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Mercury Mariner power steering loss problems

264 of the 1,296 owner complaints about the Mercury Mariner describe loss of power steering, most of them for the 2008 model year.

owner complaints
264
worst model year
2008
typical repair cost reported
$1,306
typical mileage
131,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

What owners say

Filed Aug 11, 2026 · Steering · 190,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2010 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, an alarm sounded, and the steering wheel locked up. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the residence nearby. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Filed Mar 2, 2026 · Steering · 117,900 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2009 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds on several occasions, the steering wheel started shaking abnormally. The contact added that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, but the vehicle regained power steering functionality shortly afterwards. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on one occasion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,900.

Filed Feb 21, 2026 · Steering · VA

My steering has been locking while I am driving and causing loss of steering and control of car. I have contacted crossroads dealer and I have not gotten a response as I am now aware there has been a safety recall on this vehicle.

Filed Jan 30, 2026 · Steering · NY

The power steering stopped working. A note did appear to let me know it wasn’t working. I took it in to the mechanic and he confirmed the power steering wasn’t working.

Filed Dec 23, 2025 · Steering · 185,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2010 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Failure" was displayed, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering), which the contact related to the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was 185,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2025 · Steering · TX

Vehicle notification stating Power Steering Assist Fault. Power steering locked up on highway going 60 mph while a child was in vehicle and vehicle was extremely hard to get off the highway. Parkway Ford of Pampa, Tx would not honor recall as VIN was not pulling up a recall. But a different auto mechanic repair shop did verify it was a recall.

Filed May 27, 2025 · Steering · CA

Power steering failure on may 26th and 27th upon start up. Had to disconnect battery terminal to reset torque sensor

Filed May 12, 2025 · Steering · IL

Power Steering assist fault went out with no warning. Now steering wheel is locking up while driving. Also when trying to gain speed the vehicle bogs out.

Filed Jan 6, 2025 · Steering · 233,812 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2009 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated while attempting to drive out of the driveway, the vehicle stalled and lost power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was then driven to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with electric power steering failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 233,812.

Filed Dec 26, 2024 · Steering · 220,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2008 Mercury Mariner. The contact stated that while driving at 55 -60 MPH, the power steering failed. The steering wheel became increasingly difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was turned off while the contact inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted but a short distance afterwards the failure reoccurred. No warning lights illuminated. The contact called the dealer who informed them the vehicle was included in a recall for the vehicle, the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering), approximately 10 years ago, which had a software update as the remedy. The dealer confirmed the remedy had already been completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220.000.

Related recalls

Steering: electric power assist systemReported May 29, 2014 · 740,878 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.
Risk
If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 18, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S05.

Recall number 14V284000 · Recall details

Questions about the Mercury Mariner power steering loss

Which Mercury Mariner years have loss of power steering problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2008 (139 complaints), 2009 (84 complaints) and 2010 (34 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix loss of power steering on the Mercury Mariner?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,306 (median of 36 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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