1999 MERCURY MYSTIQUE Complaints

ENTIRE DASHBOARD HAS LIFTED UP AT THE WINDOW/ VENT AND RUNS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE DASHBOARD. PROBLEM STARTED DIRECTLY UNDER THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BUT HAS PROGRESSED AT A VERY QUICK RATE. THIS HAS BECOME A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT BLOCKS PART OF MY VIEW WHILE DRIVING AND IS CLOSELY CONNECTED TO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THE HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER/VENT ON THE DASHBOARD DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE CURL. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE AIRBAGS AND IF THEY WOULD DEPLOY PROPERLY IF AT ALL IN THEIR LOCATION AND CONDITION. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BUT NO ONE WANTS TO HONOR THE REPAIR REQUEST.*AK

I HAVE TO DATE HAD 4 STARTERS REPLACED IN MY 99 MERCURY MYSTIQUE 2.5L V6. I HAVE HAD CONCURRENT IDLING PROBLEMS/SURGING THAT LEADS TO JERKING AND STALLING. DASH WARPAGE WHICH IS NOW CAUSING A BLOCKAGE OF THE VENTING SYSTEM CAUSING A DEFROST PROBLEM. PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN (LOSS OF POWER STEERING). ALL OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIPS/SERVICE DEPT.'S ATTENTION. AS WELL I HAVE CONTACTED THE FORDS CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER AND THEY WILL NOT HONOR THEIR RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED THE 4TH TIME THE STARTER WENT OUT. ON NOVEMBER THE 20TH AT 7:00AM (DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC) MY CAR STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE WHIRRING NOISE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. AS I WAS TURNING LEFT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION I CAN HEAR THE CAR STARTING TO DIE FROM THE BATTERY BEING DRAINED. UPON TRYING TO TURN THE CAR OFF THE STARTER WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. EVENTUALLY AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO TURN IT OFF THE CAR DIED FROM THE BATTERY BEING DRAINED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO 32 FORD IN BATAVIA, OH. I ONCE AGAIN EXPLAINED TO THEM THE SYMPTOMS THAT LED UP TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE RAMPANT IDLING/SURGING AND THE WHIRRING NOISE BEHIND THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SAME DAY THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THE CAR WAS READY FOR ME TO PICKUP AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED THE STARTER AGAIN. I ASKED ONCE AGAIN IS THERE ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THEIR RESPONSE WAS IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I SAID 4 TIMES A MANUFACTURER DEFECT?? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE. SOMETHING MUST BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I WANT FORD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE IT. I WANT CONSUMERS TO KNOW THAT 32 FORD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS ACTED IN CALLOUS DISREGARD TO MY REQUEST FOR HELP IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE.*AK

I HAVE A 1999 MERCURY MYSTIQUE. I REPLACED MY DASHBOARD DUE TO WARPAGE UNDER MY ONE YEAR WARRANTY. I RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THE DASHBOARD AFTER THE ORIGINAL HAD BEEN REPLACED. THIS PAST SUMMER MY DASHBOARD STARTED TO WARP AGAIN. I CONTACTED HUNT FORD IN LA PLATA MD, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN THE WARPING. THE PORTION OF THE DASH THAT HOLDS THE VENT IS CURLING OUTWARD, AND THE DASH IS RISING UP. I VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW FAR UP THE WINDSHIELD THAT THE DASH WILL RISE. I DO NOT FEEL THAT A COMPANY WHO ISSUES A RECALL HAS THE RIGHT TO END THAT RECALL WHEN THE PROBLEM OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT END. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ASSISTANCE WITH THIS COMPLAINT.*AK

HEATER DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, AND THE BLOWER SWITCH WAS REPLACED. ALSO, CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD SQUEALING SOUND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES. ROTORS WERE REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO RISE UP FROM THE DASHBOARD MOUNT. DEALER HAD NOT YET RESOLVED THE DASHBOARD PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WOULD BE INFORMED OF THE MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS CONSUMER WAS HAVING.*AK

ENTIRE DASHBOARD IS LIFTING, AND HAS STARTED COVERING THE VENTS FOR THE DEFROSTER. *AK

DASHBOARD IS SEPARATING FROM STRUCTURE AND RAISING UPWARDS IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD. AS A RESULT, DEFROSTER IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, AND WINDOWS ARE NOT BEING CLEARED.*AK

THE DASHBOARD RECEDED FROM THE WINDSHIELD. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK THE VENT SECTION ACROSS THE DASH CURLED, THEREFORE THE COVER WOULD NOT STAY. THIS CAUSED A REFLECTION ON THE WINDSHIELD WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD THE CONSUMER ABOUT A RECALL RELATED TO THIS FAILURE. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND REQUESTED A REPAIR KIT. *SCC *NLM

CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT RECALL# 99V060000 CONCERNING VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH UTILIZE A PARK/LOCK SOLENOID. IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO ROTATE THE IGNITION KEY TO LOCK POSITION AND REMOVE KEY WITHOUT SHIFT LEVER BEING IN PARK, THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 114 CONCERNING "THEFT PROTECTION." THEREFORE, VEHICLES THAT COME WITH IGNITION KEY REMOVABLE IN GEAR POSITION OTHER THAN PARK, WILL HAVE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED. DEALER STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT HAD TO MANY MILES TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS. *AK

I PURCHASED A 1999 MERCURY MYSTIQUE GS FROM PREMIER LINCOLN-MERCURY IN COLLINSVILLE, IL IN APRIL 2000. LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS BEGINNING TO WARP. THE PROBLEM HAS GROWN STEADILY IN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS, AND THE DASH IS NOW SO WARPED THAT THE FRONT DEFROSTER VENTPLATE POPPED OFF THE DASH. I KNOW THAT FORD OFFERED FREE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT FROM AUGUST 2001 THROUGH AUGUST 2002 PURSUANT TO OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM 01B78. HOWEVER, THE TERMS OF THE PROGRAM MADE IT CLEAR THAT NO REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT WOULD BE EFFECTED UNLESS THE PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT. UNFORTUNATELY, AS MY DASH DID NOT BEGIN WARPING UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS AND THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. FORD WAS OBVIOUSLY AWARE THAT THE DASHBOARDS WERE DEFECTIVE, ELSE IT WOULD NOT HAVE VOLUNTARILTY IMPLEMENTED ONB 01B78. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE OWNERS WHOSE DASHBOARDS DID NOT BEGIN TO WARP UNTIL AFTER AUGUST 31, 2002 SHOULD BE DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER OWNERS WHOSE DASHES WARPED PRIOR TO AUGUST 31, 2002. I SEE NO QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. I REGARD THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE - THE WARPED DASH IS INTERFERING WITH MY VISIBILITY, IMPEDED OPERATION OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER, AND MIGHT POSSIBLY INTERFERE WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I AM EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF FILING A CLASS ACTION AGAINST FORD, AND WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM OTHER CONTOUR AND MYSTIQUE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS.

THE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL WIRING BURNED WHILE DRIVING WHICH CAUSED SMOKE TO EMIT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. *CB *NLM