1996 Mercury Villager from North America - Comments

This minivan was basically used by my wife just to pick up kids at school and gross shopping, so, it makes no more than 7000 miles/year.

Second set of tires replaced. Complete front break replaced (drums pass, pads, calipers, etc).

Alignment was completely out of spec, it wasted the first set of front tires in less than 20,000 miles.

Doors power locks use to stop to work from time to time, sometimes is just closes, but doesn't open, something it does nothing, it seems to be a central control problem, since no door switches could control it.

Recently the right door power window just unwide few wires from the steel cable, they just wrap in wrong places and the window stop working. I opened it all and you can see the steel wires messed around. All bodyshops around asking me more than $350 to fix it.

There is some bad adjustment when the automatic changes from 1st to 2nd gear, the engine kicks the vehicle if you keep gas pedal, it seems some bad adjustment - it was pointed in under-warranty maintenance, but never fixed. I know that this is just a steel cable adjustment at the injection, since when shifting the injection should gulp off gas.

Recently the transmission started to rattle after a long drive (more than 10 miles without in a flat drive), it just doesn't disconnect the drive and the engine dies, as in a manual clutch vehicle when you try to stop with 3rd or 4th gear in drive. The problem disappeared after 4 or 5 times scared us to hell in middle of heavy traffic - green light and we needed to turn on engine in neutral, gas to high rpm and change to Drive, it could blow up the transmission, but no other possible way to move.

Last week, parked with engine running, some strange kicking into engine compartment, open the hood, a hammering noise comming from the AC area, several AC hoses were completely sweat, even that no AC was on, just the fan to the windshield was on. Turning it off, the hamering disappeared. Later at home, I found that even with no AC on, switching to windshield fan, the AC fan turns on, but turns off to any other fan position. Strange.

Middle seat is really a pain to remove/install, it always get me on nerves when I need to do that. I guess that is not a service for someone 50 or older. I already saw other minivans that you can remove the seat very easily. In the Villager, or you should be VERY skinny or very small to be able to remove the middle seat, in either case, you will not be stronger enough to be able to do it alone.

Rear windshield wiper motor was not stopping correctly, it cost me around $200 to fix it (30,000 miles).

3 batteries replaced in this 5 years period.

The front windshield top rubber is shifting to the right, opening a space on top, probably will have water leaking by there pretty soon.

Powerful engine.

Very easy to maneuver.

AC works well, front and back seats.

A better battery cables bolts (heavier) would make it easy to remove / install the cables, they are very small and difficult to deal even with the right wrench.

I am the original poster from the above.

Last night, December 27,2003, the same minivan started to rattle engine, oil lamp on, wife drove more 2 blocks, then engine locked down, turned off, she could manage to take it out of the road. She called me, I went there, nothing smelling burnt or something, turn keys on, nothing, battery was OK, but when turning the key, it sucks half battery power, even using a jump cable from another car, seems engine is really mechanical locked. I guess engine blew something. Oil level was very low even that it was changed 2 months ago. It was dark, no way to see really what happened. Will come back there today to try to rotate engine by the belts and see if it is loose or locked, not sure if I will be able to do that. If engine blew due lack of oil, the oil indicator should turn on much sooner to advise about it. Lets see how much would be the damage. If it is a blew engine, perhaps nothing less than 3 to 4 thousand dollars, the 1996 minivan worths less than that. Trash it out? Pity, the van was much well taken care of, much clean, looks like almost new.

Trash it I had the same problem.

We owned 1996 villager and we have 80k mileage on it. Recently check engine light came on and we went to a mechanic and said that the there is something wrong with the third gear signal. Does anyone encounter the same problem because my husband wants to fix it himself. Thanks.