1999 Mercury Mystique Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year cluster around the instrument panel cover, which owners describe as curling upward near the windshield, blocking part of the view and interfering with defroster airflow. Brake noise, shudder and rotor replacement come up next, often at relatively low mileage, and a smaller set of reports covers fuel tank straps rusting through, stalling, and cooling-system or water-splash issues.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Dashboard warping and lifting at the windshield

   • 39 complaints (30%)
   • median 69,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • filed 2001–2009

   Owners describe the instrument panel cover behind the windshield curling upward and separating from the panel, sometimes by several inches, with loose or broken vent trim. They report reduced forward visibility and a defroster that no longer clears the glass properly, and several mention concern about the passenger airbag area. Complaints say dealers either quoted several hundred dollars for a repair kit or told owners a prior owner-notification program had already expired; some say the dash was replaced under warranty and warped again. Reported across a wide mileage range, often from roughly 30,000 to 130,000 miles and on cars several years old.

   What to check: Sit in the car and look at the top edge of the dash next to the windshield for lifting, cracking or missing vent trim, and test the defroster on a humid day. Ask whether the dash was ever replaced or a repair kit installed under the earlier owner-notification program.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After the car was about 5 years old the dashboard warped. It came up about 3 inches and covers about 10% of the windshield. It also will not hold the defroster deflector trim so it had to be removed. I have not heard from ford (Mercury)about this problem and feel it is their problem to repair and not an expense I should have to pay.”

   NHTSA complaint #10175047, filed 2006-12, 48,000 miles

   “My 1999 Mercury mystiques dash board has completely warped. It has rendered the defroster useless. I was not informed of any recall for the defect. I now understand that the lincoln/Mercury company did acknowledge a defect in the dashboards. What remedy can I expect ?”

   NHTSA complaint #10197655, filed 2007-07, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake noise, shudder and repeated rotor replacement

   Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report squealing or grinding when braking and steering-wheel shudder, with rotors cut or replaced repeatedly and sometimes at very low mileage. Some describe a soft or low pedal, brake fluid leakage traced to a rusted brake line, or cracked ABS sensor rings that left the ABS inactive. Dealers are reported to have resurfaced or replaced rotors and, in one case, attributed remaining noise to glazing that would wear off. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 200,000 miles, with many at 50,000-80,000 miles.

   Recall 00V075000

   What to check: Have the brake lines and rear brake hardware inspected for corrosion, especially on cars from salt-belt states, and ask about the history of rotor replacement. Check the ABS warning light and listen for noise during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I recently bought a 1999 Mercury Mystique. At 68,900 miles the fuel pump on the car failed. I was in the process of getting it fixed and my mechanic showed me the old fuel pump after he'd removed it from the car. The ground wire was basically fused to the side of the plastic which my mechanic assured me should not be the case. I was told that it could have caused an explosion at any time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10065977, filed 2004-04, 68,900 miles

   “The sensor ring for ABS (brakes) on right and left axels on the front of my 99 Mercury Mystique are both cracked causing ABS to not function,also I just returned from getting resisters replaced for my blower motor which I just found out had a recall that was closed please let me know of anything I can do . I did have an accident I thought the brakes didnt work properly but dont know if it is related”

   NHTSA complaint #10172551, filed 2006-11
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Stalling and rough running

   • 9 complaints (7%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2001–2007

   Owners report the engine stalling without warning at driving speeds, along with idling surging, jerking and repeated starter replacements. Complaints describe dealers being unable to duplicate the stall, and one owner had an ignition module replaced at their own expense. Another mentions repeated O2 sensor replacements and a catalytic-converter code. Reported from about 28,000 to 80,000 miles, with several cases at freeway or traffic speeds.

   Recall 99V060000

   What to check: Ask for any service records on ignition components, starters and sensors, and check that the key cannot be removed with the shifter out of park, which is what the ignition-switch recall addresses.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10049414, filed 2003-12

   “While driving at any speed, the vehicle stalled in traffic. The vehicle is currently at the dealer. The mechanic was unable to determine or duplicate the problem. The consumer talked to another consumer who experienced the same problem and the problem was with the module that controlled the computer module (possibly the ignition module) and a flight recorder was added and found the intermittent problem. (the problem hadn't been experience since per the consumer who experienced this same problem, not the consumer of this letter)”

   NHTSA complaint #10048556, filed 2004-01, 28,000 miles

Buying note. Inspect the dash top and defroster operation first, since that is the most frequently reported issue on this model year, and check the fuel tank straps and brake lines for rust underneath. A pre-purchase inspection on a lift plus a record of brake and ignition work gives the clearest picture of condition.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.