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1997 Mercury Mystique Recalls & Complaints

7

open safety recalls on record

Critical

100 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.41 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical01I009000

Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:Windshield:Electrical Heating Element

THIS COULD CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

FORD WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE HEATER BLOWER SWITCH FOR 10 YEARS FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF SALE OF THE VEHICLE OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR AND A NEW WIRE JUMPER HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE.

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1995-1997 FORD CONTOUR AND MERCURY MYSTIQUE VEHICLES. THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR COULD OVERHEAT CAUSING THE ATTACHED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO MELT.

Critical01V230000

Electrical System

THE OPEN CIRCUIT COULD LEAD TO ELECTRICAL ARCING THAT COULD MELT THE CONNECTOR HOUSING MATERIAL CREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

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.

ON CERTAIN MY 1996-1998 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY, CUAUTITLAN ASSEMBLY PLANTS OR ON MY 1999 PASSENGER VEHCLES 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.

Serious08E033000

Suspension

THE NUTS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGING FOR THESE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES ARE MISSING THE INTENDED PREVAILING TORQUE (SELF-LOCKING) FEATURE.

Remedy & full details

FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.

FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE: K7147, K7329, K8683, AND 104353. THESE PARTS WERE MADE FOR USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.

Serious06E022000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN BRAKE LINE PRESSURE AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-323-0354.

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.

Serious00V075000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components

IF BOTH PCRV'S MALFUNCTION, VEHICLE HANDLING COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED DURING BRAKING AS A RESULT OF THE REAR WHEELS LOCKING, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL IMPROVED PCRV'S IN THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS RECALL WAS EXPANDED IN SEPTEMBER 2000 TO INCLUDE 1999 AND 2000 FORD CONTOUR, MERCURY MYSTIQUE AND COUGAR VEHICLES.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). A PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVE (PCRV) IN THE REAR BRAKES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND RESULT IN MALFUNCTION, WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS THAT USE SALT COMPOUNDS ON THE ROADWAY FOR DE-ICING OR DUST CONTROL.

Moderate98V233000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Floor Shift

THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN INCORRECT GEAR SELECTION.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLOOR SHIFT CONTROL.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FLOOR SHIFT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL CAN BE DAMAGED IF SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN INTERIOR CLEANING PRODUCTS. THE GEAR POSITION INDICATOR CAN DETERIORATE AND NOT CORRECTLY INDICATE THE ACTUAL GEAR POSITION.

Moderate99V103000

Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch

THE DAMAGE COULD RESULT IN DISTORTION OF THE TERMINAL CAUSING AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION, PARKING LAMP, AND TAIL LAMP CIRCUITS.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLAMP SWITCH WIRING CONNECTOR CONTAINING BRONZE TERMINALS AND AN INSPECTION, AND REPLACEMENT IF NECESSARY, OF THE HEADLAMP SWITCH.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TERMINALS AT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CAN EXPERIENCE HEAT DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF OVERHEATING.

Complaint volume

100 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
3Fires
6Injuries
0Deaths

Across 100 complaints. Severity Index 0.41.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling…9 · 9%Exterior Lighting · Headl…4 · 4%Exterior Lighting · Tail …4 · 4%Power Train · Automatic T…4 · 4%Seats3 · 3%Visibility · Windshield3 · 3%Suspension3 · 3%Electrical System · Wirin…3 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 9 reports
  2. Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch — 4 reports
  3. Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights — 4 reports
  4. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 4 reports
  5. Seats — 3 reports
  6. Visibility:Windshield — 3 reports
  7. Suspension — 3 reports
  8. Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood — 3 reports
  9. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings — 2 reports
  10. Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (12) · 1996 (10) · 1997 · 1998 (11) · 1999 (4) · 2000 (5) · 2002

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.