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1999 Mercury Mystique

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1999 Mystique.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1999 Mercury Mystique was a passenger car built on the Ford Mondeo platform, requiring 5.8 quarts of 5W-20 API oil for its engine, and during this model year it recorded 140 owner complaints with the Structure ranking as the primary concern among four total recalls issued. Falling within a model run that spanned from 1994 to 2002, the 1999 Mystique occupied middle ground in the nameplate's complaint history—significantly lower than the peak of 409 complaints logged in 1995 but substantially higher than the inaugural year's low of just 2 complaints. This position suggests that while the Mystique's reliability trajectory had improved considerably from its troubled early years, it had not yet reached the level of owner satisfaction achieved in the model's first incarnation, leaving the 1999 model year as a transitional point in the nameplate's dependability profile.

Model year2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.8 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque94 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 40R · 590 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 40R · 590 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP185-70R14OEM · verified

Wheel / rim5.5 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	184.6 in
Overall width	69.3 in
Overall height	54.3 in
Wheelbase	106.7 in
Curb weight	2813 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.1 / 58.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	65/35

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.8 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 94 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5.8 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	47.0-53.0 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	88 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	12.0-15.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	13.0-16.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0-22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	19.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	94 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	199 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	210 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-4-2-5-3-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	845 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	55 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 772.5, AT: 730 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	MT: 42.5, AT: 30 rpm
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Motorcraft
Spark Plug Gap	0.056-0.056 in

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.63 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	7.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	40R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	40R

Service checks

Pressure Test	13-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	187-194 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	30.0-45.0
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	45.0-60.0 psi

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	30 ft-lbs / 88 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	43 ft-lbs / 85-105 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.125; Rear: 0.125 in
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in / 0.006 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.79 in / 0.95 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

37 ft. lbs., step 2: 90

37 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat bolt threads with clean engine oil.

1	18.0 ft. lbs.	18 ft. lbs
2	33.0 ft. lbs.	33 ft. lbs
3	105 degrees	105 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
At 45,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · PCV Valve (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 mi	Timing Belt (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1999 Mercury Mystique sits in a favorable late-generation position, with federal complaints dropping to 140, recalls falling to 4, and investigations declining to 2 from the 1998 spike of 257 complaints, 11 recalls, and 7 investigations. Across the generation, activity was highest in 1995 with 409 complaints and 11 recalls, then generally trended downward aside from the 1998 rebound; by 1999 the model is clearly on the downslope, and 2000 continued lower still with 65 complaints and 5 recalls. The 1999 top complaint areas are Structure (23), Unknown or Other (16), Service Brakes, Hydraulic (14), and Visibility (12), with 17 crash-related and 1 fire-related complaint, though the data does not specify root causes. Relative to the worst years, 1999 represents a marked improvement, but it is not the cleanest year of the run. Given the downward federal-record trend and lower recall/investigation counts than the peak years, 1999 is a reasonably sound year to consider, provided a thorough pre-purchase inspection addresses the reported structure, brake, and visibility complaint areas.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

174

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

140

Owner complaints

17 involved a crash · 1 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98’99’00 ’01 ’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 140 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Structure23

Unknown Or Other16

Service Brakes, Hydraulic14

Visibility12

Electrical System11

Air Bags7

Engine & Engine Cooling6

Fuel System, Gasoline4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E033000SuspensionReported 14/04/2008

FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS… Remedy: FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.

06E022000Service Brakes, HydraulicReported 13/03/2006

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA… Remedy: AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 174 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
04189	2004-12-13	Visibility	REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR…
042107	2004-12-13	Power Train	GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT
04217	2004-11-01	Power Train	GENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT
031501	2004-07-12	Visibility	INOPERATIVE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER (HEATED BACKLITE) GRID LINES, INTEGRAL ANTENNA…
04104	2004-05-21	Electrical System	MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0420 AND/OR P0430/…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Mystique. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 40R battery Vehicles taking 5.8 qt

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1999 Mystique take?

5.8 qt of 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1999 Mystique have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.