1997 Mercury Mystique Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Mystique years
- Fewer complaints than other years 5th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Mercury Mystique. That ranks 5th out of 8 Mystique model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (13 complaints, 18%), typically at around 122,500 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 71owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Mercury Mystique problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 18% | 122,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 15% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 13% | 79,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 13% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 10% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Mercury Mystique recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system
Problem: 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.
Risk: The open circuit could lead to electrical arcing that could melt the connector housing material creasing the potential for a fire.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components
Problem: 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.
Risk: If both pcrv's malfunction, vehicle handling could be adversely affected during braking as a result of the rear wheels locking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Exterior lighting:headlights:switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connector can experience heat damage as a result of overheating.
Risk: The damage could result in distortion of the terminal causing an open circuit in the instrument panel illumination, parking lamp, and tail lamp circuits.
Fix: Dealers will install a headlamp switch wiring connector containing bronze terminals and an inspection, and replacement if necessary, of the headlamp switch.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition can result in incorrect gear selection.
Fix: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission floor shift control.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Incorrect gear indication (RQ02006) — opened Feb 26, 2002, closed Sep 12, 2002, led to recall 98V233000.
- Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness (EA01001) — opened Jan 5, 2001, closed Jul 31, 2001, led to recall 01I009000.
- Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness (PE00023) — opened Jun 14, 2000, closed Jan 5, 2001.
- Various intermittent electrical issues (RQ99019) — opened Sep 15, 1999, closed Mar 7, 2001, led to recall 99V243000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercury mystique. The contact stated that he noticed a leak under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where he was informed that the pressure conscious regulating valve on the rear driver side would need to be replaced. The vehicle was…
My 97 mercury mystique has a bad brake fluid leak from a part on the brake line (pressure conscious release valve) that was recalled #06e022000. Fluid must be added every few days when the brake light comes on. Ford tells me there is no recall info for my car and won't do anything. They could not…
The vehicle is not shifting into the proper gears. It just started happening one day. It has to be in drive 2 at the start of driving and when it gets to a certain point it must be shifted into drive. This occurs everytime i drive. Nothing has been done as of yet to repair the problem. *tr
The block of the engine was burned. *tr
Car had a recall associated with exterior lights when my parents owned it about five years ago. The parking lights stopped operating. Per suggestion of ford took car to dealership and paid $85 for an evaluation. They indicated i had two open wires and the estimated repair cost would exceed $2,000…
Other Mercury Mystique years
← 1996 Mystique · 1998 Mystique →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Mystique | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 Mystique | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 Mystique | 63 | 3 |
| 1999 Mystique | 128 | 2 |
| 1998 Mystique | 231 | 8 |
| 1997 | 71 | 4 |
| 1996 Mystique | 185 | 7 |
| 1995 Mystique | 335 | 8 |
See all Mercury Mystique problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercury Mystique?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 13 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Mercury Mystique?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Mercury Mystique a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Mystique model years, the 1997 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.