When stopped at light, upon accelerating when the light turns green, the accelerator is hard to press. It does not depress. You have to either press too hard or pump a few times for it to get going. This is very dangerous when you are taking a left turn on a solid green light without a green arrow. You may stall and then lunge forward into an oncoming car
The worst 1999 Mercury Villager problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration87
- Lights18
- Fuel system14
- Brakes13
- Body11
- Transmission11
- Engine10
- Electrical9
- Steering9
- Suspension8
- Tires8
- Seat belts7
- Visibility7
- Seats6
- Airbags4
- Locks4
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Mercury Villager
Recalls 4
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: mini vans. One or more of the five bolts that mount the rack and pinion steering gear to the vehicle may have been incorrectly tightened.
- Risk
- There could be a looseness in the steering, which may be accompanied by noise or vibration.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles and, if the bolts are missing, will replace the steering gear mounting bolts. All bolts will be tightened to the specified torque. Owner notification began november 28, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 00V292001 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: minivans. The tail light socket may have been improperly molded, resulting in the locking tab having insufficient force to retain the bulb.
- Risk
- If the bulb falls out of the socket, the brake or tail lamp function cannot occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the tail lamp sockets.
Recall number 99V347001 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: mini vans. The fuel tank retention strap (two straps per vehicle) can break at the spot welds causing an underbody rattle.
- Risk
- There is also a potential for fuel tank separation or fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel tank retention straps.
Recall number 99V205001 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: mini vans. The affected vehicles may have a second row right hand side captain chair that has inadequate lubrication of the easy entry and exit latch system. In some cases, the actuator spring in the latch could deform after repeated use, causing the latch to remain in the unlatched position. If this occurs, the seat will slide freely on the seat track and the springs on the track will move the seat to the easy entry position toward the front of the vehicle.
- Risk
- An unlatched seat track could result in an increased risk of injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat track for the second row right hand side captain's chair, which includes the easy entry and exit latch mechanism.
Recall number 99V056001 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 1999 Mercury Villager
Defect investigations
Failing headlights
Nissan and ford found that the original equipment headlight stainless steel bulb terminals may over time cause elevated contact resistance and overheat the electrical connector housing.this can result in a headlight flickering, bulb outage and heat deformation to the headlight connector.in april 1999, the supplier of the headlight for nissan and ford changed to a bulb using the stainless steel terminals that did not meet original specifications.on july 17, 2000, the supplier began using a bulb meeting the vehicle manufacturer's specifications.this problem can affect independently either headlight but does not cause simultaneous failure of both headlights. The problem also does not affect front parking lamps.as a result, the complaints typical report single failure of one headlight.there are no crashes or loss of vehicle control reported.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE04020
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Mercury Villager 118
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Ford: certain 1999 and 2000 model year villager villagers are to have the throttle body cleaned.
- Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures
- General power train control module (PCM) programming procedures
- Inoperative electric rear window defroster (heated backlite) grid lines, integral antenna concerns
- Update wiring harness when replacing fuel injector
- New transmission cooler flusher - service tips
- Climate control a/c service tech tips
- Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock
- Some vehicles may exhibit static or ignition noise through the radio on the AM band
1999 Mercury Villager fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6‑cyl | FWD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 1999 Mercury Villager owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tried to slightly depress the accelerator to move up in traffic but accelerator was stuck and had to apply more force to depress accelerator causing vehicle to lunge forward nearly causing a collision with the vehicle in front of us. Rear passenger side seat belt will not extend to allow it to be put on.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercury villager. The contact stated that the ventilation blower would not emit air or heat when the air conditioner or heater was activated. The vehicle was inspected by the owner and he noticed that the power resistor had overheated and burned and would need replacing. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown and the VIN was not available.
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercury villager. While the contact was pulling into a parking space the vehicle suddenly surged forward without warning causing the contact to crash into a pole. The contact previously noticed that the vehicle would surge forward whenever it came to a stop. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership. There were no prior warnings. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were 140,000.
I have a 1999 mercury villager, periodically the gas pedal will be very hard to push. It actually got stuck accelerating once. I have researched this online and have found many many complaints about this situation. I have found that mercury has recalled the mountaineer (campaign # 00v422000) for this "exact" issue but has taken no action with the villager. I have replaced the whole throttle body once, soon after I purchased the van, but after the warranty had expired. As I recall it was at a $600 expense to me. I would like to know what is being done about this issue. Thank you.
1999 mercury villager mini van problem headlights keep blowing out, cannot use high beams without hearing some crackling on highbeam switch when putting on high beams. I just replace the bulb and not use highbeams. Also gas pedal sticks most of the time when you excel especially when it is damp out, I step on the pedal and it jerks forward because it's stuck when I feel it is stuck when excelling from stop I usually step on the brake then the gas and let off the brake slowly. I have been lucky there hasn't been an accident yet.
The 1999 through 2000 mercury villager vans have a defective throttle body assembly. My gas petal started sticking on my villager van late last year. I finally had the throttle body assembly cleaned and throttle control sensor replaced in january, after several failed attempts by the mercury dealership to rectify this problem. I had another mechanic replace the failed throttle body control sensor (in may)after only 4 months (part was guaranteed for 12 months) and the throttle body was ok for a short period of time and now it's sticking and the gas petal is hard to depress. It is a major accident hazard because you need to know that you can pull out safely from an intersection or accelerate when entering a ramp on the interstate. With this problem you have to press the gas petal harder than normal and then you feel like you are getting whiplash because the petal will unstick and you shoot forward. Our car had a check engine light that came on and it was also associated with this problem. From the contents of this article, I believe that mercury and nissan are completely aware this danger. Http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/08/20/biz_villagersuit20.html please investigate this issue and force mercury & nissan to recall all of these vehicles and agree to replace the throttle body assembly free of charge. When you have taken care of your vehicle maintenance wise and the manufacturer knows there is a safety problem and does nothing, then they should bear the brunt of their faulty design and be liable for any injuries or deaths associated with this issue. More links below http://www.allworldauto.com/comments/mercury_villager_comments_and_complaints_101-573-1.html.
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercury villager. When coming to a complete stop at an intersection, the contact noticed a strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and a technician determined that the fuel retention straps failed, which caused the spot wells to separate. The repair would cost $800. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 99v205001 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting); therefore, no compensation would be provided. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 167,000.
1999 mercury villager estate mini-van. Purchased new in 1999. Owned briefly when gas pedal stuck, but if kicked down on released. Of course, the vehicle would jump forward from the hard kick on the accelerator. The problem was corrected by replacing the throttle body...only for a short time though. When it happened again after the manufacturer's warranty period a quick 20 minute cleaning of the inside of the throttle body fixed the problem...again for a while. This sticking or the throttle most often causes a delay in the forward motion of the vehicle; however, it has also occurred when I was trying to stop and in order not to run into another stopped vehicle the ignition had to be turned off or placed in neutral. I thought of reporting this when I saw on a mercury blog page that many others have experienced this same problem.
No incidents as of yet. Bought a 1999 mercury villager estate, the throttle body will not let the van idle at normal speeds. You can not stop, van goes automatically, RPM at 3000, all the time. You take your foot off the gas , it will go 35mph all day long, you try to stop that. When you come to a stop light, very hard to stop, and hard to keep it stopped. I searched the web, and there 100's & 100's of complaints of this problem, with no recalls, , how can this happen. For all years of that van,1997,1998,1999,2001,2002. This a crash waiting to happen. Search the web for info, you will see. This a very bad thing, people much have gotten into crashes.....
Compare the 1999 Mercury Villager
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Questions about the 1999 Mercury Villager
Is the 1999 Mercury Villager reliable?
Owners have filed 185 complaints about the 1999 Mercury Villager, 9.3 times a typical Villager model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mercury Villager?
Acceleration and speed control, with 87 complaints, typically around 53,000 miles. Next is lights (18).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mercury Villager have?
4 recalls, covering steering, exterior lighting and fuel system, gasoline.
What year does the Mercury Villager have the most acceleration problems?
The Mercury Villager model years with the most acceleration complaints are 1999 (87 complaints), 2000 (39 complaints) and 1998 (14 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1999 Mercury Villager get?
Official estimates for the 1999 Mercury Villager range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.3L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 15 city and 22 highway.
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