1998 Mercury Mystique

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.

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

LIGHTING---- 12 SECOND LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING WHEN DOOR WAS OPENED. WENT TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE BULB WAS NOT BURNED OUT BY TURNING ON SWITCH WHEN LIGHT FIXTURE ASSEMBLY BROKE AND SWUNG DOWN ALMOST HITTING ME IN HEAD. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THIS IS OUR FAULT NOT MANUFACTURER DEFECT. AGAIN. ENGINE--- DRIVING APPROX. 30 MPH WHEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND AFTER TESTING SAID THE ENGINE HAD NOT BEEN GETTING ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF OIL FOR UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME. COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACENMENT. ARGUED ABOUT WHO WAS TO PAY FOR RENTAL CAR. WAITED.... STILL NO DECISION ON RENTAL CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS. AFTER ONE MONTH FOUND OUT COMPANY THAT MAKES THIS TYPE OF ENGINE FOR FORD HAD BROKEN ITS CONTRACT. NOW NO SUPPLIER WAS AVAILABLE. WAITED. HAD TO ORDER EACH INDIVIDUAL PART FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT. AFTER OVER TWO MONTHS. CAR WAS FIXED.... SUPPOSEDLY. AFTER ONE WEEK CAR WAS IN SHOP FOR OIL AND ANTIFREEZE LEAKS, BROKEN LIGHTING FIXTURE, AND GAS MILEAGE THAT HAS NOW BEEN CUT IN HALF. WAS TOLD BREAK IN PERIOD WAS REASON FOR POOR GAS MILEAGE. YET, EVERY MANUAL CLAIMS NO BREAK IN PERIOD IS NECESSARY. CAR STILL IN SHOP AFTER 5 DAYS.*AK

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 )