Five problems related to engine belts and pulleys have been reported for the 1999 Mercury Mystique. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The contact owns a 1999 Mercury Mystique. The contact noticed moisture in the driver's side headlight. In addition, the driver's side tail light dripped water into the trunk when it was opened. She noticed that the moisture was always present, especially after it rained. The vehicle has not been diagnosed. The current mileage is 51,504 and failure mileage was approximately 48,246. Updated 07/07/08. The passenger side seat belt was inoperable, the timing belt was replaced. Updated.
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.
While driving, the vehicle made a squealing noise. The dealer determined that timing belt pulley was the cause of the problem. The rear brakes had to be replaced, including the drums due to an oil leak.
I own both a 1998 and 1999 Mercury Mystique with the 2. 5l v6 engine. When traveling through standing water or even in a heavy rainstorm the power steering will fail, the generator failure light will light, and the serpentine belt will whine. This can last from 30 sec to a few minutes, and requires one to stop driving as the car is no longer steerable. I have taken my 1998 to the dealer twice for this and they have replaced the belt and tensioner twice. This has not changed the problem, and the dealer called the manufacturer for help and they had no further information or suggestions. I feel that this is a design flaw for this specific engine which could result in a serious accident if evasive maneuvers were required while driving thru standing water. I note two other similar complaints on your website. Ford should design a fix for this important safety issue.
When driving over water or a puddle water will get into drivebelt and cause loss of power. Vehicle has no splash guard.