NHTSA Data Explorer

Mercury Cougar

Data refreshed May 29, 2026

Select a model year to filter results to that year of the Mercury Cougar.

Complaints

1,677

Active records

Recalls

17

Active records

TSBs

415

Active records

Filing history

Monthly totals over the last 20 years. Click a legend item to show or hide that series.

Reported severity

Based on consumer complaints filed since 2000. Recalls and TSBs do not include severity data.

Deaths

3

Injuries

98

Crashes

106

Fires

50

Top reported issues — Mercury Cougar

Click a category to expand its values.

Condition issue

535

Operating state

451

Engine behavior

307

Performance issue

173

Thermal issue

152

Reporting mechanism

147

Lighting behavior

141

Safety restraint issue

139

Fluid issue

136

Vibration/harshness

130

Access/entry issue

124

Noise

120

Transmission/drivetrain behavior

110

Braking behavior

106

Safety restraint behavior

102

Electrical issue

98

Starting behavior

56

Driver assistance issue

39

Steering behavior

39

HVAC behavior

31

Smell

29

Ride/handling behavior

26

Infotainment behavior

18

Recent change

18

Wiper/washer behavior

16

Powering on/off behavior

13

Recent filings

The 10 most recent filings for each type.

1995 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Oct 7, 2020


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DROVE DIFFERENTLY AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE PURVIS FORD INC LOCATED AT 3660 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY #1, FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22408, WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT COULD BE THE IGNITION MODULE, DISTRIBUTOR,…

1995 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Oct 7, 2020


I WAS DRIVING ALONG HWY ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR WHEN CAR ENGINE STOPS. THIS STOPS POWER STEERING, BRAKES ETC. TO STOP WORKING AND YOU HAVE A HARD TIME PULLING OFF THE ROAD. WAITED ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND CAR COOLS DOWN A LITTLE. IT WILL THEN START UP AGAIN AND YOU CAN GO AGAIN FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE OR SO AND ENGINE DIES AGAIN.

2001 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Aug 18, 2020


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START-UP AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUTOFF AS THE OIL WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FUEL SENSOR, RELAY SENSOR, FUEL INJECTION SENOR AND MULTIPLE OTHER PARTS WERE REPLACED. DESPITE MULTIPLE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE, THE FAILURE…

2001 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Jul 30, 2020


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE THE FUEL LEVEL REACHED A HALF TANK OF GASOLINE, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND LOSS MOTIVE POWER WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANS AXLE AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. COLUMBIA FORD LINCOLN HYUNDAI (700 7TH AVE, LONGVIEW, WA 98632) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND…

2001 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Apr 14, 2020


Fire

BATTERY LIGHT IS ON AND HAS FOR AWHILE. LIGHTS KEEP BLOWING FUSES. AND TODAY I HAD TO RIP OUT A HEADLIGHT OR THE CAR WOULD HAVE SET ON FIRE. *TR

2001 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Apr 14, 2020


WELL HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS IS DRY ROTTED LIKE CRAZY THE CAR LOOSES POWER WHILE EXCELERATING WHEN BELOW 3/4 OF A TANK BRAKE FLUID/CLUTCH FLUID IS LEAKING DON'T KNOW WHY AND THE BATTERY LIGHT IS ON

2002 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Feb 18, 2020


AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. NO ACCIDENT, STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. I DO NOT SEE A RECALL REFERENCE AIRBAG? WITH THE COMPLAINTS I READ ON YOUR SITE ABOUT THE AIRBAGS, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL???????????

2000 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Dec 6, 2019


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY FAILED AND MULTIPLE WARNING INDICATORS, INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR, ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED. AFTER MULTIPLE INCORRECT DIAGNOSTICS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE ROUTING WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V031000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE…

2002 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Nov 19, 2018


I AM CURRENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO FORD IN OCT 2018. FORD STATED THAT THE 10 YEAR RECALL ENDED AND PER THEIR RECORDS THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED AS FUEL MODULE WAS REPLACED BY DEALER DON KNOTT FORD, CARSON, CA. DON KNOTT FORD IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THE AFOREMENTIONED DEALER I BELIEVE WAS INVOLVED IN UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF SUCH A RECALL AND DEALER NEVER CHANGED MODULE, I DO NOT HAVE DOCUMENTATION & WOULD…

1990 MERCURY COUGAR

Filed Jul 19, 2018


SEAT BELT DOESN'T STAY LOCKED AND LATCH BROKE, AUTOMATIC HEAD LIGHTS DON'T WORK THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DON'T WORK AND AS SOON AS IS GETS SO HOT IT VAPER LOCKS A LOT

Data sourced from NHTSA's public datasets. Issue classifications are generated by Repair Surge. About this data.

Updated May 29, 2026. Refreshed nightly.