NHTSA Complaint #785418 — 1996 MERCURY MYSTIQUE

ENGINE FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE WAS THEN PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE CONSUMER THEN NOTICED SMOKE AND A HORRIBILE SMELL COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED INTO DEALERSHIP, CONSUMER WAS THEN ADVISED THAT ONLY A BATTERY WAS NEEDED AND SAID NOTHING ELSE WAS WRONG, AFTER THREE DAYS OF DEALERSHIP HAVING THE VEHICLE AND NOT TRYING TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE THE SMELL AND SMOKE CONSUMER PICKED VEHICLE UP, ON THE WAY HOME THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AND IT WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AFTER THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPAIRED, THE ENGINE STILL SOUNDED BAD, SO CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SHOP AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CYLINDER WAS BAD, CONSUMER THEN TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP THAT REPAIRED THE HEAD GASKET AND WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT CYLINDER WAS BAD, ON THE WAY HOME THE ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO DEALERSHIP THAT REPLACED THE BATTERY,DEALERSHIP TOLD CUSTOMER THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAD REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG, DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ONLY DID WHAT THEY WERE TOLD TO DO AND THAT WAS TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. *JB