1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE Complaints

OXYGEN SENSOR KEEPS SHORTING OUT. OXYGEN SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED 5 TIMES. THIS IS 6TH TIME TAKING IT BACK FOR SAME THING. DEALER CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. COMPUTER JUST READS THAT IT'S BAD.*AK CONSUMER STATES OXYGEN SENSOR HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED EIGHT TIMES, THE DEALER IS ONLY CHANGING THE SENSOR, THE PROBLEM IS REOCCURING AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY FINDING THE ROOT OF THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, THE ENGINE LIGHTS KEEPS COMING ON.*JB

CAR NOT RUNNING, IGNITION OFF. COIL SPRING BROKE IN HALF AND POINT OF SPRING EJECTED THROUGH TIRE CAUSING TIRE TO BLOW UP. FORTUNATELY I JUST TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAS GETTING READY TO ENTER DR. OFFICE. IT WAS ONLY MINUTES AFTER EXITING A HIGHWAY. I WAS JUST SITTING THERE AND HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION LIKE A GUN SHOT SOUND AND A WOOSH OF THE AIR EXITING THE TIRE IMMEDIATELY.*AK

FLAT TIRE WHILE DRIVING. WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO CHECK WHAT PROBLEM WAS, HE FOUND OUT THAT COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED AND PUNCTURED TIRE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE A FLAT TIRE WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN CONSUMER'S GARAGE AND THAT IS WHEN HE NOTICED THE FLAT TIRE, WHILE CHANGING TIRE, CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED, WHICH HAD PUNCTURED THE TIRE AND DESTROYED THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND MADE THE VEHICLE NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE, VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED.*JB

ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS SINCE 11/2000 I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM OF MY FLOOR SHIFT COMPONENT LOCKED IN THE PARK POSITION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RECALL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE GROUP FOR CAMPAIGN 98V233000. MY PROBLEM LIES WITH WHY WOULD I BE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN DETECTED IN OTHER VEHICLES, BUT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE VIN # WAS NOT AMONG THE GROUP THAT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL, I SHOULD BE BURDENED WITH THE EXPENSE OF REPLACING THIS COMPONENT. I WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MY CONCERN. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.

UNABLE TO FUEL MY 1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE WITHOUT FREQUENT PUMP SHUT DOWN AND/OR GASOLINE SPILLAGE. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2000 AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE ON MARCH 26, 2001. THE PROBLEM WAS LINKED TO A PRODUCT DEFECT - A STICKING FLAPPER VALVE (TSB 98-15-3). A NEW FLAPPER VALVE WAS INSTALLED AT A COST OF $ 224.26 ($6.07 PARTS & REMAINDER LABOR AND TAX). THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VALVE HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. WHILE IT IS FORTUNATE THAT NO INJURIES OR SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THIS INSTANCE BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT, A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR INJURY AND DAMAGE EXISTS.*AK

CONSUMER WAS STOPPED READY TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND WAS REARENDED. PASSENGER'S LAP BELT WAS FINE, BUT SHOULDER BELT DIDN'T LOCK, CAUSING PASSENGER TO MOVE FORWARD. DRIVER'S SEATBELT ACTED PROPERLY. DEALER DIDN'T HAVE MUCH INFORMATION TO GIVE.*AK

WIRING HARNESS BURNED, CAUSING A SMALL FIRE. DEALER HAS REPLACED WIRING HARNESS.*AK

LEFT FRONT SPRING COIL SNAPPED. DEALER REPAIR SHOP DESCRIBES IT AS "LEFT FRONT SPRING BROKEN AND SITTING ON TIRE AND WRAPPED AROUND STRUT" WAS TOLD BY REPAIR SHOP THAT THIS NOT HAPPEN ON A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES. FORD DECLINES TO SAY THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BUT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST OR ONLY MAKE AND MODEL WITH THIS PROBLEM. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP OWNER THAT THIS IS GOING TO TURN INTO A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR FORD. *AK

WHEEL THAT BELT MAKES MOVE AROUND AND MAKES POWER STREEING PUMP WORK FAILED. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER YET.*AK

APPROX. 3 WEEKS AGO, THE ORIGINAL BATTERY IN MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD . IT HAD SHOWED NO SIGNS OF LOSING POWER PRIOR TO THAT DAY. I BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY AND WHEN I HOOKED IT UP THE ENGINE STARTED TURNING OVER. THE KEYS WERE IN MY POCKET. AS A RESULT THE STARTER DIED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION. THEY REPLACED THE STARTER AND A CRACKED SERPANTINE BELT. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING FROM NJ TO PA WHEN I HEARD A STRANGE BUZZING SOUND UNDER MY HOOD AND I SMELT THE FAINT SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEAR BYE SERVICE STATION. AGAIN THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A BURNED RELAY WIRE AND A BATTERY. WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP, THE NEW BATTERY HAD DIED AND WE NOTICED SOME MORE BURNT WIRES NEAR THE FUSE BOX. I THAN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO HALDEMAN LINCOLN MERCURY IN ALLENTOWN, PA 610-797-5005. UNTIL THIS POINT I WAS RELUCTANT TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN EXTREMELY UNRESPONSIVE TO PAST ISSUES I HAVE HAD WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING DELAYED AND HARD AND ALSO WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND A ENGINE TIMING ISSUE. THESE ISSUES HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND DESPITE THREE SEPERATE LETTERS TO FORD, THE COMPANY DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS MY SITUATION. I CONVEYED THIS ENTIRE STORY TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR, MIKE SIEMONS, AT HALDEMAN LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERSHIP AND HE GAVE ME THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER FOR FORD. ON 2/10/01 I SPOKE WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. WHO STATED THAT HE WOULD RELAY MY REPORT TO A AREA ACCOUNT REP. WHO WOULD HELP REMEDY MY PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THE REP. WOULD CALL ME BY THE END OF BUSINESS TODAY. SO FAR HE HAS NOT CALLED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME TODAY THAT I NEEDED TO PAY $2K+ FOR A NEW WIRE HARNESS AND A 3RD STARTER IN AS MANY WEEKS. THEY ATTRIBUTE THE PROBLEM TO A BATTERY THAT LEAKED ACID. THIS ISN'T THE PROBLE