KnownCarProblems2008 Mercury Milan Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 451 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Mercury Milan, most often about the air bags (47% of complaints, typically around 100,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Milan model year since 2000 and has 4 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory2 recalls for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2008 Mercury Milan problems
Air bags
211 complaints · 47%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
So ford sends US a recall notice telling US death could occur for the airbag malfunction but that no solution is available. The good news is ford will contact US when a solution is available at which time they will fix the car. In the meantime there is nothing they can do given it is a supplier problem. So now what do…
Takata recall: I have rcvd numerous recall warnings however when I took my car to my local dealership they said they hadn't yet received replacement airbags! Now I'm receiving a notice that takata has filed for bankruptcy so I should take action! How am I supposed to take action? Why aren't these airbags available so…
Brakes
196 complaints · 44%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles. Parts named most often: pedals and linkages, antilock.
The brake pedal goes to the floor when it is pressed. This happens under normal driving conditions, city and highway. The master cylinder was replaced (twice) but the condition has not changed. This has been happening for a couple years, at all speeds, weather conditions (dry to wet).
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Milan. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH on a wet road and attempting to brake, the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle slid in the road until it came to a rest. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where the contact was advised that the master cylinder was defective. The…
Speed control
19 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 62,000 miles.
No matter if cold or hot, going forward or backward, engine surges. Better have foot on brake hard to keep from surging uncontrollable. Hold on for dear life.
The failure of the throttle body fortunately occurred in the driveway of a vacation home in chandler, arizona. I was able to have the car towed to the nearest ford dealership where the part was replaced. I hate to think what could have happened if we were in a traffic situation when the failure took place. Even though…
Transmission
17 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
The car has a defective throttle body actuator which is causing the car to have no acceleration or unexpected acceleration at various times.
Transmission erving out between 45-55 miles per hour and would not shift into higher gear. This was also causing it to idle rough when at a stopped position. Lately it will hit an area in the transmission where it will wind the transmission out to 5500 RPM's and not shift.
Engine
16 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 76,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
Upon putting vehicle in reverse the throttle increased on its own reaching nearly 6k rpms, by quickly placing the shift lever in neutral and applying the brake I was able to avoid a collision. Restarted the car engine light was on as well as the maintenance light, after checking for codes 2110 was present, cylinder 3…
The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Milan. While driving various speeds, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle shuddered. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and completely shut off. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact also mentioned that the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when the brake pedal…
Body and structure
11 complaints · 2%Half of these problems showed up before 60,500 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
Driver's door handle broken on inside of vehicle. Seems to be a common problem with ford fusion and Mercury Milan models from 2006 on. Plastic handle breaks and you cannot exit the driver's door unless the door is opened from the outside of the vehicle or through another door. In the event of and accident the driver…
The interior door handles snap in half easily and cause the door to not lock automatically. When the first door handle broke (front, driver side) it took me about a minute to figure out what had happened and how to get out of my car. If it would have happened in an emergency situation it could have been a major…
Other or unspecified
10 complaints · 2%Half of these problems showed up before 83,500 miles.
The passenger-side dashboard under the airbag has begun to warp. The dealership is unable to repair and has indicated that the airbag "should" deploy in a crash. The dealership also stated that the airbag shouldn't deploy in normal driving conditions. The reason they said they couldn't repair is that they couldn't…
Investigation pe16017 extended braking distance. I was traveling on a busy four lane road following a SUV. A traffic light was coming up and what should have been more than plenty of braking room was not. When I applied my brakes they felt soft when I knew I wasn't stopping I yanked into the other lane cutting off…
Wheels and tires
9 complaints · 2%Half of these problems showed up before 20,000 miles. Parts named most often: pressure monitoring and regulating systems.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Mercury Milan. While driving approximately 25 MPH whenever it snows, the snow gets caught inside the wheels. The vehicle was off balance which caused it to shake and it became difficult to control the steering wheel. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer; however, the dealer has not…
The continental tire on my 2008 Mercury Milan has developed unusual sidewall cracking and deterioration. The defect cannot be traced to weather, chemical, or physical damage. It is most likely a result of improper curing or other manufacturing defect. The other tires on the same vehicle do not exhibit any unusual…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2008 Mercury Milan recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with dot 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the hcu will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the hcu as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began april 1, 2021. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19s54.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 ford fusion, mercury milan, lincoln zephyr and mkz vehicles. The valves within the ABS hydraulic control units (hcu) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing march 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19s01.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2012 ford fusion and mustang and lincoln zephyr and mkz vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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, unless included in "zone a" above, ford is recalling certain 2009 ford ranger, edge, fusion and mustang, lincoln mkx, mkz and zephyr and mercury milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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." additionally, unless included in "zone a" or "zone b" above, ford is recalli
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on july 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19s01.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 ford ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 ford fusion, mercury milan and lincoln zephyr/mkz vehicles, 2007-2010 ford edge, lincoln mkx vehicles, 2005-2006 ford gt vehicles, and 2005-2011 ford mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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, unless included in "zone a" above, ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 ford ranger, edge and lincoln mkx vehicles, 2006-2008 ford fusion, mercury milan and lincoln zephyr/mkz vehicles, 2005-2006 ford gt vehicles and 2005-2008 ford mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana,
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Extended braking distance
Summary
On april 18, 2018, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened engineering analysis (ea) 18-002 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year (my) 2006-12 ford fusion and lincoln mkz, and my 2006-11 mercury milan vehicles manufactured with continental automotive system?s ABS hydraulic control units (hcus). Complainants report that after an ABS braking event (initiated by slippery or uneven surfaces) the brake pedal moved towards the floor and the vehicle stopping distance increased beyond driver expectations.inside the hcu are four hydraulic normally closed (nc) valves with zinc-coated moving armatures that control the flow of brake fluid. Unstable brake fluid can degrade ove
Extended braking distance
Summary
On december 20, 2016, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation (pe) 16-017 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year 2007 through 2009 ford fusion and mercury milan vehicles.complainants report that after an ABS braking event (caused by braking on a slippery or uneven surface) the brake pedal moved towards the floor and the distance in which the vehicle stopped increased beyond what was expected by the driver.the cause of the problem appears to be the antilock braking system (ABS) hydraulic control unit (hcu), a component manufactured for ford by continental automotive systems.hydraulic control valves within the hcu can experience corrosion and b
Floor mat interference with accelerator
Summary
On may 27, 2014, ford motor company submitted recall 14e-028 (ford recall #14s07) to correct a safety-related problem with certain driver's side ford optional all-weather floor mats sold for use in model year 2006 through 2011 model year ford fusion, mercury milan, lincoln zephyr, and lincoln mkz vehicles built at hermosillo assembly plant (hap) from november 9, 2007, to october 31 ,2010.NHTSA testing determined that the original accessory all-weather mat with a single retention clip (figure 1), may interfere with accelerator pedal return to idle with the mat retained by the clip and rotated clockwise.both the single- and double-clip (figure 2) all-weather floor mats may interfere with the a
Accel pedal interference - acc floormat
Summary
Unsecured mats may interfere with accelerator pedal return to idle. A heel blocker in the floor pan provides a platform that may lift an unsecured mat into contact with the pedal. Ford introduced new pedals as a running change early in model year (my) 2010 vehicles. Analysis of complaints received by odi and ford show elevated rates of pedal entrapment incidents in my 2008 through early 2010 production vehicles. Incidents typically occur following hard pedal applications to pass slower traffic or when merging into faster traffic. Drivers allege continued high engine power after releasing the accelerator pedal and difficulty braking, including reports that the incident was controlled by shift
Tire valve cracking
Summary
On october 14, 2008, odi opened pe08-060 to investigate allegations of cracked and leaking snap-in tire valves in model year (my) 2007 vehicles manufactured by ford motor company.the valves were supplied to ford by topseal auto-parts, a subsidiary of the shanghai baolong automotive corporation in china.valves made by topseal for aftermarket sale were the subject of two recent safety recalls by tech international (08t-018) and dill air controls (08t-028), the latter of which was investigated by odi in pe08-036 and ea08-022.the defect conditions addressed by the aftermarket tire valve recalls both involved inadequate resistance to ozone cracking due to issues with the supply of anti-ozonant ch
Questions about the 2008 Mercury Milan
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercury Milan?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (211 complaints, typically around 100,000 miles); brakes (196 complaints, typically around 100,000 miles); speed control (19 complaints, typically around 62,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2008 Mercury Milan have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from March 10, 2021 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2008 a bad year for the Mercury Milan?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Milan model year since 2000, with 451 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.