Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 13 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Mercury Cougar. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–13 of 13
HEAD GASKET ON 3.8 ENGINE HAS BLOWN TWO TIMES IN 8 MONTHS. CAR OVERHEATS AND HAS OIL IN RADIATOR. HEATER DOES NOT WORK. AND VERY DIM LIGHTING ON SPEEDOMETER.*AK
THE HOOD IS HELD UP WITH A THIN METAL ROD AND PLACED INTO A HOLE IN THE HOOD. THERE ARE SEVERAL HOLES TO PUT THE ROD INTO BUT ONLY ONE IS PROPER SIZE AND FIT. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE HOOD AND YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE ACCIDENTALLY BUMPS THE ROD, THEN YOU WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD OR HANDS LITERALLY CHOPPED OFF SINCE THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD IS SO HEAVY DUE TO HEAVY METAL PLATES PLACED IN THERE FOR FRONT END CRASH PROTECTION. I COMPLAINED TO THE FORD COMPANY IN 1986 BUT THEY JUST LAUGHED AS WELL AS NHTSA. ALSO MY CAR HAD ONE OF THE RUNAWAY PROBLEMS WHEREBY THE CAR WOULD JUST TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN DOWN THE STREET AT 90 MPH WITH BOTH FEE ON THE BRAKES. THE DEALER LAUGHED AND SAID I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT COMPLAINED. NHTSA HAD 500 COMPLAINTS ON FILE FOR THAT PROBLEM. I WROTE CERTIFIED LETTER TO PRES OF FORD AND TOLD HIM THAT OF MY CAR INJURED OR KILLED ANYONE THAT HE WOULD BE FOUND GUILTY OF CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE. 2 WEEKS LATER I GOT A NEW COMPUTER THAT SOLVED THAT PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS KEPT IN SHOWROOM MINT CONDITION AND WAS STOLEN IN 1999. *JB
THE BRACKET THAT HOLD THE STRAPS FOR THE FUEL TANK RUSTED VERY BADLY, BROKE AND THE FEUL TANK DROPPED WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING/DRAGGED AND RIPPED A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK THE SPARKS COULD HAVE LIT THE GAS ON FIRE AND POTENTAILY COULD HAVE KILLED MY WIFE AND SON IN THE CAR.THE REST OF THE CAR IS IN GOOD SHAPE VERY LITTLE RUST .WHY WAS THE BRACKETS THE FIRST THING TO GIVE WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE LAST THING TO RUST ?COULD THEY BE DEFECTIVE I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE RUST ANY WHERE ELSE BUT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST DEADLY PROBLEM I COULD HAVE HAD WAS THE FIRST PROBLEM THAT I HAD WHITH RUST. *AK
DRIVER SIDE SEAT TRACK AND ANCHORS MAKE CLICKING NOISE WHEN IN INCLINE POSTION AND FALLS BACK. *AK
VEHICLE DOES NOT CONTAIN SAFETY GLASS ON SIDE WINDOWS, VEHICLE COLLISION RESULTING IN CUTS TO FACE DUE TO GLASS.
WHEN DRIVING CAR STALLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
SEAT BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTON BROKE. *SD
IGNITION SWITCH HAS BURNING SMELL COMING FROM UNDER DASH; KILLS BATTERY. *AK
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE IGNITION AREA WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
THE LIGHT FOR SPEEDOMETER IS OUT, CANNOT READ SPEED DAY OR NIGHT, CREATES POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT. TT
DRIVER'S SHOULDER/LAP BELT BUCKLES INOPERATIVE, MALE WON'T STAY LATCHED INTO FEMALE PORTION. TT
FRONT BRAKES FAILED TWICE, BACK BRAKES FELL OFF. TT
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT DOES NOT CLASP. TT
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .