2011 Mercury mariner tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2011 Mercury Mariner, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235/70R16 OEM | R16 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 225/65R17 OEM | R17 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Mercury Mariner, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Mercury Mariner →
Compatible alternative sizes for 235/70R16
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
205/80R16 |
-0.14% | winter narrower | Safe |
215/65R18 |
0.18% | plus 2 | Safe |
235/65R17 |
0.26% | plus 1 | Safe |
235/75R15 |
-0.26% | alternative | Safe |
255/55R18 |
0.31% | plus 2 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 235/70R16 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 235/70R16 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 235/65R17; one rim size up, 0.26% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 215/65R18; two rim sizes up, 0.18% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2011 mercury mariner premier
The 2011 Mercury Mariner Premier ships from the factory on 235/70R16 tires mounted on R16 wheels. 2 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Mercury Mariner comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2011 Mercury Mariner Premier owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2011 Mercury Mariner Premier, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2011 mercury mariner
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (12) · Sidewall (1) · Valve (1)
Reported across: 2005 – 2008 (4 years)
What owners described
Cracking or dry rot appears in 29% of these reports; about 3.1× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 14 reports covering every model year of the Mercury Mariner that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cracking or dry rot | 29% | 9% | 3.1× |
| Tread or belt separation | 14% | 13% | 1.1× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 7% | 20% | 0.4× |
| Sidewall failure | 7% | 15% | 0.5× |
Mileage at failure
5 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 12,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 2,000 and 25,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Mercury Mariner. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
I DROVE FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA TO EL PASO, TEXAS OVER A TWO DAY PERIOD. I WAS NOT SPEEDING AND THERE WERE NO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. PREPARING FOR MY RETURN TRIP, I TOOK MY CAR TO GET AN OIL CHANGE. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED MY TIRE HAD SEVERE TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, THOUGH THE CAR IS NOW USING A DONUT TIRE IN ITS PLACE.
I WAS DRIVING FROM ATLANTA, GA TO COLUMBIA, SC. ABOUT 2 HOURS INTO THE TRIP, THERE WAS A SUDDEN NOISE AND CLICKING SOUND (LATER DISCOVERED TO BE THE TIRE HITTING THE AXLE). WHEN THE CAR WAS EXAMINED AT A MECHANICS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TREAD INTERIOR WALL BEGAN TO SEPARATE. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE OLD PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, THOUGH THERE ARE PHOTOS.
WE HAVE TAKEN OUR MARINAR BACK AT LEAST 2 TIMES COMPLAINING OF OUTRAGEOUS ROAD NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS THE WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER DRIVEN OR RIDDEN IN WITH THIS TYPE OF NOISE INCLUDING DIESEL TRUCKS. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS THE TIRES BUT THEY ARE THE ORIGINAL TIRE THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE (CONTINENTALS). I WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THIS ROAD NOISE. FRIENDS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME CAN NOT BELIEVE THE DECIBEL LEVEL OF THE ROAD NOISE AND THAT IT IS UNBEARABLE. I HAVE A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY WHO ALSO HAS A MARINAR AND HE ALSO HAS TAKEN HIS VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THIS ROAD NOISE TO KNOW AVAIL. CAN YOU ADVISE ME ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION.
I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLES AND ALL 4 OF MY TIRES SINCE JULY 06. MY VEHICLE/ STEERING WHEEL/FRONT END IS SHAKING & VIBRATING TERRIBLY. I WAS TOLD BY THREE DIFFERENT AUTHORIZED TIRE/DEALERSHIPS THAT ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES ARE BAD, THEY ARE CUPPED & FEATHERED AND THE TREAD IS NOT GOOD. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE SAYS IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE ME WITH NEW TIRES (MY VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY) THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WILL ONLY PAY FOR 1/2 THE RETAIL COST BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM EITHER. I AM VERY UPSET. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND I AM AFRAID I AM GOING TO GET HURT OR SOMEONE ELSE WILL., I DO NOT KNOW WHO TO TRUST AND COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2011 Mercury Mariner?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2011 Mercury Mariner?
Where can I buy tires for my 2011 Mercury Mariner?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2011 Mercury Mariner?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2011 Mercury Mariner?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2011 Mercury Mariner?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Mercury Mariner is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2011 Mercury Mariner.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.