One problem related to mid/rear seats assembly has been reported for the 2001 Mercury Villager. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Mercury Villager based on all problems reported for the 2001 Villager.
Center row sliding bucket seat (passenger side) does not lock into place. I have taken this vehicle in for the same problem 6 times (2 times to salinas dealership and 4 times to seaside dealership) w/o having it successfully repaired. The seat will appear latched, but is not truly engaged. With an occupant in the seat it will slide forward when the brakes are applied, creating a dangerous situation for the center seat occupant and the front passenger. This defect was there from the beginning, noticed after we purchased the vehicle. It did not develop over time, so the incident date will reflect the purchase date of the vehicle.