1998 Mercury Mystique

MY PROBLEM IS THAT MY CAR STALLS WHEN DRIVEN AT ANY SPEED, WHETHER I AM STOPPED, TURNING OR JUST DRIVING. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET FIXED AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS. THIS WAS ACCIDENT RELATED AND MY INSURANCE SAID IF IT ISN'T ACCIDENT RELATED THEN I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BILL THAT THE DEALER WILL CHARGE FOR LOOKING AT THE CAR. NOW THIS STARTED HAPPENING WHEN MY CAR WAS HIT IN THE FRONT AT OVER 40+ MILES/HR. AM I PROTECTED BY ANY LAW THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO GET THIS CAR FIXED AT NO COST TO ME? I AM DRIVING A VERY DANGEROUS CAR RIGHT NOW AND ALMOST GOT KILLED LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS TURNING OFF A HIGHWAY AND THE CAR STALLED, A RIG WAS COMING RIGHT TOWARDS ME AND AT LAST SECOND I GOT OUT OF THE WAY. THIS IS VERY SCARY AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO FOR HELP! I WAS ALREADY HANDED A DIAGNOSTIC BILL FOR OVER $80.00 AND REFUSED TO PAY BECAUSE THEY NEVER REALLY FOUND THE PROBLEM. WHAT CAN I DO OR WHO CAN HELP. *AK

OXYGEN SENSOR KEEPS SHORTING OUT. OXYGEN SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED 5 TIMES. THIS IS 6TH TIME TAKING IT BACK FOR SAME THING. DEALER CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. COMPUTER JUST READS THAT IT'S BAD.*AK CONSUMER STATES OXYGEN SENSOR HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED EIGHT TIMES, THE DEALER IS ONLY CHANGING THE SENSOR, THE PROBLEM IS REOCCURING AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY FINDING THE ROOT OF THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, THE ENGINE LIGHTS KEEPS COMING ON.*JB

UNABLE TO FUEL MY 1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE WITHOUT FREQUENT PUMP SHUT DOWN AND/OR GASOLINE SPILLAGE. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2000 AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE ON MARCH 26, 2001. THE PROBLEM WAS LINKED TO A PRODUCT DEFECT - A STICKING FLAPPER VALVE (TSB 98-15-3). A NEW FLAPPER VALVE WAS INSTALLED AT A COST OF $ 224.26 ($6.07 PARTS & REMAINDER LABOR AND TAX). THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VALVE HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. WHILE IT IS FORTUNATE THAT NO INJURIES OR SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THIS INSTANCE BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT, A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR INJURY AND DAMAGE EXISTS.*AK

APPROX. 3 WEEKS AGO, THE ORIGINAL BATTERY IN MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD . IT HAD SHOWED NO SIGNS OF LOSING POWER PRIOR TO THAT DAY. I BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY AND WHEN I HOOKED IT UP THE ENGINE STARTED TURNING OVER. THE KEYS WERE IN MY POCKET. AS A RESULT THE STARTER DIED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION. THEY REPLACED THE STARTER AND A CRACKED SERPANTINE BELT. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING FROM NJ TO PA WHEN I HEARD A STRANGE BUZZING SOUND UNDER MY HOOD AND I SMELT THE FAINT SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEAR BYE SERVICE STATION. AGAIN THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A BURNED RELAY WIRE AND A BATTERY. WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP, THE NEW BATTERY HAD DIED AND WE NOTICED SOME MORE BURNT WIRES NEAR THE FUSE BOX. I THAN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO HALDEMAN LINCOLN MERCURY IN ALLENTOWN, PA 610-797-5005. UNTIL THIS POINT I WAS RELUCTANT TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN EXTREMELY UNRESPONSIVE TO PAST ISSUES I HAVE HAD WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING DELAYED AND HARD AND ALSO WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND A ENGINE TIMING ISSUE. THESE ISSUES HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND DESPITE THREE SEPERATE LETTERS TO FORD, THE COMPANY DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS MY SITUATION. I CONVEYED THIS ENTIRE STORY TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR, MIKE SIEMONS, AT HALDEMAN LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERSHIP AND HE GAVE ME THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER FOR FORD. ON 2/10/01 I SPOKE WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. WHO STATED THAT HE WOULD RELAY MY REPORT TO A AREA ACCOUNT REP. WHO WOULD HELP REMEDY MY PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THE REP. WOULD CALL ME BY THE END OF BUSINESS TODAY. SO FAR HE HAS NOT CALLED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME TODAY THAT I NEEDED TO PAY $2K+ FOR A NEW WIRE HARNESS AND A 3RD STARTER IN AS MANY WEEKS. THEY ATTRIBUTE THE PROBLEM TO A BATTERY THAT LEAKED ACID. THIS ISN'T THE PROBLE

ENGINE COOLING- TEMPERATURE RUNS ON THE HIGH RANGE OF NORMAL. ENGINE - TWO BOLTS FELL OUT OF WATER PUMP PULLEY CAUSING UNKNOWN VIBRATION WHICH IN TURN CAUSED FAILURE OF SERPENTINE BELT WHICH CAUSED BELT TO FRAY INTO ENGINE WHICH IN TURN DISLODGED TIMING BELT AND CAUSED OIL LIGHT TO COME ON. DEALER NOT "USER FRIENDLY" DURING REPAIR PROCESS WHICH DRUG OUT THE REPAIR FOR A WEEK. ENGINE HAS NOT RUN IN THE SAME FASHION SINCE THE INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS HAVE ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. ENGINE NOW STALLS DURING INITIAL START UP ALMOST CAUSING ENGINE TO DIE ENTIRELY WHICH HAS ALMOST BEEN THE CAUSE OF SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. TIRES- UNEVEN AND UNUSUAL WEAR ON REAR TIRES CAUSING TIRES TO WEAR PREMATURELY. WINDSHIELD- UNUSAL AMOUNT OF CHIPS PERHAPS CAUSED BY DESIGN AND SHAPE OF WINDSHIELD. IGNITION- WHEN REMOVING KEY INGINTION STAYS STUCK INTO THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSING BUZZER TO SOUND. DID I MENTION THAT WE WILL NEVER BUY A FORD PRODUCT AGAIN ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR SINCE DECEMBER 1999. *AK( DOT NUMBER: 23912 UR TIRE SIZE: P205/60R15 )