Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. 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. 31 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 31, in the owner's own words
FAILED TO GO INTO GEAR FROM PARK, CHANGING GEARS DIFFICULT, DID NOT MOVE IN DRIVE, WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE, ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING 35 M.P.H MADE LOUD NOISE. *NM
THE TRANS IS OUT NOT WORKING. IT WORKED FINE,AND JUST STOP,MADE A FUNNY NOISE AND JUST STOPED. IPULLED IN MY YARD.KNOW IT WANT MOVE.FOR KNOW REASON.
I HAVE A 1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE, ANDI THINK THE TRANSMISSION OUGHT TO BE RECALLED BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN COUNTLES NUMBERS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES ON SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND I HAPPEN TO BE ONE TOO , THE TRANSMISSION WEN T OUT ON OURS A FEW YEARS AGO WHILE THE CAR WAS BASICALLY NEW, FOUND OUT I HAD WARRENTY ON IT STIILL GOT THAT FIXED , NOW A LITTLE OVER A YEAR SINCE THENAND IT'S WENT OUT AGAIN, BUT I HAVE NNO WARRENTY NOW WHICH REALLY SUCKS, SO THEY HAS TO BE SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH SO MANY PEOPLE. PLEASE WRITE BACK AND LET ME KNOW SOMETHING. THANX ALOT. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN THAT HAD LOSS OF FORWARD MOTION HAD REVERSE ONLY). CAR ONLY HAS 55000 MILES.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH IT'S AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE' ALSO LEAKED FLUID AT THE TRANSMISSION JOINT. THE VEHICLE LEAKED 2 1/2 QTS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID IN APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THE DEALER REFUSED TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER. *NM
I HAVE HAD SHIFTING PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ON A 1998 MERCURY MYSTIQUE. FROM MY RESEARCH THIS TRANSMISSION MADE BY A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN MAZDA AND FORD HAS HAD MAJOR PROBLMES. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER SEVEN TIMES TO GET IT FIXED. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ALL ELECTRICAL BUT NOW TELL ME THEY NEED TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION AND CHECK THREE THINGS INSIDE IT. THE CAR HAS BEEN UNDRIVEABLE FOR THREE MONTHS THROUGH THIS PROCESS. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT $650.00 AND NOW THE REAL EXPENSED PROCESS STARTS.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN, AND HE COULD NOT DRIVE IT BUT ABOUT 5 MPH. HE HAD TO STOP AND PUT TRANSMISSION FLUID IN VEHICLE AND WAIT A WHILE. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT A LITTLE WHILE LONGER AT A HIGHER SPEED. THEN, IT WOULD DO THE SAME THING. THEY HAD THE AUTOMOBILE TOWED IN FOR SERVICE, AND WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION.*AK
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE.*JB
CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION GEARS DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. MR *JB
I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC AFTER MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED -- HE TOLD ME THAT THE COMPUTER INDICATED TORQUE CONTROL SLIPPAGE -- THEN TOOK THE CAR TO MOUNTAIN VIEW FORD WHERE THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT MY TRANSAXLE PUMP NEEDED REPLACING AND THAT IT WOULD COST JUST OVER $1000 -- THIS CAR ONLY HAS JUST OVER 32000 MILES ON IT AND I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MY 100000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT -- THIS IS A DEFECT ON THE CAR AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL.*AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING OUT OF TOWN ON CHRISTMAS DAY -- THE DRIVE HOME WAS UNSETTLING BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT JERKING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC -- IT WAS HOOKED ON A COMPUTER WHICH INDICATED A CODE 1744 INDICATING EXCESSIVE SLIPPAGE ON THE TORQUE CONVERTER. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE REPORTED BECAUSE THIS IS POTENTIALLY A RECALL ISSUE AND THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. MY CAR IS BARELY 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS BELOW AVERAGE MILEAGE.
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL. DEALER DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT OF CAR WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN TH E MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. *AK
ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS SINCE 11/2000 I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM OF MY FLOOR SHIFT COMPONENT LOCKED IN THE PARK POSITION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RECALL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE GROUP FOR CAMPAIGN 98V233000. MY PROBLEM LIES WITH WHY WOULD I BE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN DETECTED IN OTHER VEHICLES, BUT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE VIN # WAS NOT AMONG THE GROUP THAT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL, I SHOULD BE BURDENED WITH THE EXPENSE OF REPLACING THIS COMPONENT. I WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MY CONCERN. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.
THE SHIFTER DOES NOT SHIFT INTERMITTENTLY. NLM
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
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING SPEEDOMETER/CRUISE CONTROL AND OVERDRIVE MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER IS REPLACING THE SPEED SENSOR.*AK
CONSUMER IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE NUMBER (6) OF RECALLS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THIS VEHICLE. NLM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
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
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS, AND SKIPS GEARS. ALSO, TRANSAXLE FAILED, VEHICLE IS SHIFTING HARD AT HWY SPEED. *AK
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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