1999 Mercury Mystique

MY HUSBAND AND I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC FROM AN APPOINTMENT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTS SMOKING WITHIN A QUICK SECOND THE FRONT LEFT SIDE BURST INTO FLAMES, ELECTRICAL WINDOWS WOULDN'T WORK AND THE BRAKES FAILED, THE WE HAD TO RIDE TRAFFIC UNTIL WE COULD MOVE OVER TO THE CURVE AT THIS TIME THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE USED IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR AND I HAD TO MOVE MYSELF OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. *TR

I HAVE HAD A SHUTDOWN OF THE HEATER/AC FAN DUE TO MELTING OF THE WIRING HARNESS DESCRIBED BELOW. I REPLACED IT ONCE A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND IT JUST FRIED AGAIN. I WAS UNAWARE OF AN IDENTIFIED PROBLEM PRIOR TO THIS UNTIL I SAW THIS NO THE INTERNET. I LIVE IN THE DESERT AND IS CURRENTLY TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES AND IS IMPERATIVE I GET THIS FIXED. I CHECKED MY VIN NUMBER AND IT IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL LIST BUT FROM THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD WITH THIS PROBLEM IN MY CAR, I FEEL IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. CAN YOU HELP ME? SYMPTOMS> COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF A/C, HEATING. FAN SYSTEM AND AN ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNED. LAST TIME THE HARNESS WAS FRIED AND THE HARNESS WAS REPLACED (BUT I DID NOT KNOW OF THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE THEN) BUT THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTER WAS NOT REPLACED. CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V230000 DATE: 2001-JUL-09 COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DEFECT SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN MY 1996-1998 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY, CUAUTITLAN ASSEMBLY PLANTS OR ON MY 1999 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE AUTOMOTIVE ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLANTS, THE ROUGH SURFACE OF THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR'S STAINLESS STEEL BLADES CAN DAMAGE THE COPPER SURFACE OF THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR. THE DAMAGE COULD, OVER TIME, CAUSE INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE CONNECTOR AND, DUE TO SUBSEQUENT TERMINAL RELAXATION, RESULT IN AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION. CONSEQUENCE SUMMARY: THE OPEN CIRCUIT COULD LEAD TO ELECTRICAL ARCING THAT COULD MELT THE CONNECTOR HOUSING MATERIAL CREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE. CORRECTIVE SUMMARY: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR AND A NEW WIRE JUMPER HARNESS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 29, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. *NM

I HAVE TO DATE HAD 4 STARTERS REPLACED IN MY 99 MERCURY MYSTIQUE 2.5L V6. I HAVE HAD CONCURRENT IDLING PROBLEMS/SURGING THAT LEADS TO JERKING AND STALLING. DASH WARPAGE WHICH IS NOW CAUSING A BLOCKAGE OF THE VENTING SYSTEM CAUSING A DEFROST PROBLEM. PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN (LOSS OF POWER STEERING). ALL OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIPS/SERVICE DEPT.'S ATTENTION. AS WELL I HAVE CONTACTED THE FORDS CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER AND THEY WILL NOT HONOR THEIR RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED THE 4TH TIME THE STARTER WENT OUT. ON NOVEMBER THE 20TH AT 7:00AM (DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC) MY CAR STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE WHIRRING NOISE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. AS I WAS TURNING LEFT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION I CAN HEAR THE CAR STARTING TO DIE FROM THE BATTERY BEING DRAINED. UPON TRYING TO TURN THE CAR OFF THE STARTER WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. EVENTUALLY AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO TURN IT OFF THE CAR DIED FROM THE BATTERY BEING DRAINED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO 32 FORD IN BATAVIA, OH. I ONCE AGAIN EXPLAINED TO THEM THE SYMPTOMS THAT LED UP TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE RAMPANT IDLING/SURGING AND THE WHIRRING NOISE BEHIND THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SAME DAY THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THE CAR WAS READY FOR ME TO PICKUP AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED THE STARTER AGAIN. I ASKED ONCE AGAIN IS THERE ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THEIR RESPONSE WAS IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I SAID 4 TIMES A MANUFACTURER DEFECT?? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE. SOMETHING MUST BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I WANT FORD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE IT. I WANT CONSUMERS TO KNOW THAT 32 FORD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS ACTED IN CALLOUS DISREGARD TO MY REQUEST FOR HELP IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE.*AK

I OWN BOTH A 1998 AND 1999 MERCURY MYSTIQUE WITH THE 2.5L V6 ENGINE. WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH STANDING WATER OR EVEN IN A HEAVY RAINSTORM THE POWER STEERING WILL FAIL, THE GENERATOR FAILURE LIGHT WILL LIGHT, AND THE SERPENTINE BELT WILL WHINE. THIS CAN LAST FROM 30 SEC TO A FEW MINUTES, AND REQUIRES ONE TO STOP DRIVING AS THE CAR IS NO LONGER STEERABLE. I HAVE TAKEN MY 1998 TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR THIS AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BELT AND TENSIONER TWICE. THIS HAS NOT CHANGED THE PROBLEM, AND THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER FOR HELP AND THEY HAD NO FURTHER INFORMATION OR SUGGESTIONS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW FOR THIS SPECIFIC ENGINE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF EVASIVE MANEUVERS WERE REQUIRED WHILE DRIVING THRU STANDING WATER. I NOTE TWO OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE. FORD SHOULD DESIGN A FIX FOR THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE.*AK