Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1990 Mercury Cougar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE FLICKERING ON OFF OF DASH LIGHTS,PANEL COMPLETELY OUT AND NOW WILL NOT COME BACK ON,CREATING AN ISSUE DRIVING,UNABLE TO SEE SPEED,MILAGE GAS USAGE,WHEN CHECKING UNDER HOOD I WAS GIVEN AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK,THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING,IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF MOTOR
HEAVY TRAFFIC ON STATE HIGHWAY ENGINE OVERHEATING ALARM ACTIVATED,INCIDENT HAS OCCURED TWICE,IN TRAFFIC,EVERYTHING HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND I HAD TO PULL OFF OF HIGHWAY, OTHER COMPLAINT DASH PANEL LIGHTS OUT WITH DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL ISSUE,ALMOST WILL NOT START,THIS OCCURED WHILE DRIVING AND NOW EILL NOT COME BACK ON AT ALL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED SMOKE EMITTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED ON AND WITHIN SECONDS THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT A FUSE BOX LOCATED IN THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.
TWO YEARS AGO THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER NHTSA # 96V071000. DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. ONE YEAR LATER THE RECALLED COMPONENT FAILED AND THIS TIME AN INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. ONCE AGAIN THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NM
THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. *YH
IGNITION WENT BAD. FORD NO LONGER MAKES THE PART. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
NO SUMMARY
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE TWICE, COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE DUE TO POSSIBLE RECALL COMPONENT (IGNITION SWITCH) FAILURE, NO NOTICE OF RECALL SENT TO CONSUMER PRIOR TO FIRE (#95S28).
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE IGNITION OFF A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
RECALL 96V071000; BEFORE THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO PROBLEM. NOW, AFTER THE WORK HAD BEEN PERFORMED THE VEHICLE STALLS BEFORE STARTING PROPERLY. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL OPERATION WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE FIREWALL AREA OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER NOTE THE FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY, CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN. *AK
BATTERY MALFUNCTIONED 4 TIMES. *AK
BATTERY FAILURE. *AK
VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, FRIEND DROVE BY, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM VEHICLE, NOTIFIED FRIEND, CALLED FIRE DEPT WHO PUT FLAMES OUT. *AK
DEFECTIVE KEY ASSEMBLY CAUSES FACTORY INSTALLED ALARM TO MALFUNCTON/VEHICLE WILL NOT START/STALLS.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALUFUNCTION CAUSING THE ODOMETER READING TO BE INADEQUATE. 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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .