1999 Mercury Mystique

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

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE SAYS THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED BY AN 8 YEAR 80,000 MILE WARRANTY I HAVE BEEN STONE WALLED BY EARNHARDT FORD IN ARIZONA IN GETTING IT FIXED. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE 4 O2 SENSORS AT MY EXPENSE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. WHEN MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR INTO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID THE CODE WAS FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THAT IT WOULD BE COVERED BY MY WARRANTY SO I SHOULD CONTACT A FORD DEALER. I CALLED A FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID CALL A MERCURY DEALER, WHEN I CALLED THE MERCURY DEALER THEY SAID THE LIGHT HAD TO BE ON OR THEY WOULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON 2 WEEKS LATER AND I TOOK IT TO EARNHARDT MERCURY IN TEMPE AZ WHO CHECKED THE LIGHT AND SAID THAT IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT THEY HAT TO REPROGRAM THE PCM TO CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSIS AND THAT THEY COULDN'T DO IT AT THAT DEALER AND SHIPPED MY CAR TO EARNHARDT FORD IN CHANDLER WHO SAID THEY WERE TO BUSY TO REPROGRAM THE PCM AND HAD TO KEEP MY CAR OVERNIGHT. THEY THEN SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN BEFORE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ORDER PARTS TO FIX IT. SO I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE MY CAR WITH THEM A 3RD TIME. SO FAR THEY STILL HAVE MY CAR FOR A 2ND DAY AND I CANNOT GET A CALL BACK FROM THE MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPT. *JB

ON MONDAY, AUGUST 8TH, 2005 IN THE MORNING I DROVE THE CAR TO WORK WITH MY WIFE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ON OUR WAY FILLED THE GAS TANK AT ESSO STATION AT 7:30 A.M. SHORTLY AFTER DRIVING THE CAR OUT OF THE GAS STATION I HEARD TWO LOUD BANGS IN QUICK SUCCESSION FOLLOWED BY A ROUGH SOUND WHICH SOUNDED LIKE THE CAR WAS DRAGGING A PIECE OF METAL ON THE ROAD. STOPPED THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER AND HAD THE INSPIRATION TO LOOK UNDER IT. I SAW TWO PIECES OF WHAT LOOKED LIKE PUTRID STEEL STRAPS HANGING FROM UNDER THE GAS TANK AND TOUCHING THE PAVEMENT. DROVE THE VEHICLE TO MIDTOWN FORD, THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I REGULARLY SERVICE MY CAR WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR SERVICE AT 7:50 A.M. I ASKED THE MIDTOWN CSR NICK PULSE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT ON THE SPOT TO ASSESS THE VEHICLE'S CONDITION. NICK HAD A QUICK VISUAL INSPECTION LOOKING UNDER THE CAR AND CONFIRMED THAT: A.BOTH STRAPS ARE BROKEN AND THEY APPEAR COMPLETELY RUSTED HAVING A PAPER-LIKE TEXTURE. B.THE GAS TANK AT THAT MOMENT WAS ONLY HOLDING IN PLACE ON THE FUEL PIPE. C.THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE FOR DRIVING. D.IT IS THE FIRST TIME WHEN HE SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING TO A VEHICLE HE SERVICED. AS A RESULT, MIDTOWN FORD SERVICED MY VEHICLE PROMPTLY AND NICK PROVIDED HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE AS ALWAYS. GIVEN THE FACTS PRESENTED ABOVE I ASCERTAIN THE FOLLOWING: 1.THE FUEL TANK STRAPS BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY. 2.I HAD NO INFLUENCE OVER THIS EVENT AND DID NOT INFLUENCE IT. 3.THE BREAKING OF THE STRAPS ENDANGERED MY WIFE''S LIFE AND MINE. THE GAS TANK WAS FULL AND COULD HAVE DROPPED ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING SUDDEN IGNITION OF THE FUEL POTENTIALLY FOLLOWED BY EXPLOSION. 4.AT THE MOMENT OF PURCHASE I WAS NOT INFORMED OF ANY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL TANK STRAPS OR WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. 5.I DID NOT RECEIVE TO DATE ANY RECALL NOTIFICATION FROM FORD CANADA ON THE ISSUE OF DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK STRAPS OR ON THE OVERALL FUEL SYSTEM. *NM

WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2001. WE WERE TOLD THAT AN ELDERLY WOMAN GOT THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND SHE RAN INTO A TREE. THUS, THEY PUT A BRAND NEW ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE. SO, WE GOT THIS GREAT NEW CAR WITH ONLY 1,000 MILES ON THE NEW ENGINE. WE HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE IDLER PULLEY THREE TIMES AND THE TENSION PULLEY ONCE. FORD SAYS THAT THEY KNEW THAT THIS IS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS ONCE THE HEAD HAS BEEN REMOVED. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD RISK STRANDING PEOPLE INSTEAD OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIXING THEIR PROBLEM. FOR EXAMPLE: FORD HAD MY CAR FOR 2 WEEKS WHILE I WAS ON VACATION. THEY FIXED THE IDLER PULLEY, THE SERPENTINE BELT AND COVER, AND THE OIL PUMP. THAT SAME DAY I GOT MY CAR BACK I WAS DRIVING HOME AND NOT EVEN 12 MILES FROM TOWN THE CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND IT WAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THEY HAD MY CAR IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR 2 WEEKS. FURTHERMORE, MY DASH HAS ALSO PEELED BACK ABOUT 3 TO 4 INCHES, AND IT DOES OBSTRUCT YOUR DRIVING VIEW AND ALSO DISRUPTS YOUR DEFROST. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF A RECALL, EITHER BY PHONE OR MAIL, OF THIS PROBLEM. WHEN WE ACQUIRED ABOUT IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT THE RECALL TIME LIMIT HAS EXPIRED. *JB