Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Mercury Mystique submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 29 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 29, in the owner's own words
TRIED TO BRAKE FOR A FAMILY OF GEESE CROSSING THE ROAD. FOLLOWING THE BRAKING, I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AND THE CAR PULLING TO THE LEFT. THE CAR WAS ALSO MAKING AN UNUSUAL NOISE. AFTER SLOWLY DRIVING THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE ROTOR WAS BROKEN. *TR
RIGHT REAR BRAKE HOSE RUBBED AGAINST STRUT CAUSING THE HOSE TO BREAK AND LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID ON A 1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE GS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT ABS MODULE FAILED, AN WILL COST ABOUT $900.00 AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE TO FIX IT. *AK
WENT TO FORD DEALER REGARDING 1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE- ABS LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF. THEY TESTED IT AT $90.00 AND THEN SAID THAT THE WHOLE HCU WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT A COST OF $3,000. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS PART DOESN'T BRAKE DOWN OR NEED REPLACEMENT OFTER. NO RECALLS AVAILABLE I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THIS. THEY SAID THAT THE REGULAR BRAKES ARE FINE, HOWEVER, I NOTICE THAT I SOMTIMES DON'T STOP LIKE I SHOULD.*AK
PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW OR HIGH SPEEDS FRONT END SHAKES. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES STEERING WHEEL SHAKES EXCESSIVELY, MAKING IT HARD TO CONTROL. DEALER SAYS IT IS BRAKE ROTORS. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND CAN'T FIX IT. *AK
HORN DOES NOT WORK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED BY DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. HORN WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY, BUT CURRENTLY IT HAS FAILED COMPLETELY.*AK THE REAR SEAT BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE. THE POWER STEERING, ALTERNATOR, AND FRONT BRAKES FAILED. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUGHT ON FIRE. *JG
VEHICLE SHAKES AT HIGH SPEEDS. WHEN PRESSING BRAKES BRAKES SHUTTER TO A STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE CLIP CONNECTING THE GAS PEDAL TO THE ENGINE HAS FALLEN OFF TWICE & BEEN REPAIRED. BOTH TIMES THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ONTO AN INTERSTATE & THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FATALITIES IF IT HAPPENED WHILE PASSING ON A 2 LANE ROAD. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY FORD JUST DIDN'T GLUE THE PART TOGETHER INSTEAD OF USING PRESSURE TO KEEP THE CLIP ON SINCE OBVIOUSLY THE CLIP FALLS OFF. *TS ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761509
THE CAR MAKES A FUNNY NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AFTER EACH STARTUP. WAS TOLD THAT IT IS LIKELY THE ABS GOING THROUGH A TEST. THE NOISE IS ALSO HEARD WHEN MAKING AN AGRESSIVE TURN WHILE STOPPING, TYPICALLY WHEN THE ABS WOULD ENGAGE. THE NOISE COULD BE BEST DESCRIBED AS A LOUD, HIGH PITCH WINE THAT LAST ONLY A FEW SECONDS. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS COMMON AND IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.*AK
HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN DRIVING, AND THERE ARE NO BRAKE LIGHTS. ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBACK WILL NOT STAY UP. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CAR IS FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS CHILD-WELFARE AND SAFETY HAZARD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT THIS AUTO. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK (TIRESIZE: 205/60R15)
BRAKE PEDAL GETS AND REMAINS HARD (PEDAL AT FULL TOP) WHILE AT HIGHWAY AND THEN AT LOCAL STREET SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE AND REPORTED TO DEALER AT SERVICE TIME (10/26/2000 & 05/22/2001), WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN IT IS CONSTANT. FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES ARE ACTIVATED, AND SOMETIMES PROBLEM CAUSES THE CAR TO VIBRATE SERVERLY , CAUSING CONCERN OF POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. DEALER COULD NOT VERIFY MY CONCERN AT BOTH INSTANCES.*AK
THERE IS A SHORT IN THE ABS CONTROLLER SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES THE FUSE FOR THE FAN BLOWER TO BLOW THEREFORE THERE IS NO HEAT AND NO ABS WHICH MAKES THE CAR INOPERABLE. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE FORD DEALER THERE WAS ANOTHER LADY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK
AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A SENSOR RECALL, THE BRAKES MADE A METAL-GRINDING NOISE. CONSUMER STATED NOISE WAS NOT THERE BEFORE. OWNER PAID FOR BRAKE REPAIRS, SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT. *AK *ML
IN JANUARY 2000, MY FAN STOPPED RUNNING AND MY ABS LIGHT WENT OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY AS I WAS ROLLING TO A COMPLETE STOP IN A PARKING LOT. MY SPEED WAS VERY SLOW, AS I WAS JUST STOPPING AT THE EXIT TO THE PARKING LOT. FORD COVERED THE FAN SWITCH, AS IT WAS UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY RESEARCHED AND STATED THE ABS MODULE HAD BLOWN, AND WAS IN NO WAY RELATED TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE FAN. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE FAN SWITCH HAD BEEN REPLACED. FORD WOULD NOT COVER THE ABS MODULE, AND TOLD ME THAT THE PART ALONE WAS $936.00 AND IT WOULD REQUIRE A HALF A DAY'S LABOR TO INSTALL. THE DEALER CHARGED ME 79.77 FOR RUNNING THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON THE VEHICLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL GARAGE, AND HAD THE REPAIR DONE FOR $450.00. I WAS VERY ANGRY, AS MY WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THIS PART OR LABOR, AND I LEASE THE VEHICLE. THIS PART IS COVERED IN 3.4L MODELS, BUT NOT IN MY CAR. YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING HOME AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED MY HOME, THE LIGHTS DIMMED AND THE ABS LIGHT WENT OFF. MY FAN WAS NOT ON , THEREFORE, IT DID NOT BLOW. MY WIPERS AND LIGHTS WERE ON. I ASSUME THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ABS AS LAST TIME. I FEEL THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SHORTING THIS MODULE OUT, AND I DO NOT WANT TO PAY MORE MONEY TO REPLACE THIS IF IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO OCCUR. I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THE CHANNELS I COULD AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY, TO NO AVAIL, THE FIRST TIME. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WITH MY CAR THAT COULD BE ELECTRICAL AND JUST MAY RESULT IN OTHER PROBLEMS. I LEASE THIS VEHICLE AND WILL BE DONE WITH IT IN FEBRUARY, HOWEVER, I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO EITHER DRIVE AROUND WITH MY ABS SYSTEM NOT FUNCTIONING, OR PAY MORE MONEY TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WOULD LOGICALLY SEEM TO BE A DEFECT OF THE CAR. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU COULD OFFER ME WITH THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER. *AK
BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING PULSATION WHILE BRAKING AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. THERE IS A TSB BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE NUMBER (6) OF RECALLS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THIS VEHICLE. NLM
CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA RECALLS 00V075000 AND 99V103000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALLS 99S14 AND 00203 CONCERNING ABS BRAKES AND HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRING. DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE RECALL PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
PRIOR TO RECALL THE PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE FAILED (00V-075). YH
SERPENTINE BELT BROKE AND WATER PUMP FROZE CAUSING VEHICLE OVERHEATING AND DAMAGE TO ENGINE, AFTER REPLACING ENGINE, BELT AND PUMP VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO RUN HOT. MJS
WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS DURING RAINY AND WET CONDITIONS,THE POWER STEERING FAILS DURING THE ENACTMENT OF A TURN. THE DEALERSHIP "CANNOT DIAGNOSE"THIS DANGEROUS OCCURANCE.
ABS FAILURE CAUSED GRINDING AND SCRAPING NOISE. YH
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE, AND THE BRAKES GO STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD. ALSO, TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, AND CONSUMER CAN'T SHIFT THE GEARS. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHEN DRIVING OR COMING TO A STOP. *AK
BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING GUARD RAIL, NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH PASSENGER/DRIVER'S AIR BAG DURING COLLISION. MJS
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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