1997 Mercury Mystique LS review from North America
"Ford/Mercury should be ASHAMED of the Mystique!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The oxygen sensor had to be replaced.
The timing belt tensioner pulley broke, leaving me stranded.
It stalls EVERY time I stop and it idles.
It idles at 500rpm, when it used to be 1000-1500rpm.
The taillights collect water.
It refuses to shift smoothly.
Makes a grinding noise while driving on the highway (about 50-60mph).
Gas mileage has went from 30mpg to about 20mpg (which stinks with current gas prices).
When I'm at a stop, it doesn't want to move when I press the gas until all of a sudden, it jumps (so bad it feels like I'm being rear ended) then decides to move along beyond slowly.
Its burning transmission fluid.
The hose that goes from the washer fluid to the sprayers is so close to the hood hinge that it gets pinched.
I swear it must hate my husband... it gives me problems, but it won't hardly even drive a block without something going wrong when he drives.
It has no gauges for you to be able to watch things like oil pressure and check on them before they become problems... it only has those stupid little "idiot lights" that come on when things are usually beyond normal repair jobs.
General comments?
My car seemed like a good car when it was purchased. The person who sold it said they had just done all the necessary regular maintainance and it was ready to go... apparently not for long though.
Don't buy a Mystique!!!
Like most people, I have had way too many problems with mine and I advise anyone considering one to RUN as fast as you can and don't ever make the mistake of buying one---trust me, you'll regret it.
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| This was one of the worst investments I have ever made |
|
| Inexpensive version of Ford Contour and reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 0 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 90000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 120000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 19th October, 2005 |