Used 1996 Mercury Mystique Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 1996 Mystique, so we've included reviews for other years of the Mystique since its last redesign.
would NEVER own another!
Tim, 09/04/2009
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My 96 has cost me over $8,000 to fix! Includes transmission, engine, timing belt pulleys, and cv joints! If you want to buy a new car, stay away from mystiques.
A sharp buy
George, 05/30/2006
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I now have 128,000 miles on my 24 valve 2.5 V-6 engine and since this car and engine were made by mazda they have been very reliable. This car drives like a more expensive car and holds the road as if riding on train tracks. Great acceleration combined by good fuel economy + above average construction. Very tight car which i intend to drive into the ground.
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JKN, 07/15/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought the 4cyl. version of the car new in Feb. 1995 to replace aHonda Civic after reading european reviews of the Mondeo (the eureopean version of the Contour/Mystique) and knowing that it was the European Car of the Year. I love how it handles, and its reliability. The only negative is the quality of the interior plastics. A Great value after 7.5 years and 90,000 miles.
Sweet Six
mwb, 07/04/2008
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
A one owner car purchased late 2006. Has one of the sweetest V6 engines I've known and terrific mileage at 20 city, 36 hwy. 4spd Auto sometimes seems soft, but no problems. Wiring harness had been replaced, oxy sensors in 04. Passes smog well above avg. AC has slow freon leak- when freon fully charged mpg drops to average 17/25. Without freon mpg goes back to 20/36 averages~ a "mystique mystery". Engine and trans mounts [rubber/liquid filled] had to replace together. Smoothness returned to like new, hope they last another dozen years. Overall a joy to drive, must be well maintained to stay that way. Excellent European style tuned suspension.
Will be sad to see it go.
midcoastme, 10/20/2003
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This has been a comfortable, mostly reliable vehicle. Main repairs: front wheel bearing, heater hoses, MAF sensor. Currently has 97000 miles, averages 28.9 mpg overall, not bad for an automatic. Lack of decent cupholders prevents a 10 for interior design. Will be sad to see it leave the driveway for the last time.
Under appreciated
flyzone, 05/19/2002
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This is one of the most underrated, most fun to drive cars out there. A sleeper and performance car in sheeps clothing. Ford just didn't know what they had (or the market didn't) - poor marketing. Paint and corrosion are great. Mine has been outside for 6 years; still looks great. Seats are super; locks you in. A real drivers car. I bought two!
Now I understand the joke about Fords
rebecca.shrode@bovis, 01/05/2004
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car was very reliable until I got a recall w/ a valve that has to do with emissions. It just constantly broke down every other month. I dumped about $6,700 into it until I got fed up and bought a new car. That by the way is a Pontiac. This was absolutely the worst car I ever owned and I owned 3 before this one. I always buy used and never experienced so many problems as this car had. It was a LEMON!!!!!!!!!
Don't Buy One
Mary, 02/11/2007
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
I have only had this car for a year and it has been in the garage more than i have driven it. Everything that could possibly go wrong with a car goes wrong with this thing. The transmission is going for the second time and i just had it replaced not too long ago. So if you don't have money to waste don't buy this because it sure takes a lot of money to keep this on the road. it is the WORST car i have ever owned and i will never buy another ford.
Huge Waste of Money
MaBelair, 02/09/2004
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought this car Aug 2003 for our daughter for just under $2000. Our mechanic (too late to cancel the sale) found that the timing belt was about to blow, the windows would not roll up and other things, for $1500. The steering belt went ($600). Found an anti freeze leak due to the radiator needing replacing, the oxygen sensor was bad, and more for $1200. Decided to have our daughter drive it till it died and then donate it. 2 weeks ago the car was hit in a parking lot and totaled due to body damage. The day the salvage company was supposed to pick up the car the starter went out. What a piece of junk.
My Mystique
Jim1975, 04/17/2004
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Fantastic depreciation for a fantastic car. Great buy used. Great handling. Holds up well in the south (VA). Expensive maintenance. 4 cylinder engine is fuel efficient and powerful. Almost free when used (almost). Will last forever. Be prepared to learn some do-it-yourself mechanics on this hard to work on car. No space in the engine compartment.
Buyer beware
dismayed, 02/09/2003
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The car has a decent, engine, and usually good accelaration. Auto Transmission is bad. Handling and comfort was okay. Interior looks cheap, and car has many recalls. I is probably good that they took this car of the market. Just coming out of college and buying this car, I spent thousands of dollars on repairs I could not afford, and jobless ecomony that doesn't help. I will not buy a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or Mazda etc for a long time. Buyers look elsewhere.!!!
My MISTAKE
burnedbymystique, 03/13/2009
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
When it runs, it is a pretty cool car to drive. I have had more problems with this car. I bought it in '06. In '07 I had to have the transmission rebuilt. In '08, I replaced the engine. This year, I have had to fix both timing tension pulleys, the valve gasket, and the cam. Iliked the car when I bought it. Now I hate it.
best car i've had
lil'j, 06/23/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
i got this car in feb of 97 and have it every since i have olny had to buy a o2 senor which is not bad. my car is 7 years old. in still runs like new. best car i every had.
Stray Away...
Topher, 03/13/2006
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Ok, bought this "gem" 3 years ago...within 2 weeks of having it, the tranny went on mine. Had to have this thing in and out of the shop. Had to replace belts numerous times...try three in 6 months. I know that this is a 10+ year old car...but come on...cannot wait to get rid of this hindrance of a car...oh, check engine light comes on all the time too!!
MY PERSONAL EXPIERENCE
AUDY, 04/24/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I HAVE DRIVEN A MYSTIQUE FOR OVER3 YEARS I BOUGHT HER USED. SHE HAS BEEN VERY RELIABLE I HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS ABOUT HER. SHE HAS A TICKEING NOISE WHERE THE INDICATORS ARE AND NO ONE CAN SEEM TO GET RID OF IT. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT I HAVE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING ONCE AND IT HAS GONE OUT AGAIN.
Owner Of '95 Mystique
Ivan A. Sumin, 03/17/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have oned this car for almost two years now. Two months after I bought if off the bargain lot, the transmition went out. The car had only 74K miles on it. It cost me $2,600 to get it going again.
take care of it and it just keep running
mysticdream96, 03/17/2005
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
i absolutely love this car its great on gas milage 29/37, its a great little city car and i love the trunk space i dont really mind the rear seat because its just me and my wife, the exterior of the car looks great, i love the glove box next to the steering columm, all this car needs in my mind is a sunroof, besides the electrical system wich after nine years this is the first time i've heard of this "on my car anyways" this car is top notch
Comfort but Unreliable
rockknocker, 04/20/2004
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought used for daughter and she drove it for(6)years 30k miles. Very good fuel economy,30+ mpg. Car had some neglect, ran out of oil and driven 300+ miles until engine seized, then with only two quarts of oil it was driven another 200 miles. With 90K miles engine runs fine and does not burn oil! A very comfortable car. Repairs: Auto transmission-$1800, CV Joints, ball joints, brakes twice, front wheel bearing, rear slave cyl., two shift cables, replaced power antenna, power door motor, backup light trim seals leaked into trunk. Seems like a lot of repairs, but in all honesty, some could be related to a side impact/car wreck.
Wouldn't buy another
TamiJohansen, 07/18/2005
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
its nice and fun to drive. the overall design is great.. when it comes to engines its not a very good car.. i bought the car for 7K about 5-6 years ago and have had to invest in repairs more than what i purchased it for... I should have just bought a brand new car for 14K... would have lasted longer and the engine is a hot engine so the transmission is going on me for the second time.. i would only recommend this car for people that are willing to fix it...
Mystique or Mistake
JRC, 04/24/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This vehicle has been trouble from the word go. While it is a nicely styled car the extremely poor mechanics of the car have been incredible. Just weeks after purchase it needed a battery. Then the floodgates opened 2 bad transmissions which were well over 1700 a piece.
Great little car
Jah, 10/17/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is a fun little car, "zips" around the city, easy to park, change lanes, etc. Very dependable vehicle. My interior is leather with sliding moon roof, premium sound system -- I just love it!
Great until it blew
bbs53, 09/23/2006
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car with 90,000 on the clock. It performs well and the 5 speed/6cyl combo is nice. The radio commited suicide, but it wasn't that good anyway. The real problem was the engine lost oil pressure and blew up 3 months after I bought it and it was inspected before I bought it. I found an engine with 27,000 and it has done well since then. The engine and install were close to what I paid for the car to begin with but still is a good commuter car and would be hard to replace even with the added expense. Ford needs to concentrate on building cars that will go 200,000 miles. The engine/trans sits on an easy to remove sub assembly, my main gripe is parts are expensive.
Fun to drive family sedan!
Contique96, 03/07/2002
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We've owned this car for nearly 4 years, and it is still a joy to get behind the wheel. Our Mystique is a 5-spd. with a V-6, the only way to go! Zippy mid-sized sedan with true European handling. Fun, fun, fun! Oh, did I mention that it's comfortable (all the extras, most were standard) and has a smooth ride. Fold-down rear seat and 4-doors gives this "sports car" a true family angle -- rare for any car to be both fun to drive AND a family sedan.
Sport Sedan
berne1, 03/16/2002
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
As an import die-hard, I have to say I am very impressed by this car. We bought almost new, with 7000 miles. Repairs so far have been front sway bar, front wheel bearings. Replaced the battery at 80K. That's it! This has been a VERY reliable car. It has every option except ABS. This was originally my wife's car. Had it been mine, I would have chosen ABS rather than the automatic.
Good Car / Bad Rap!
Mercman, 05/04/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We've owned this car 8 years now and the body is sound. There is no air leakes, no water leaks. We had just one non- maintance repair so far and that was a minor one. I would recommend this car as a good used car for anyone!
This Model Was Discontinued For A Reason
REESE, 03/18/2002
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
There are too many expensive repair issues associated with this model which explains why Ford has discontinued it. Such as Transmission (twice, faulty headlight switch, faulty air-conditioner blower switch, faulty Catalytic Converter, (the new one failed six months later), Interior lamps (multiple times), the clock, tie-rods end, power steering pressure line, rack & pinion and for the 2nd time a problem causing the vehicle to shut off whenever you slow the car to idle.
Super Mystique
nancib, 10/02/2008
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased this car used in 2002, have driven it everyday approx. 30 miles per day since that time. I love it, no major defects,no problems. It's beginning to have things wear out, but that's to be expected. Wish I had another as good as this one has been.
Tranny Troubles
Frank-n-stein, 12/16/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Picked up this car almost three years ago at 74,000 miles. A great car up to 100,000 miles, then A/C went out and now the transmission is dead. Repair to transmission alone is more than the resale value of the car
A commuter work horse
Alfreds, 06/17/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car in 1996. Used vehcile with 27,000 miles on it. I currently have 172,000 miles on it and it is still going strong. A couple of recall issues - nothing major. The speedometer just quit working, this is the only thing I wish still worked. The carpet in my car doesn't fit all the way under the mouldings so it looks kind of cheap.
Surprsingly good vehicle
sc, 05/24/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Very good fuel economy. Drives smooth.
good mileage, but.....
buckydano, 07/28/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
this is my "college car". i got a really good price on it, but have spent vast amounts on repairs. last summer it spent more time on a trailer or towtruck than under its own power. manual transmissions on these can be interesting, as almost all of them from what i have heard have the 1-2 or 2-3 grind at times, or a combination. also, gearbox is like peanut butter below F 20 degrees. on the other hand, my friend has the same car with 160,000+ miles and no problems.
Mystique = Design Problems....
matrixops, 06/17/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
After throwing over $1500 at this car to try to get the spark plugs put in correctly at the dealership, I have given up on this car...everytime they install them, one of them ends up cracked and the car runs badly....the design and placement of the engine is very poor. Because of a previous Ford purchase and this car, I will never spend my money on another one of their products.
Get an extended warrenty!
Doug2, 12/16/2002
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Car had lots of little problems, including about 4 factory recalls. Once we hit 80K miles, the whole thing started to fall apart. We had the timing belt replaced twice, and something is making noise again. Was reliable but now I don't trust it. Many of the plastic panels, etc. have fallen off the interior, although it is only slightly noticable. Front power window motors both broke around 75-80K miles.
Fun, Reliable, but some recalls...
Fred2, 06/29/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
In 8 years and 82K miles, the only repairs I had to pay for were, (1) to clean out an EGR port after the check- engine light came on, (2), replace the factory radio, which lost its digital mind after 7 years and (3), replace oxygen sensors. However, it had been in the dealer shop under recall to replace gas tank, seat belt anchors, cat converter, fan fuse, and the entire under hood wiring harness (a huge job!) and, the water pump, under warranty.
good car good buy
wisconsin, 10/21/2003
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
this has been a very dependable car for me. it has never needed anything other than tires and brakes and now has 91000 miles on it. there have been several piddly recalls that ford has taken care of. on the down side, the trunk seals leak and the taillights would fill up with water until i drilled holes in the bottom of them. but overall, probably the most dependable cheapest to keep car i have owned. Let's me carry obscenely large items in trunk.
Don't recommend past 80,000
roxychic, 05/14/2004
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Very expensive to replace. After 80,000 miles it just gets worse. Nice pick-up, and good gas mileage. But you will spend more on maintenance than value.
A ROLLING PEICE OF ****
NEVER AGAIN!!!, 02/28/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2001 WITH 27K MILES ON IT. I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THREE CATALITIC CONVERTERS. MY CUP HOLDERS BROKE. THE TRUNK LEAKS A LOT OF WATER ALL INSIDE IT WHEN YOU OPEN IT AFTER IT RAINS. THE CAR STALLS SOMETIMES AT LIGHT AND STOP SIGNS. SOMETIMES AFTER DRIVING IT, THEN TURNING IT OFF, AND THEN TRYING TO START IT AGAIN, I HAVE TO WAIT A WHILE BEFORE IT WILL START.
6
norma robinson, 03/22/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Im thinking about buying this vechile.
Good American Car
small fish, 08/26/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car used, it was 18 months old w/ 30k miles back in 1997. I like it from day one for all the features (it is fully loaded except moonroof), smooth ride, 5-speed manual etc. I think the car put me through a bit more than usual maintenance: I had to change links on front wheels 3 times so far (they seem to go bad about once a year but don't change them immediatelly - this is clearly bad design, or cheaply made part), and the back wheels swaybar once. I also had the airflow sensor dead once so the car completely stopped (it was easy to change though). Also, I have a premium radio which about a year ago blew the front and rear speakers.
Great Performance Sedan
Loaded1995Mystique, 03/20/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is an awesome car. The V6 purrs like a kitten when idling, yet growles like a lion at wide open throttle. It handles like it's on rails, yet rides very smoothly; you can easily see the European roots of this car.
Has been a good car
debchar952, 04/30/2008
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
It has been a good car, has not needed alot of repairs. A good driving car.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!!
crissy, 12/14/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I am still kicking myself for buying this car!! Nothing but TROUBLE. This car has made me promise to not buy another Ford or Mercury!! Problems include (not to mention the recalls), air compressor, O2 sensor, EGR, transmission, battery cables, alternators- the list goes on. In additions, the inside is cheap. The cup holders are placed in a location that allows them to no doubt be broke. Oh, and the truck leaks and replacement parts will cost a month's paycheck ( $150.00 battery cables!)
Great car to own
mystique fever, 06/17/2003
1996 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've owned this car for 3 years with not one problem. It's comfortable, gets GREAT gas mileage(28 in town and 37 on the interstate) has good acceleration, sporty 4 door car. I have the 4 cylinder with the 5 speed manual and I love it. I would buy another one in a second. I highly recommend them. I have heard bad things about the automatic transmission though so I'd stay clear of the automatics.
Gdoyle
gdoyle, 03/27/2007
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
One owner car. Low mileage well taken care of over the years. Just spent about $800.00 in repairs. Runs good and looks good.
awesome car
realtexan24, 04/28/2008
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Overall this has been an awesome car I know I just got it and I got it in a poor state and I still have a lot of work to do but, so far it's been relativaly easy to work on and parts are fairly priced.
Don't buy this car.
clm0675, 04/03/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
1995 was the first model year, and I've had nothing but problems from day 1. I only have 86,000 miles on it and am ready to get rid of it.
The Mecury MYSTAKE
tbeau, 04/15/2002
1995 Mercury Mystique GS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
wish someone would steal it and blow it up. big money pit. was in the shop for a total of a month and cost over $2000 to get it to run so we could get rid of it. i think i could probably sell my bike for more than this car is worth. DO NOT BUY ONE!!!
Reliable and comfortable
mystique, 09/27/2003
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The car has been reliable over the years, needing only normal maintenance with an occasional change of tires, brake pads. When 6 years old it needed an overhaul of the exhaust system for about $1400. Now at 8 years old it just passed inspection of the exhaust with only 4 ppm.
Mercury Mistake
KAndrews, 12/18/2021
1995 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We bought one of these fairly new, soon after our second son was born. Before I had it paid off, I was taking it in for $300-500 repairs almost monthly. A coworker I consulted started calling it the. Mercury Mistake. He was right. It was a nice-looking car, but after awhile, was besieged with problems. I pulled off the highway, close to work one day, and a big puff of smoke blew out from under my hood. That was the end of the Merc! I've not bought a Ford since then, but had great luck with two Chevy Impalas.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Discontinued For A Reason #2
jon_k, 12/27/2002
1996 Mercury Mystique LS 4dr Sedan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car is a money pit. I will agree that it is fun to drive, but that's all of the positive experience I have had. I was skeptical about Ford products before purchasing this car and now I know why. This car has been in the shop way too many times for recalls and repairs. The latest issue is a flashing transmission overdrive light at 105k miles. It will cost $1200 to repair it or about $2000 for a new transmission. This car is completely unreliable and not worthy of spending good money to repair. I have done my part in keeping up with the maintenance schedule, but this car has failed me time and time again.