1996 MERCURY MYSTIQUE Complaints

THE THROTTLE FREEZES. AT TIMES THE THROTTLE FEELS LIKE IT IS DRAGGING CAUSING YOU TO PRESS HARDER THAN NEEDED TO ACCELERATE, THEN THE CAR SPRINGS FORWARD. SOME TIMES WHEN YOU PUSH LIGHTLY ON THE ACCELERATOR IT STARTS OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC LANE THEN THE THROTTLE FREEZES. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSH IT WILL NOT BUDGE, THEN SUDDENLY IT WILL FREE UP AND WORK FINE FOR DAYS MAYBE THEN IT WILL DO IT AGAIN. VERY UNSAFE. WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF CLOSE CALLS. FORD- MERCURY ARE REALLY DRAGGING THEIR HEELS. THEY HAVE CHARGED ME OVER $100 ON ONE VISIT FOR THIS PROBLEM AND FIXED NOTHING. THANKS YOU FOR YOUR HELP, DAN. *AK

WAS DRIVING ALONG ON THE ROAD WHEN IT SUDDENLY STOPPED MOVING. ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. TRIED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE & VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. COULD HEAR IT SHIFTING GEARS. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO MECHANIC & INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT. *AK

THE WATER PUMP IMPELLER WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND BROKE UP INTO PIECES CAUSING $2000 IN DAMAGE, BECAUSE THE RESULTING OVERHEATED ENGINE WARPED THE VALVE HEADS. THE CAR NEED TO HAVE THE HEAD REMILLED AND NEW MULTIPLE GASKETS. THE WATER PUMP IMPLELLER IN MY OPINION SHOULD NEVER HAD BEEN MADE OF PLASTIC AND WAS APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE.

CONNECTOR IN HARNESS TO HEAD LAMP SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 99V-103. NLM

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 55MPH, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK

WE TOOK THIS CAR TO THE DEALER IN MAY OF 1999 BECAUSE THE THROTTLE SEEMED TO STICK, THEN BREAK FREE, CAUSING TO CAR TO LURC FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC. THEY KEPT THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM SO THEY ERTURNED IT TO US AND CHARGED US OVER $100. EVER SINCE THE THROTTLE WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL ROUGH IN ABOUT ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF TRAVEL BUT THEN WOULD BE SMOOTH AS SILK. IN FEB WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE SMOG CHECK AND THE SERVICE PERSON FINISHED THE TEST AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT SAT STILL, THE ENGINE AT IDLE AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. HE SHIFTED IT BACK AND FORTH THEN SUDDENLY IT SHOT OUT OF THE STALL WITHOUT WARNING. HE SAID HE HAD PUSHED ON THE FOOT PEDAL BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THEN ON MARCH 14, 2000, I WAS TRAVELING AT A STEADY SPEED OF 50 MILES PER HOUR FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES WHEN I DECIDED TO ACCELERATE TO 55, THE THROTTLE STUCK TIGHT. I PUSHED VERY HARD BUT NOTHING HAPPENED FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS, THEN SUDDENLY IT RELEASED AND MY SPEED INCREASED. AT THIS POINT WE CANNOPT AFFORD TO PAY FORD $100 EVERY TIME WE TAKE THIS IN AND THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING. I'M SURE IT IS A THROTTLE PROBLEM. THE SMOG MECHANIC THINKS IT MAY ALSO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH A SWITCH ON THE TRANSMISSION, AS HE SAID WHEN IT DID IT TO HIM HE MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER BACK AND FOR AND PUSHED ON THE FOOT PEDAL AND IT DID NOT INCREASE IN SPEED NOR DID IT MOVE. IS THERE SOME KIND OF RECALL HAVING TO DO WITH EITHER OF THESE PROBLEMS? THE DEALER DOESN'T SEEM TO THINK SO. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. IT HAS BEEN AND ON GOING THING. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS IT IS WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF SCARY OCCURRENCES. ONCE AT A STOP SIGN I PULLED UP STOPPED SAW THAT IT WAS CLEAR, PRESS ON THE FOOT PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED, THE CAR SAT STILL AT IDLE, NO REVING JUST IDLE. I THOUGHT MY FOOT WAS CAUGHT ON THE CARPET SO I PUSHED AGAIN, STILL NOTHING SO I THOGHT MAYBE THE FLOOR MAT HAD GOTTEN CAUGHT UNDER THE PEDAL, JUST AS I WAS REACHING DOWN TO PULL ON FLOOR MAT CAR SHOT FORWARD. AK

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY MORNING TRAFFIC VEHICLE STARTS WHINING, THEN IT STALLS. HAS TO PUT GEAR IN PARK TO RESTART. SOMETIMES THE OVERDRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON. ALSO, WHEN PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC, IT DOESN'T ENGAGE IN GEAR IMMEDIATELY, WHEN PUTTING FOOT ON ACCELERATOR, IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING REAR WHEELS LOCKED UP AND POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF MOST STEERING ABILITY. ALSO, VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION, ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. *AK *ML

TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE KICKS IN AND OUT WHICH COULD CAUSE A REAR END COLLISION. *AK

WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS STARTED, INTERIOR AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON & REMAINED ON . TURN SIGNAL WOULD CONSTANTLY BE RINGING WHEN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS NOT IN USE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & INFORMED MECHANIC OF THE PROBLEMS. MECHANIC INDICATED "HAS NOT HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE," AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING. *AK