1999 Mercury Villager Estate review from North America
"Buy a Chrysler"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Almost all of the problems that I have had with this car are electrical, and there have been many. (The electrical system is made by Ford, so I'm told) Here's what I can remember over the past 4 years, but I'm certain there are several more:
Digital Dash shorted out.
Electric Door locks shorted out.
Headlight sockets burned out (3 times)
Taillight sockets burned out.
Radio lights failed (twice)
Turn signals failed (are failing for the second time)
In addition to electrical problems:
Water pump leaked and had to be replaced at 40,00 mile-just out of mfr warranty.
Gas pedal sticks intermittently.
Cupholders are worthless and break over and over again.
To add insult to injury, Mercury service was horrible! I finally started going to the Ford dealership for service. Then, when the warranty ran out, Ford would not service the car anymore! I now go to Nissan and I like them so well that I bought my daughter a Sentra to drive.
Gas mileage is disappointing: around 14.5 in town and 19 on the road. Substantially lower than advertised. My 3.8L T&C got 18 in town and over 21 on the highway, AND was much more powerful. The Villager is wimpy.
Mercury should be embarrassed to charge $800 for the incredibly poor "premium" sound system. The Chrysler Infinity sound system upgrade for about the same money is like comparing a $20 alarm clock radio to a Bose Wave Radio.
Things I really like about this car:
Driver's seat is much more comfortable than the T&C.
On-steering-wheel radio controls are a great feature.
General comments?
Gas mileage is disappointing: around 15 in town and 19 on the road. Substantially lower than advertised. My 3.8L T&C got 18 in town and over 21 on the highway, AND was much more powerful.
Mercury should be embarrassed to charge $800 for the incredibly poor "premium" sound system. The Chrysler Infinity sound system upgrade for about the same money is like comparing a $20 alarm clock radio to a Bose Wave Radio.
I have owned 3 Chrysler minivans. I originally bought this car because new Chrysler minivans were becoming intolerably expensive, and to that end, I saved about $6,000 on this car vs. a comparably equipped Chrysler. My advice: pay the $6,000.
Recommended reviews
| Up to this knock, has been good |
|
| A very disappointing investment |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.3L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 59000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Town and Country |
| Date of Entry | 28th July, 2003 |