1996 Mercury Mystique Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/12/2026

26Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

14.1%Of all 185 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION26 · 14.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE25 · 13.5%

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS11 · 5.9%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD10 · 5.4%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY9 · 4.9%

Share of the 185 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1996 Mercury Mystique overview page.

What owners report

“MY HEATER CONTROL KNOB FOR HIGH,MED,LOW ONLY WORK IN THE LOW POSITION. MY REAR BRAKE LIGHT HAD A LEAK,ALLOWING WATER TO FILL UP AND BLOW…”NHTSA complaint 740565 — filed 02/07/2001

“WHEN CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE VEHICLE WENT DOWN TO 20MPH. VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO GEAR, BUT WOULD HESITATE. THEN, FIVE TO TEN MINUTES LATER…”NHTSA complaint 863649 — filed 06/15/2000

“WAS DRIVING ALONG ON THE ROAD WHEN IT SUDDENLY STOPPED MOVING. ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. TRIED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE & VEHICLE FAILED…”NHTSA complaint 860615 — filed 04/19/2000

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1996 Mercury Mystique have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 1996 Mercury Mystique: 26 of 185 complaints on file (14.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1996 Mercury Mystique have in total?

185 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 7 involved a crash, 12 involved a fire, 9 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.