I was driving along after shopping and I started to hear this dragging or bottoming out sound so I pulled over to see what was happening and to my surprise the front frame on the passenger side that holds up the engine was broken I then opened the hood and saw that the engine was sitting sideways toward the passenger side. I limped the van home and had my mechanic look at it and he said that it was on fixable and then I called five body shops to see if they could fix it and they said no and that mercury villagers was known to do this and that they were recalled for this before.
The worst 1997 Mercury Villager problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Fuel system27
- Body21
- Locks17
- Engine16
- Airbags12
- Brakes11
- Acceleration9
- Transmission5
- Lights4
- Seat belts4
- Tires4
- Visibility4
- Electrical2
- Steering2
- Seats1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Mercury Villager
Door locks 14Fuel leak 7Fuel smell 7Airbag light 5Check engine light 5
Recalls 3
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the vent hose.
Recall number 00V419002 · Recall details
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This condition can cause a catastrophic failure of the battery which could lead to an engine fire or battery explosion.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these batteries. Until a new battery is obtained, owners should not attempt to "jump start" these batteries.
Recall number 97V184001 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
- What is wrong
- The four rubber fuel line connector hoses that are supplied to ford with the fuel tank assembly were improperly manufactured. These hoses can develop cracks or splits resulting in fuel leakage.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the fuel tank assembly for the suspect date codes and replace the four rubber fuel connector hoses if necessary.
Recall number 96V203000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1997 Mercury Villager
Defect investigations
Fuel tank vent hose leakage
Periodic exposure to liquid gasoline may result in extraction of antidegradants from the subject fuel tank vent hose.hoses which have suffered loss of antidegradants can develop cracks in areas of high strain.fuel may spray or drip from cracked vent hoses following tank fill.starting at job#1 1998 my (california emissions vehicles) and job#1 1999 my (federal emissions vehicles), the subject vent hose composition changed from nitrile rubber hoses with chloroprene rubber covers (nbr/cr) to fluorocarbon rubber hoses with an outer layer blend of nbr/pvc.the changes were made to improve hydracarbon resistance for complaince with new evaporative emissions regulations.the modified hoses are also significantly more resistant to degradation and cracking.in a letter dated january 2, 2001, ford notified the federal safety agency that it will conduct a safety recall campaign to replace the subject vent hose in affacted vehicles.ford will begin notifying customers of the affected vehicles on or about the week of february 12, 2001 to return their vehicles to dealers for replacement of the fuel tank vent hose with the latest design lever part.
EA00014
Unexpected opening on sliding door
There is no summary currently available
SQ00008
Fuel rail hose fitting leakage
The engineering analysis closing report covers 1993-1998 mercury villager and nissan quest minivans.these two minivans share a common body platform and power train.based on the low number of reported incidents and the absence of a demonstrable failure trend, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources is not warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See engineering closing report ea99-015 for details.
EA99015
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Mercury Villager 128
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures
- General power train control module (PCM) programming procedures
- New transmission cooler flusher - service tips
- Climate control a/c service tech tips
- Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock
- Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant...
- Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure
- This aritlce is to provide information on replacement of old style hood lamp switch to the rvised...
- Brake shift interlock
- Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks
1997 Mercury Villager fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16 | 21 | 18 |
What 1997 Mercury Villager owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My 7 year old daughter thought it would be fun to see how many times she could wrap the shoulder belt around her neck. I was unaware as I was getting my other children buckled in. Before we were about to leave, I turned to see if she too was buckled in and found her using her fingers between her neck and the belt to try to free herself as the slack had been pulled back in. We immediately got some scissors to cut the belt to let her free. The potential for some other kid doing this and not having anyone or anything around to help makes me nervous. Bizarre, I know, but kids come up with ridiculous stuff all the time.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercury villager. The contact stated that the engine was started in cold weather, the vehicle would exhibit an abnormally strong gasoline odor. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who advised that there were no visible fuel leakages but the canister and the connected hoses were faulty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised that there were no recalls for the problem. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Driver reports he must have had his foot on the brake and accelerator at the same time (semi-panic brake application). Police report states "tire marks" on the (dry) pavement. One does not produce "tire marks" on dry pavement (no turning involved) without brake application. Driver had episode of microsleep: when alerted by the event taking place, he could not get the vehicle stopped in time to prevent hitting and fatally injuring a pedestrian. Upon examination of accident vehicle, inspector discovered unusual arched accelerator pedal design wherein the brake pedal was located only 1 5/8 inch from the arched accelerator pedal allowing brake application and acceleration concurrently if certain conditions prevail. Examination demonstrated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the pedal went substantially below the accelerator pedal. Furthermore, with the 4 5/8 inch wide boot the driver (and inspector) wore, it was easy to accidentally catch the edge of the accelerator pedal, consequently enabling the user to accidentally depress the accelerator and brake pedal (under certain conditions) at the same time.
Headrest guides are no longer available from manufacturer (ford or nissan). The guide itself is a cheaply built plastic sleeve which breaks easily (I've been through several in my nine years of ownership). Unfortunately, the headrest cannot be secured to the seat without them!!
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercury villager. The contact smells gasoline after the vehicle has been driven or while it is idling. No fuel has been found on the ground after the vehicle was moved. The federal safety agency campaign id numbers 96v203000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly: mounting) and 00v419002 (fuel system, gasoline:storage: tank assembly) were referenced; however, the contact was informed that there was no longer a safety recall. The current mileage was 69,000 and failure mileage was 68,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercury villager. The contact stated that every time he fills up his gas tank and parks the vehicle, fuel leaks out from underneath. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the vent hose for a service charge because it was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 00v419002 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly). The current and failure mileages were 106,108. Recall# 00v419002 updated 11/26/07.
Driving my '97 mercury villager into a commercial driveway at about 3 MPH, both air bags deployed upon going over a slight bump.
Our customers 1997 mercury villager van caught fire while driving in the city. Wonder if this could be related to the nissan maxima recall for alternator fires? I have seen 3 maxima alternators burn and we are not even a nissan dealer.
I had noticed that when I filled gas tank there was a strong odor of gasoline inside vehicle for several days. I had the vehicle checked by the shop that does my oil changes and they stated that it was the filler hose and it should be covered under a recall. The local dealership states that since the repair was made under the recall in 2002 that it was not covered again. Repair part was apparently defective. The repair cost will be $150.00.
Compare the 1997 Mercury Villager
Other model years
Questions about the 1997 Mercury Villager
Is the 1997 Mercury Villager reliable?
Owners have filed 125 complaints about the 1997 Mercury Villager, 6.3 times a typical Villager model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mercury Villager?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 27 complaints, typically around 144,500 miles. Next is body (21).
How many recalls does the 1997 Mercury Villager have?
3 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and electrical system.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Mercury Villager fuel system?
Yes, 2 recalls: 00V419002, 96V203000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mercury Villager have the most fuel system problems?
The Mercury Villager model years with the most fuel system complaints are 1995 (76 complaints), 1994 (53 complaints) and 1993 (30 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1997 Mercury Villager get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Mercury Villager range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 16 city and 21 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1997 Mercury Villager?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history