NHTSA — Electrical System: Wiring: Front Underhood Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,650 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Mercury Mystique electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1996 Mercury Mystique:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

1996 Mercury Mystique Owner Comments

problem #10

Aug 202007

Mystique 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 96,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Faulty wiring insulation makes the car inoperable and dangerous to operate.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #9

Aug 242001

Mystique

  • miles
Consumer states that all instrumental dash panel lights started flashing on and off. Smoke came from under the hood, vehicle caught on fire. Contacted dealer.

- Pocono Summit, PA, USA

problem #8

May 312001

(reported on)

Mystique

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Consumer states there was a recall regarding a wire harness (99mo3) and that Ford never notifies its consumers of the problems.

- Los Angele, CA, USA

problem #7

Dec 122000

Mystique

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The morning of 12/12/00 I drove 25 miles to a meeting, met for 2 hours, returned to the car. It started fine, warmed up, and defrosted the windows. When I put it in reverse to back out, everything stopped. There was no ignition clicking when I tried to start it again, just nothing. Interior lights and door "bells" (for key in the ignition) worked, but everything else was just dead. Had the car towed to nearest dealership (dean bros in Lincoln, ne), not where I bought the car. They said that battery acid had eaten away the connections of the wire harness. If the placement of the battery in relation to the wire harness is a defect in manufacture or design, I'd like some reimbursement of the repair bill.

- Crete, NE, USA

problem #6

Jul 072000

Mystique

  • miles
Battery rubs against underhood wiring causing short. 2 foot lenght of wire needed to fix is not a replacable part. Entire distribution box needs to be replace at a cost of.

- Anaheim Hills, CA, USA

problem #5

May 011999

Mystique

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Engine wiring harness caught fire.

- Raytown, MO, USA

problem #4

Dec 171998

Mystique

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Fire occured while vehicle was parked. Would like someone to investigate. Ford says they would not investigate and would not compensate for replacement of vehicle. Insurance will only cover market value which does not replace my car. Please advise as far as legal recourse. Dealership says they cannot do anything either. In the mean time I cannot purchase a similar vehicle for the blue book value.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #3

Jul 141999

Mystique

  • miles
The other problems, the trunk having water damage due to a severe leak, my electrical system is no good. I have a loose rod underneath car apart of the steering/ I drove around without the car being properly inspected and registered/ no admission sticker/engine makes this weird sound a rattling noise/ driving on the highway between 45-50 sometimes at no given moment the car will take off up the highway/ when you put car in gear it jerks so hard you think the car has broken down. The fuel tank does not pass inspection. The speakers and radio has also never played properly. I tryed and have been trying for the last 2 years and 3 months plus. When I found out all the things were going on I was very furious because these people knew that I was disabled, with a terrible injury, this was why I was trading in my car because it had over 100,000 miles and I needed something extra dependable. I voiced this to them, because I had trouble getting around. I have tryed many times to resolve this and nothing has been done from the dealership to rectify this. They told me alot of lies to stall me during the window to return the car. I was told that only the salesman that sold me the car could do the paperwork on the return, then I was told this same salesman had gone to work elsewhere. I was told then that the manager was on vacation and only he could do this. I left message for the owner to call me. I was put on hold for long periods of time. Left on hold, hung up on. The service manager was so rude to me about fixing the recalls he brought me to tears all three times that I called. He was very mean to me and told me he did not care what Ford had sent out about recalls he was not going to put my car up unless I paid for it. And, that if he put it up and fixed it I would not get my vehicle until he was paid for it. At that point I made up my mind not to go there and be humiliated again. The dates 07/14/1999 are actually 07/14/1997, (mistake) there's more no room!

- Waterbury, CT, USA

problem #2

Sep 081999

Mystique

  • miles
While going 35mph air conditioner blew out. Smelled like a fire. Had thought it was blower motor & brought one from dealer. Under the dash on right hand side, the plastic harness wire coverning had burnt. The electric wires on the blower motor had melted.

- Selma, CA, USA

problem #1

Oct 201998

(reported on)

Mystique

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Wiring harness dropped onto catalytic converter and melted down to raw wires.

- Damano Is., WA, USA

Not what you are looking for?