1995 Mercury Mystique

6/15/03 I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT DATES OF PROBLEMS, BUT I WILL RELATE MY EXPERIENCES. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE USED IN 1999, THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, WHICH ALSO CONTROLS THE SHIFT INTER- LOCK, FAILED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND AN OPEN CONNECTION BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX THAT CONTROLS THE SWITCH OPERATION. THEY FIXED THAT OPEN CONNECTION AND THE SWITCH WORKED FINE. THEN THE SWITCH PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. TRIED A NEW SWITCH AND THAT FAILED AFTER A FEW MONTHS. HAVE GONE THROUGH SIX OR SEVEN SWITCHES AND HAVE ONE NOW THAT SEEMS TO WORK. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW SWITCHES MYSELF AFTER THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE FORD WAS CHARGING ME ABOUT $15 FOR THE PART AND AROUND $90 TO INSTALL. ASKED SERVICE PEOPLE AT FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT SOME SWITCHES WORK AND SOME DON'T. ASKED ANOTHER SERVICEPERSON AT DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THESE STOP LIGHT SWITCHES RARELY FAIL? GOT A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM FORD STATING THAT THE FRONT STRUT SPRINGS COULD FAIL BUT NOT TO BRING THE CAR IN UNTIL THEY DID FAIL. GOT ANOTHER BULLETIN STATING THAT THE MAIN ELECTRICAL CONNECTER FOR THE ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD COULD FAIL BUT AGAIN DON'T BRING THE CAR IN UNTIL THIS FAILURE HAPPENS. FORD DID REPAIR A FAILED HI-SPEED HEATER BLOWER CONNECTION AT THEIR COST. I ASKED THE TECH WHY HE HAD TO RAISE THE CAR AND HE SAID, POOR DESIGN. POOR DESIGN SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THEME WITH THE '95 MYSTIQUE. BY THE WAY MINE IS A FOUR BANGER. I GUESS THE MOST TROUBLING WAS THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. NOT ONLY CAN THE CAR NOT BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WON'T WORK EVEN WHEN THE MANUAL OVER RIDE IS USED. NOTHING LIKE NOT HAVING BRAKE LIGHTS ON TODAY'S ROADS! THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 78,000 MILES. WHY SO FEW? DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS. I SEE THE '95 MYSTIQUE/CONTOUR WAS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW SERVICE BULLETINS CONCERNING FRONT SPRING FAILURE OR MAIN ENGINE HARNESS FAILURE WHICH I DESCRIBED ABOVE CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AS RECALLS. ROBERT SODERLUND

THE FRONT SPRINGS WERE CHANGED UNDER ONE OF THE RECALLS AFTER ONE BROKE.THE BACK SPRINGS WERE NOT UNDER RECALL BUT WERE BOTH BROKEN AND FORD REFUSED TO DO IT EVEN THOUGH THE SPRINGS WERE FROM THE SAME SUPPLIER AND FAILED PREMATURELY. I HAD TO CHANGE BOTH REAR SPRINGS DUE TO THEIR PARTIAL RECALL. THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS BLINKING NOW WHICH I AM TOLD MEANS THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. I NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IF INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WILL HOLD FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES AS THEY WON'T FIX THIS FAULTY SYSTEM.

BOTH REAR SPRINGS ON THE 1995 MERCURY MYSTIQUE BROKE IN SEVERAL PLACES. FRONT SPRINGS ARE RECALLED AS DEFECTIVE. REAR COIL SPRINGS ARE THE SAME PART NUMBER AND MANUFACTURE AS THE FRONT. HOW CAN ONE BE RECALLED AND NOT THE OTHER WHEN THEY ARE THE SAME ITEM AND MANUFACTURE. THIS IS VERY IRRESPONSIBLE ON THE PART OF MERCURY. *LA

WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS, ALL AT OUR EXPENSES. OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON I-90/94 IN WISCONSIN, AT 70 MPH, WHEN HER CAR LOST POWER AND SHE HAD TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER. FORD THINKS THEY HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING SOME CIRCUIT BOARD COMPONENT. IN AUGUST, 2001 THE FRONT, RIGHT COIL SPRING BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. LATER WE FOUND THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT THE RECALL ON IT. ONE YEAR LATER A REAR COIL SPRING ALSO BROKE RIGHT OFF AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BUT THE REAR COILS WERE NOT UNDER RECALL SO WE HAD TO PAY FOR THAT OURSELVES. WE BELIEVE IT WAS INFERIOR MATERIALS BECAUSE WE HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE BEFORE, OF ANY MAKE OR MODEL WHERE THE COILS SPRINGS RUSTED AND BROKE OFF. DT

IN FEB 1999 WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR FAILURE OF THE FRONT SPRINGS ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT ORIGINALLY HAD BEEN SOLD IN A SNOW/COLD STATE. THE FRONT SPRINGS HAVE NOT FAILED. HOWEVER THERE WAS NOISE AND POOR HANDLING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. INVESTIGATION BY A FORD DEALER IN TUCSON DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY FAILURE OF SPRINGS. THE DEALER RECOMENDED REPLACEMENT OF REAR STRUTS. THIS WORK WAS AUTHORIZED AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY (ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC) UPON DISSASSEMBLY OF THE STRUT UNIT BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERRE FOUND TO BE BROKEN NEAR THE TOP. THE FAILURE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO CORROSION. I REQUESTED A MEETING WITH A FORD MOTOR CO REPRESENTATIVE TO SHOW THE FAILED SPRINGS AND RQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PARTS. MET WITH PAUL BERRADI. HE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS A PROBLEM ALTHOUGH HE DID WRITE DOWN AND DOCUMENT THE FAILURE. HE ADVISED ME TO KEEP RECEIPTS TO CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT IF FORD EVER DID RECALL THE REAR SPRINGS. I HAVE THESE PAPERS. *AK