1995 MERCURY MYSTIQUE Complaints

VIN - [XXX] ENGINE WIRING INSULATION IS CRACKING AND FALLING OFF OF MOST WIRES LEAVING EXPOSED WIRES UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FORD MOTORCRAFT BATTERY. *BF THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A WRITTEN WARRANTY FOR THE BATTERY BUT WAS DENIED. *NM

WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IS CRACKED. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START VEHICLE. WHEN IT DID START AFTER TWO MINUTES OF DRIVING VEHICLE SMOKED AND SHUT OFF. *AK

VEHICLE'S GEAR WAS LOCKED INTO THE PARKED POSITION. *MR THE CONSUMER STOPPED TO GET GAS AND WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE, HE FOUND THAT THE GEAR WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF POSITION. RECALL# 98V233000. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED ON THE TYPE OF VEHICLE HE OWNS. *SC THE CONSUMER WAS NOT SURE IF THE RECALL APPLIED TO HIS VEHICLE. *JB

AT AROUND 50,000 MILES WE NOTICED THE HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE DRIVER\\'S SIDE AIRBAG COMING LOOSE. WE RECEIVED A COUPLE OF RECALL NOTICES ON OTHER THINGS SO WHEN WE TOOK IT IN TO GET THE RECALLS DONE I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN AT SUNFLOWER LINCOLN/MERCURY IF HE COULD CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG HOUSING AND POSSIBLY FIX IT FOR US. HE CALLED US BACK STATING THAT THE BOLTS HAD SHEERED OFF FROM THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING AND THAT THEY COULDN\\'T FIX IT AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY BETWEEN $300-$500 DOLLARS OUT OF OUR OWN POCKET TO GET IT FIXED. WE THEN CALLED LINCOLN/MERCURY HEADQUARTERS AND WERE TOLD THAT \\"THE HOUSING IS JUST LIKE A TIRE AND THAT OVER TIME IT WEARS OUT AND THAT WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIR COSTS TO IT\\". I HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN THE TECHNICIAN TELLS ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE BOLTS SHEERING OFF FROM THE INSIDE AND THEN BEING TOLD IT\\'S MY PROBLEM. THIS BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR WHICH I BELIEVE MERCURY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE PROBLEM SOUNDS LIKE FAULTY EQUIPMENT AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF DOING ANYTHING IN GOOD FAITH ABOUT IT.

6/15/03 I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT DATES OF PROBLEMS, BUT I WILL RELATE MY EXPERIENCES. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE USED IN 1999, THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, WHICH ALSO CONTROLS THE SHIFT INTER- LOCK, FAILED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND AN OPEN CONNECTION BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX THAT CONTROLS THE SWITCH OPERATION. THEY FIXED THAT OPEN CONNECTION AND THE SWITCH WORKED FINE. THEN THE SWITCH PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. TRIED A NEW SWITCH AND THAT FAILED AFTER A FEW MONTHS. HAVE GONE THROUGH SIX OR SEVEN SWITCHES AND HAVE ONE NOW THAT SEEMS TO WORK. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW SWITCHES MYSELF AFTER THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE FORD WAS CHARGING ME ABOUT $15 FOR THE PART AND AROUND $90 TO INSTALL. ASKED SERVICE PEOPLE AT FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT SOME SWITCHES WORK AND SOME DON'T. ASKED ANOTHER SERVICEPERSON AT DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THESE STOP LIGHT SWITCHES RARELY FAIL? GOT A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM FORD STATING THAT THE FRONT STRUT SPRINGS COULD FAIL BUT NOT TO BRING THE CAR IN UNTIL THEY DID FAIL. GOT ANOTHER BULLETIN STATING THAT THE MAIN ELECTRICAL CONNECTER FOR THE ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD COULD FAIL BUT AGAIN DON'T BRING THE CAR IN UNTIL THIS FAILURE HAPPENS. FORD DID REPAIR A FAILED HI-SPEED HEATER BLOWER CONNECTION AT THEIR COST. I ASKED THE TECH WHY HE HAD TO RAISE THE CAR AND HE SAID, POOR DESIGN. POOR DESIGN SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THEME WITH THE '95 MYSTIQUE. BY THE WAY MINE IS A FOUR BANGER. I GUESS THE MOST TROUBLING WAS THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. NOT ONLY CAN THE CAR NOT BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WON'T WORK EVEN WHEN THE MANUAL OVER RIDE IS USED. NOTHING LIKE NOT HAVING BRAKE LIGHTS ON TODAY'S ROADS! THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 78,000 MILES. WHY SO FEW? DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS. I SEE THE '95 MYSTIQUE/CONTOUR WAS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW SERVICE BULLETINS CONCERNING FRONT SPRING FAILURE OR MAIN ENGINE HARNESS FAILURE WHICH I DESCRIBED ABOVE CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AS RECALLS. ROBERT SODERLUND

THE FRONT SPRINGS WERE CHANGED UNDER ONE OF THE RECALLS AFTER ONE BROKE.THE BACK SPRINGS WERE NOT UNDER RECALL BUT WERE BOTH BROKEN AND FORD REFUSED TO DO IT EVEN THOUGH THE SPRINGS WERE FROM THE SAME SUPPLIER AND FAILED PREMATURELY. I HAD TO CHANGE BOTH REAR SPRINGS DUE TO THEIR PARTIAL RECALL. THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS BLINKING NOW WHICH I AM TOLD MEANS THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. I NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IF INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WILL HOLD FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES AS THEY WON'T FIX THIS FAULTY SYSTEM.

I'VE HAD THIS CAR ABOUT 5 YEARS AND HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS THERE WAS A ROTTEN EGG SMELL A SMELL LIKE A FIRE CRACKER ELECTICAL PROBLEMS CAR CUTS OFF OVER HEATS THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG AND I CAN NOT AFFORD TO BUT A NEW CAR RIGHT NOW IT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF FORD AND MERCURY DEALERSHIPS FOR REPAIR

CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, EVEN WHEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THIS RESULTED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER/MECHANIC, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

BOTH REAR SPRINGS ON THE 1995 MERCURY MYSTIQUE BROKE IN SEVERAL PLACES. FRONT SPRINGS ARE RECALLED AS DEFECTIVE. REAR COIL SPRINGS ARE THE SAME PART NUMBER AND MANUFACTURE AS THE FRONT. HOW CAN ONE BE RECALLED AND NOT THE OTHER WHEN THEY ARE THE SAME ITEM AND MANUFACTURE. THIS IS VERY IRRESPONSIBLE ON THE PART OF MERCURY. *LA