Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. 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. 10 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
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
THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. *YH
HEADS/HEAD GASKETS HAD CAUSED VEHICLE TO OVER-HEAT AS WELL AS SHUT ITSELF DOWN DURING MOTION. PROBLEM WERE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF HOWARD PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS PRESIDENT, THE FOLLOWING DAY USED CAR MANAGER DEAN SCHULATZ HAD OFFERED TO MAKE ANOTHER EVEN TRADE WITH ME TO A OLDSMOBILE ACHEIVA SO HE COULD PUT THE VEHICLE I WERE CURRENTLY OPERATTING BACK IN SERVICE AND DO THE REPAIR WORK NEEDED TO MAKE IT A SAFE VEHICLE FOR THE ROAD, BUT UPON FINDING OUT THAT I HAVE PUT THIS VEHICLE IN A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP HE HAD DECLINED TO COME FORTH WITH THE MONEY TO DO THE REPAIR WORK ,HE WOULD HAVE FOUND IF HE HAD SERVICED THISVEHICLE PRIOR TO THE SALE OF THIS VEHICLE.*AK
THE HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING WATER AND ANIT-FREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE MOTOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE NO HEAT. SLC
THIE 3.8 ENG IS THE SAME AS THE RECALLS ON OTHER FORD VEHICLE. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 75K MILES. FORMER FORD MECHANIC STATED HE HAD REPAIRED HUNDREDS OF THESE 3.8 HEAD GASKET FAILURES. NEW SHOP SPECS FOR REPAIR WERE FOR TIGHTER TORQUE THAN DONE AT FACTORY AND REPLACE ENGINE BOLTS WITH LARGER ONES. HE FELT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ITEM, SINCE IT WASN'T PROPERLY DONE AT FACTORY. HAVE NOT HAD REPAIRS DONE YET. IS THERE AN INVESTIGATION PENDING ON THIS SITUATION AND/OR POSSIBLE RECALL BEING PREPARED? THANK YOU. *AK
REPORTING A BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET ON A 3.8L ENGINE, WHICH WAS REPAIRED BY A INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AT CONSUMER'S COST. ASKING NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. TOO MANY COMPLAINTS & REPORT ON THIS BLOWN HEAD GASKETS FOR 3.8L ENGINE. WE ARE CALLING FOR HELP. *AK
ENGINE FIRE. MJS
GASKETS DETERIORATED ON ONE PORTION WHERE THE HEAD AND GASKET MEET. REPLACED HEAD GASKETS AND BOLTS ON BOTH SIDES. *AK
DRIVER ENTERED VEHICLE, PUT ON LAP/SHOULDER BELT, PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE POSITION, SUDDENLY VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND TOOK OFF, TRIED TO APPLY BRAKES, WHICH DID NOT WORK, DRIVER STEERED VEHICLE TOWARDS A WALL, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK
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 .