MercuryMariner Hybrid2008Overview/mercury/mariner-hybrid/2008/base/

2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Mariner Hybrid.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid is a gasoline-electric SUV fitted with an automatic transmission using variable gear ratios and a 5W-20 API oil fill of 4.5 quarts, carrying EPA ratings of 29 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined. Across the 2006–2012 model run, the 2008 model accumulated 116 owner complaints and zero recalls, with service brakes standing out as the top reported concern. That complaint volume sits below the generation's peak of 278 complaints recorded for the 2010 model year and above the single complaint logged for 2012, positioning the 2008 Mariner Hybrid as neither the most troubled nor the cleanest year in the range.

Model year201120102009200820072006

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy29/27/28 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 40R · 590 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 40R · 590 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235-70R16OEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined29 / 27 / 28 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidFord Mercon LV
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantUSE FORD PREMIUM GOLD COOLANT
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts13 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts35 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug21.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug21.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill PlugAT: 25.0, MT: 35.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug10.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub222 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub221 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug Gap0.049-0.053 in
Spark Plug Torque9.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.57 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.00 oz
RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00-2.56 lbs
Standard BCI Group Number40R

Service checks

Pressure Test20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief17-21 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature194 °F
Pressure Test20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief17-21 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature183-190 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)39
RPM39 @ Idle rpm

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket37 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle129 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.944 in
Drum Discard at-or-over10.09

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
15 ft. lbs., Step 2: 12.15 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
121 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9021 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 9074 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 4: 37 ft. lbs., step 5: 9089 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
13.7 ft. lbs.3.7 ft. lbs
211 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
333 ft. lbs.33 ft. lbs
490 degrees90 degrees
590
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
13.7 ft. lbs.3.7 ft. lbs
211 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
333 ft. lbs.33 ft. lbs
490 degrees90 degrees
590
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
1Tighten in sequence shown 5.17 ft. lbs.5.17 ft. lbs
2Tighten in sequence shown 11 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
3Tighten in sequence shown 33 ft. lbs.33 ft. lbs
490 degrees90 degrees
590
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 6 stages
1Tighten in sequence shown 30 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
3loosen one complete turn
4Tighten in sequence shown 30 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
590 degrees90 degrees
690
Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
137 ft. lbs., Step 2: 59 ft. lbs., Step 3: 8337 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
14 ft. lbs., Step 2: 18 ft. lbs., Step 3: 904 ft. lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
17 ft. lbs., Step 2: 157 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 miHybrid Battery Compartment Air Filter (inspect)
Every 15,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect) · Steering Linkage (lubricate) · Suspension System (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 20,000 miSuspension Ball Joint (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Temperature Controlled Seat Air Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · PCV Valve (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Drive Belt (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace) · Wheel Bearing (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid shows a marked increase in complaints relative to the preceding year, rising from 31 complaints in 2007 to 116 in 2008 while recalls remained at zero and investigations climbed to two. Complaints dropped to 21 in 2009, indicating the 2007 model year to 116 in 2008, while recalls stayed at zero and investigations rose from one to two. Complaints then fell sharply to 21 in 2009, suggesting the 2008 spike was an isolated outlier within the early generation. The trend reversed again in 2010, with complaints jumping to 278 and three recalls appearing, highlighting a later uptick in reported problems. For the 2008 model, the most frequently cited areas were service brakes (25), steering (16), engine (10) and power train (6), with two crash‑related complaints and no fire complaints; the data do not specify root causes for these issues. Consequently, the 2008 year presents a mixed signal: the elevated complaint count warrants a careful pre‑purchase inspection focused on brakes, steering, engine and power train, but the lack of recalls and the surrounding lower‑complaint years suggest it can be acceptable if those systems are verified.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
6
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
116
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 116 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes25
Steering16
Engine10
Power Train6
Engine & Engine Cooling6
Electrical System,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System4
Vehicle Speed Control,Engine3
Power Train,Electrical System3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 6 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM-458702016-06-08Service Brakes, Hydraulic2005-2008 ESCAPE/MARINER HYBRID - ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WARNING INDICATOR…
ASI-222422012-03-01Service Brakes, HydraulicFORD/MERCURY: SOME HYBRID VEHICLES MAY REQUIRE A UNIQUE BLEED PROCEDURE AFTER A…
TSB-09-19-122010-04-01Power TrainFORD: SOME HYBRID VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN INTERMITTENT RED TRIANGLE ON AND STOP SAFELY…
TSB-09-15-32009-12-01Engine And Engine CoolingFORD/MERCURY: SOME VEHICLES MAY SET DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS) P0A81 (BATTERY PACK…
TSB-08-24-52009-06-01EquipmentFORD/MERCURY: VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A RED TRIANGLE LIGHT AND CODES INDICATING A TRANSAXLE…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Mariner Hybrid. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
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Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Mariner Hybrid take?

4.5 qt of 5W-20 API MEETING FORD SPECIFICATION WSS-M2C945-A, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Mariner Hybrid have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Mariner Hybrid get?

EPA figures are 29 city / 27 highway / 28 combined mpg.