do I miss that vehicle. Love the heated seats, love the interior. All black. Not on the outside, just interior. Loved having all-wheel drive and had excellent control in the winter. Had room for my kids and when they were in the vehicle I could fold the seats down for a ton of storage for equipment in the back. I would recommend that or the Ford escape which are basically the same vehicle. This year was back when they actually looked like SUVs.
If you fill your gas tank you cannot open windows or moon roof, it suck the fumes into your car until it hits ¾ tank. At 180,000-225,000 miles be prepared for head gasket oil leaks, it starts to eat your belts 1 at a time. Moon roof drain has to be cleaned out often or it leaks back into your car and causes interior roof damage. Wish I had found these things out so I could have headed them off before it happened. I LOVED it when I first got it, it was great gas mileage and not bad on long rides at all, rides smooth as well.
We had this car last us over 300,000 miles. We put it through a lot of work in a decade because we were a single-car family and made quite a few road trips in it around the country. We had to replace the transmission around 220,000 miles and did some front end work after that. We were planning on running it until it finally gave out but ended up getting in an accident and it was totaled. The steering column was going out towards the end but we never fixed it. All in all, it was a great car. The interior was nice and the car was sporty. And it handled well in snowy conditions.
Does great on milage, upkeep reasonable
Can hear wind from outside, better insulation
I got this as a pre-owned used suv in 2012 with 57k miles. I've driven it thru most of the Northeast and South United States. It handles great in all weather conditions, does better than expected in gas economy & I drive a lot (45min commute M-F, plus weekend driving ). I fill up the 11gal tank 2x a week(so $30 still fills it). I've kept regular upkeep with no major issues. Still hoping to reach 250k miles before I have to buy another suv. The mechanic tells me the engine is tired,so only reason I'm looking to buy a new one, wouldn't be worth the $$ to put in new engine. It's just getting a few pings of rust around tire wells, hood,and back trunk gate. I removed the car racks, for easier snow removal. I removed the iron spare wheel cover originally under the suv. Saved 40lbs.of wasted weight for something the weather had corroded shut with all the salt on the roads here in New England. I have AAA so wouldn't have used it,even if I had been able to get under the suv. Best vehicle I've ever owned. This suv still going strong, mechanical upkeep is reasonable. You just have to take care of what you own.
Comfortable and Extremely great to travel in.
Replaced all the power window cables.
Vehicle run's great. Like any vehicle if you take care of it the vehicle will take care of you. The only issue I have had with my Mariner is I have replace all the cables in the power windows. With the age of my vehicle 99K I recently replaced the AC and Heater unit. Other than that I have not had any major issues with it. Rides smooth and very dependable. Engine is quiet and if you need to pass the V6 power kicks in. Great vehicle to purchase for a used SUV. The do not make them any more.
Roomy, gas mileage, storage options, speakers
No cons for my family of 4
I always wanted a Ford escape and this is a little upgrade. Reliable vehicle, pretty good in the snow if it's all wheel drive, never got to use the towing package but it is an option. Mine was fully loaded. I love the leather interior, couldn't live without the heated seats. The sound system was excellent. I ran at max volume with the base above midrange for 2 years almost every day as I drove it alone for work. Storage options pretty good, back seats fold down. If you fold the seat above the gas tank up you can access the fuel pump without dropping the tank. Big plus. I was never disappointed with this vehicle. I always wanted one and I absolutely love the one I have. Gas mileage was 21 to 22 miles a gallon average.
Comfortable, reliable, budget friendly
Hybrid gets 23MPG. Doesn't haul a trailer well, 13
I bought my Mariner Hybrid in Feb 2015 used with 30,000 miles on it. I now have over 220,000 miles and it is still going strong. It has never left me stranded and I have only had it in the shop twice for maintenance stuff other than oil changes. Highly recommended this vehicle if you are on a budget.
