Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Mercury Mystique owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My problem is that my car stalls when driven at any speed, whether I am stopped, turning or just driving. I have brought this car to the dealership to get fixed and they don't know what this is. This was accident related and my insurance said if it isn't accident related then I am responsible for the bill that the dealer will charge for looking at the car. Now this started happening when my car was hit in the front at over 40+ miles/hr. Am I protected by any law that will allow me to get this car fixed at no cost to me? I am driving a very dangerous car right now and almost got killed last week when I was turning off a highway and the car stalled, a rig was coming right towards me and at last second I got out of the way. This is very scary and don't know what to do for help! …
Fan stopped working on 1998 Mercury Mystique, no heat in car. Most likly cause is the resistor on the heater blower moter. This should be covered on Ford recalls 01s22 or 01m07, but Ford will not fix it. Ford did replace this part under recall 99m07 on 01/17/2001, this is an on going issue and all mystiques should be cover under 01m07.
Horn does not work. Vehicle has been checked by dealer several times. Horn would work intermittently, but currently it has failed completely. The rear seat belts are inoperative. The power steering, alternator, and front brakes failed. The catalytic converter caught on fire.
Engine blew on a trip to st.louis car was under fords extended service plan because I could not produce all of my engine maitance reports even though I tried to explain to Ford that many times I did my own oil changes they have refuse to honor their extended service plan.
Car being driven at around 30mph, numerous times, all power was lost, hit curb, had no steering, brakes, luckily could put in neutral and re-start, cranskshaft sensor was cracked, causing vehicle to die out. Very dangerous going thru intersection or driving downtown.
I have had numerous front end problems. I have had to replace front tie rods twice in a year and a half. Having problems with struts .control arm bushings need to changed. Also stabilizers linkage had to be changed. Have also put new ball joints in.
The check engine light comes on and stays on. Upon slowing down while driving at highway speeds the vehicle jerks forward. Dealership replaced the EGR valve and sensor 3 times in an attempt to correct the problem, but failed to do so.
While driving vehicle would suddenly stall. This was caused by the timing belt coming off the crank shaft pulley. This problem occurred several times. The belt had been replaced, but dealership was unable to remedy the problem.
Engine cooling- temperature runs on the high range of normal. Engine - two bolts fell out of water pump pulley causing unknown vibration which in turn caused failure of serpentine belt which caused belt to fray into engine which in turn dislodged timing belt and caused oil light to come on. Dealer not "user friendly" during repair process which drug out the repair for a week. Engine has not run in the same fashion since the incident even though two different dealers have addressed the problem. Engine now stalls during initial start up almost causing engine to die entirely which has almost been the cause of several accidents. Tires- uneven and unusual wear on rear tires causing tires to wear prematurely. Windshield- unusal amount of chips perhaps caused by design and shape of windshield. Ignition- when removing key ingintion stays stuck into the steering column causing buzzer to sound. …
1998 Mercury Mystique. Electrical sub-harness connector problems. The consumer stated he took the vehicle to his mechanic, because the ac wasn't cooling properly and the vehicle would over heat, while it was on. The vehicle has two fans in the front and they found the cooling fan melted and the sub-harness connector burned up. In addition, they showed the consumer the part of the sub-harness with the insulation just falling off the wire. They had to replaced the fan motor unit and had to splice in a fan connector and wire into the rest of the sub-harness, because for said the sub-harness was obsolete and not available. While it functions, the check engine light has since illuminated for a cam shaft position sensor, which the consumer was informed it was related to the sub-harness. …
Engine complaints in other Mystique years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1998 Mercury Mystique?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1998 Mercury Mystique, 15% of the model year's 231 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Mercury Mystique engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1998 Mercury Mystique, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Mercury Mystique engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.