MercuryMilan2008Overview/mercury/milan/2008/base/

2008 Mercury Milan

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

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2008 Mercury Milan is a passenger car powered by an engine requiring 4.5 quarts of 5W-20 API oil, placing it squarely in the mainstream mid-size sedan category. The model year carries 451 total owner complaints and five recalls, with air bags standing out as the top complaint area. Within the Milan's 20062011 complaint history, the 2008 sits comfortably below the 2010 peak of 1,060 complaints yet well above the 188 recorded in 2011, meaning it represents a moderate—though not trouble-free—point in the model's reliability arc.

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

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 96R · 500 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 96R · 500 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP225-50R17OEM · verified

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 FluidSAE JWS3309 · ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.4
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

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts59 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts13 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts35 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.42 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug21.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug14.75 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub185 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub189 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 Capacity1.30 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number96R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance500 cca
Standard BCI Group Number96R

Service checks

RPM57 @ Idle rpm
RPM65 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance11-18 DOHC ohms
Engine Oil Pressure29-39 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM2000 rpm
Intake Valve Lash0.008-0.011 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.010-0.023 in
Intake Valve LashHydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs / 19 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle66 ft-lbs / 52 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.905 in / 0.314 in

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
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
117 ft. lbs., Step 2: 3217 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: loosen 1 turn, step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 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
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
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
17 ft. lbs., step 2: 167 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
14 ft. lbs., Step 2: 18 ft. lbs., Step 3: 904 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 1-818 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 (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · 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) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (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 Milan represents the peak of an early upward complaint trend for this generation, as federal complaints rose from 213 in 2006 to 434 in 2007 before reaching 451 in 2008, only to drop significantly to 226 in 2009. For the 2008 model specifically, these 451 complaints are heavily concentrated in the Air Bags (187) and Service Brakes (158) categories, though the data does not specify the root causes for these failures. While recalls held steady at 5 from 2006 through 2008, federal investigations climbed from 1 in 2006 to 5 in 2008, reflecting escalating regulatory scrutiny alongside the rising complaint volume. Although 2008 marks an early-generation high point, the broader generational arc reveals a massive spike to 1,060 complaints and 13 recalls in 2010, suggesting underlying long-term durability concerns that could affect the 2008 models as they age. Given its status as a high-complaint year with significant air bag and brake concerns, the 2008 Milan is a risky purchase and should be passed over in favor of lower-complaint years like 2009 or 2011.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
18
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
5
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
451
Owner complaints
22 involved a crash · 1 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 451 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags187
Service Brakes158
Service Brakes, Hydraulic12
Air Bags,Service Brakes12
Structure7
Power Train6
Vehicle Speed Control6
Vehicle Speed Control,Engine4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V158000Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator ModuleReported 10/03/2021

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… Remedy: 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…

19V904000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/ModuleReported 18/12/2019

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… Remedy: 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 18 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM 546012026-02-23Electrical SystemFord and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory…
SSM 524762024-04-24EquipmentAll accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the…
SSM 522432024-02-08Engine And Engine CoolingWhen performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium…
22B05 S12023-07-27Air BagsCertain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and…
22B052022-03-28Air BagsCertain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr…

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 Milan. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

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 Milan take?

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

Does the 2008 Milan have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.