1997 Mercury Mystique GS review from North America

Heater blower switch broke.

Head light switch broke parking lights would not work.

Transmission broke no 2nd or 4th gear.

Alternator broke.

Drivers side seat threads broken on both sides.

Wire for blower switch burned up melted fuse box.

Timing belt replaced twice because it made a tapping noise.

Water pump had to be replaced.

Replaced O2 sensor.

Exhaust Manifold cracked.

ABS does not work or fails when engaged.

Air bag light flashes because the wiring harness is deteriorated.

Rotors seem to warp.

Bearings replace at about 60000 miles.

Rear muffler has a small rust hole, but not an issue yet.

The cup holder is terrible and there is only one.

Road noise is excessive lets you know when you need new tires :)

I do my own repairs if possible on my car. It seems when I go to the them they do not know what the problem is and want to replace what they think might fix the problem.

The wire to the fuse box fried because the female clip the manufacture used could not carry the voltage without heating up and melting the wire casing I went to the dealer and found this out and they wanted to charge me $300.00 to fix the problem. I was in Alabama at the time and it was very hot. I waited until I returned home and replaced the clip with a heavy duty one ($1.49 Pack) and have not had a problem with it since.

Transmission cost $1,110.00 to re-build would have been more, but I did not let them replace the torque converter. The shop tried to get me to do it by saying they would not warranty the work or transmission. The warranty was not great anyway and it would be void because it would expire before the expiration date because of the amount of miles I drive.

All seemed well with the transmission until a year later and this time the problem reversed it self by occurring when I stopped instead of when I drove. (I would slam into to gear when shifting down to 1st) I went back t the shop and they wanted to keep it all day to diagnose the problem. I told them no since I knew they were going to try to get over. If they wanted to sincerely help they can do that while I wait. So I left and thought the worst would happen and I need to sell the car before the transmission breaks again. I decided to replace the rear brake shoes and once I completed that I found the problem with the transmission went away. I asked several shops and the dealer about the coincidence and they told me it was just that a coincident.

I think the break dust from the shoes gets on the ABS sensors and causes the problem. Every blue moon the problem re-occurs and the fix is to whack the drums with a hammer. You can use an air hose to be really thorough.

I finally decided to live with the tapping from the timing belt since it did go away when the car warmed up. I had to remove the top cover to diagnose the problem since the dealer did not know the cause. I replaced the water pump (only if mechanically inclined attempt) and found the torque specification on the timing belt tensioner was the problem. Eventually the over time the tensioner would loosen and the tapping will start again. Once I over torque the timing belt the problem did not re-occur.

I did not set the timing perfect because I have to manufacture the parts to do it correctly so it was a little off (Stupid thing to do). I had to return to work so I said I would do it later and I procrastinated to beyond later and the extra vibration broke the alternator and water pump again. I had to let the dealer replace my water pump ($700.00) this time because I was out of town without my tools. The dealer whom I do not trust to do the right thing stripped the engine support bolts and did not tell me. Half way home I heard a vibration and checked the engine, but could not find anything wrong. I assumed it was coming from the timing belt pulley and would not be a problem because the timing belt cover was intact. I ended up returning to the out of town dealer and they replaced the engine mount after I tried for three weeks to get it done at home.

I like the car, but I will not buy another low end ford product. I currently have 180850 miles and I want more than my monies worth so I plan to keep it and wait for the 280000 mile mark.

I recommend using Full Synthetic oil. I use it and the car still does not burn any oil. If you car is burning oil it's too late. It cost more, but I only change it when it looks dirty (easy to tell since it's almost clear) or about every six thousand miles.

I had the crack in the manifold welded, but it did not hold and causes the car the run hot days. I asked the dealer about the problem and they told me the standard stuff. This also causes the O2 sensor in the catalytic converter to send a bad catalytic converter code to the computer. I can only turn on the AC for short periods or the car temperature sensor will go into the red. I searched a lot of junkyards before I decided to get it welded. I do not know if that means the majority of Mystique GS are on the road and not in the junkyard. The dealer cost is $250.00 and seems to be the only place to get it new.

Computer gave service code O2 sensor bad not heating up. I applied dielectric (Auto... or Mur...) grease and re-attached it and the problem went away.

I just replace the rotor again because they old one are warped. I purchased the more expensive rotors (2 year warranty) at Murr... which have a better warranty than Auto... (3 months Warranty). I am still using semi-metallic pads. I think the cheaper rotors are made from cheap metal.