1988 Mercury Cougar Owner Complaints

ON FEB 12, 1994 MY WIFE AND HER FRIEND TOOK MY RED 1988 MERCURY COUGAR LS TO CHURCH AT 6:30 PM. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY FOGGY EVENING. I RECEIVED A CALL AT THE HOUSE AT 6:50 PM THAT MY WIFE HAD BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND THAT I NEEDED TO COME TO THE SITE. MY CAR WAS IN MINT CONDITION INSIDE AND OUT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I SAW THE CAR, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!! MY WIFE, WITNESSES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOODYEAR TIRE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS THE MERCURY COUGAR?S COMPUTER THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO GO FULL-THROTTLE. DIANE, MY WIFE AND PASSENGER TESTIFIED THAT WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED, SHE PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR. AFTER NO AVAIL, SHE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SPIN INTO A HEAVILY TRAVELED INTERSECTION. AS THE VEHICLE SPUN, MY WIFE TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO ?PARK?. UNFORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE CHANGED INTO ?REVERSE?, SENDING THEM THROUGH A GAS STATION, AT FULL-THROTTLE, BACKWARDS. AT THIS TIME, THE PASSENGER PANICKED. SHE UNBUCKLED HER SEATBELT AND OPENED THE DOOR WHILE TRAVELING IN REVERSE. THE DOOR MOMENTARILY PINED HER TO THE GROUND, RESULTING IN MAJOR FRACTURES OF THE HIP AND OTHER MINOR INJURIES. THE CAR FINALLY CAME TO REST IN THE WOODS ADJACENT TO THE GAS STATION WITH MAJOR FRAME DAMAGE, A SEVERED FUEL LINE AND ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE DESTROYED. MY WIFE WAS SHAKEN, BUT NO INJURIES. WITNESSES STATED THEY CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING THE GAS PUMPS. AT THE TIME, MY FATHER-IN-LAW, A RETIRED GM MECHANIC BLAMED THE EVENT ON MY WIFE. UNTIL I BECAME COMPUTER SMART AND HAVE READ SO MANY ARTICLES THIS WEEK ON FORD VEHICLES SURGING, I THOUGHT I HAD BETTER REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO HELP OTHERS WHO APPARENTLY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10118272

Incident

Feb 12, 1994

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE RIGHT SELTBELT BUCKLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FAILS OFTEN. FORD NO LONGER SUPPLIES THESE BUCKLES, AND THEY ARE VERY SCARCE IN WRECKING YARDS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10100078

Incident

Nov 17, 2004

Mileage

75,000 mi

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A TIRE THAT FAILED FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. FRONT LEFT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM A CHEVROLET BLAZER 1984, AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. VEHICLE HIT TWO OTHER VEHICLES, ONE BEING THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE. DURING THE CRASH CONSUMER'S WRIST WAS BROKEN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID

10059749

Incident

Aug 8, 2003

THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT IGNITE IF THE GEAR SHIFT IS NOT COMPLETELY UP. IT APPEARS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH AND THE GEAR SHIFT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037172

Incident

Sep 29, 2002

RECALL 96 V 071 000/IGNITION SWITCH: RECALL REPAIRS WAS DONE AT BAYWAY LINCOLN, MERCURY; HOUSTON, TX; PHONE# 281/ 929-6500. AT THE PRESENT TIME PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8009718

Incident

May 3, 2002

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN, BUT ALL ELECTRICAL PARTS WILL STILL BE WORKING, LIKE HEADLIGHTS/ RADIO/ POWER WINDOW, AND AIR CONDITIONER. BUT NOT COLD AND MOTOR WILL STILL BE WORKING; IGNITION MODULE HAD BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES, AND NOW HAS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

874762

Incident

Feb 1, 1999

VEHICLE STALLS WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP OR A ROLLING STOP, RECALL 96V071 WAS COMPLETED ON VEHICLE, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS POSSIBLY DUE TO AN ENGINE FAILURE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

557171

BOTH FORD MOTOR CORP. AND GALPIN LINCOLN-MERCURY REFUSED TO COVER FOR REPAIRS. OWNER HAD TO DO SO AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

732358

Incident

Sep 12, 2000

IGN. SW. RECALL WORK DONE PREVIOUSLY 2 TIMES BY GALPIN LINCOLN-MERCURY. SEAT BELT FAILURE REPORTED BOTH TO GALPIN LINCOLN-MERCURY AND FORD MOTOR CORP. BECAUSE OF NO DOCUMENTED RECALL, THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING EVER SINCE WITHOUT SHOULDER BELT PROTECTION.

NHTSA ID

731200

Incident

Sep 12, 2000

THE UPPER LAYER OF THE FIRESTONE TIRE ON THE FRONT LEFT WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THIS WAS AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 60 MPH. THE TIRE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH NO DAMAGE. IT WAS A VERY SCAREY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY (WIFE AND 2 KIDS) IN THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, IN THE MIDDLE OF DESERT AND AT NIGHT. CALLED AAA FOR HELP AND WE WERE LUCKY THE CAT DID NOT OVERTURN. I HAVE HEARD VERY SIMILAR CASES WITH FIRESTONE. I BELIEVE THRE FIRESTONE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 215SR17 )

NHTSA ID

727020

Incident

Jun 17, 1995

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

725219

WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW FELL OUT THE CAR. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE WINDOW CAN BE FIXED AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

849416

WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW FELL OUT THE CAR.DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE WINDOW CAN BE FIXED AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

845234

Incident

Aug 17, 1999

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE PRIOR TO IGNITION SWITCH RECALL NOTICE REPAIR. NLM

NHTSA ID

545336

STEEL BRAKE LINE ON REAR AXEL FAILED FIRST. STEEL BRAKE LINE ON TO RIGNT FRONT FAILED THIS TIME. LEFT FRONT STEEL BRAKE LINE SHOWED SIGNS OF FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED TOO. LINES ARE RUSTING THROUGH WHERE ATTACHED TO FRAME OR AXLE. BOUGHT CAR IN INDIANA, BUT LATER FOUND OUT IT CAME FROM WISCONSIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

705411

Incident

Mar 27, 1999

WHILE DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL VEHICLE WENT INTO A FULL UNWANTED ACCELERATION. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER, CRUISE CONTROL DISCONNECTED. POSSIBLY FAULTY WIRING IN CRUISE CONTROL. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

834749

Incident

Jan 20, 1999

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY COUGAR SHE MADE A 5-10 MPH LEFT HAND TURN THE DRIVER SIDE TIE ROD SNAPPED AND MY WIFE LOST ALL STEERING. SHE SIDE SWIPED ONE CAR AND HIT HEAD ON WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE . I HAD ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS WHEN THIS HAPPENED . NOW MY WIFE IS GETTING SUED FOR 15000 DOLLARS BY ONE OF THE OTHER DRIVERS . I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN FIX MY STILL BROKEN CAR OR AM I AT FAULT FOR THE ACCIDENT? THANK YOU FOR A REPLY GREATFULLY RAYMOND ROSE

NHTSA ID

702480

Incident

Apr 22, 1997

WHEN ENGINE IS HOTTER THAN NORMAL OR IN WARM WEATHER THE VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

826943

FRONT BUCKET SEATBACK LATCHES FAILED TO HOLD THE SEATBACKS IN PLACE.

NHTSA ID

534877

Incident

Dec 30, 1997

HEAD LIGHTS GET CLOUDY CONTINUOUSLY FROM MOISTURE ENTERING UNITS, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

NHTSA ID

525241

WHEN STOPPING OR SHIFTING INTO PARK VEHICLE SUDDENLY RACES/ACCELERATES. *AK

NHTSA ID

521357

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY ACCELERATED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALLED. *AK CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. TP SENSOR REPLACED DUE TO STALLING. *SLC

NHTSA ID

816443

Incident

Sep 4, 1997

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT/FATALITY.

NHTSA ID

514847

Incident

Sep 22, 1995

SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING VEHICLE ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH.

NHTSA ID

505142

Incident

Sep 22, 1995

SEAT BELT LATCH IS INOPERATIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

809570