1998 Mercury Villager: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 83 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (15% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jan 2001
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury villager. The contact stated that the vehicle emitted a strong fuel odor in the cabin. The odor was primarily observed near the front end of the vehicle at all times. When the heat in the vehicle was activated, the odor intensified. The contact stated that a certified mechanic concluded that the failure of the vehicle directly related to NHTSA campaign number: 00v419002 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 202,000.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury villager. The contact stated that the rear brake lights illuminated and failed to turn off although the brake pedal was not depressed. After inspecting the vehicle and cruise control switch the contact discovered that the plastic bushings located on the brake pedal against the stop light switch were cracked into pieces causing the rear brake light to remain illuminated. The plastic bushings were replaced by the contact. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 116,000...updated 09/30/14 *bf updated 2/27/2015 *js”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jun 2014
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercury villager which was purchased in 2007. She stated that the fuel filler hose had several cracks in it. The cracks in the hose caused major gasoline fumes to enter the interior of the vehicle. Although there was a recall for the failure, NHTSA campaign id number, 00v419002, fuel system, gasoline storage tank assembly her VIN was not included. On a separate occasion, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle was towed to her home where an independent mechanic stated that the sub-frame on the vehicle was cracked. No repairs had been made to date. The failure and current mileages were under 189,732.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jul 2009
Show 7 more owner reports
“1998 mercury villager parked. When family returned to van and got into it, the front left (drivers) side coil spring snapped. Able to slowly drive vehicle to garage to replace both springs. *nm”Owner report · Suspension · Aug 2006
“1998 mercury villager's front left wheel came off of the vehicle. *kb the wheel bounced over the center wall and the vehicle drove off the right side of the road to a controlled stop. The front left fender was dented and scraped as well as the lower portion of the driver's door. The left front wheel lug nuts sheared off, one was still partially intact. *nm”Owner report · Wheels · Jul 2006
“Dt: 1998 mercury villager. The consumer states all of the doors are locking on their own. This has happened a couple of times. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership to see why this was occurring. He has not yet contacted mercury. This started on august 15, 2005. This almost locked the consumer's child in the car. This wa sa keyless entry locking system.*ak”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Aug 2005
“Dt: contact put the vehicle in park and exited the vehicle and it rolled backwards. The door pulled the contact under the vehicle, and both sets of tires ran her over. She sustained a broken pelvic bone, a broken hip, a broken femur, a broken knee, a broken ankle, and a broken back from l1-5. As a result, she spent the summer in a nursing home. The vehicle has not been to a mechanic for this problem.*ak”Owner report · Power Train · May 2005
“Consumer's 4 year old child was able to shift the lever out of the park gear while vehicle was parked on an incline. Vehicle rolled across several streets before crashing into a neighbor's truck parked in driveway. Dealership indicated that the steering pin broke. *ak”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2004
“I have owned a 1996 and 1998 mercury villager. Both vehicles had a failure of the driver's side cv boot with the eventual failure of the trans axle cv joint. Each time the transaxle had to be replaced.*ak”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2004
“My 1998 mercury villager mini van has a problem with the accelerator. The pedal can be hard to push sometimes causing to push down too far. Several times the accelerator became stuck causing the vehicle to lunge out of control. I felt very unsafe and I am concerned about the condition. *jb”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jul 2004
When filing, owners marked a crash in 11 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMOTIVE BATTERIES SUPPLIED BY GNB TECHNOLOGIES. THESE BATTERIES HAVE A DEFECTIVE NEGATIVE POST THAT CAN CAUSE ACID LEAKAGE AND RELATED CORROSION DAMAGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE BATTERIES. UNTIL A NEW BATTERY IS OBTAINED, OWNERS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO "JUMP START" THESE BATTERIES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS. THE FUEL TANK VENT HOSE ALLOWS AIR TO VENT FROM THE FUEL TANK DURING REFUELING. CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE VENT HOSE. IF (1) THE FUEL TANK IS OVERFILLED, NOT ALLOWING EXCESS FUEL IN THE VENT HOSE TO FLOW BACK INTO THE TANK, (2) THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE AFTER REFUELING AND, (3) THERE IS SUBSEQUENTLY SIGNIFICANT HEATING OF THE FUEL TANK, THE FUEL IN THE TANK CAN EXPAND INTO THE VENT HOSE AND LEAK FUEL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VENT HOSE.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1998 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Villager by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Mercury Villager reliable?
NHTSA has 83 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 1998 Mercury Villager. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (15% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1998 Mercury Villager problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 82,000 miles or less.
Does the 1998 Mercury Villager have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.