1991 Mercury Cougar Owner Complaints

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND IS PRECEDED BY FLICKERING AND/OR BLINKING WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHICH INCREASES MY RISK OF A CRASH. ALSO NOTE A BURNING SMELL FROM VENTS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. MY VEHICLE IS A 1991 COUGAR AND I WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. NOTED RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM ON 1992 AND 1993 MODELS NOT FOR 1991. CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY MODEL SINCE IT HAS THE SAME ISSUE AS 1992 AND 1993 COUGARS. WAS TOLD NO RECALL FOR THIS AND TO PAY TO GET IT FIX MYSELF. THEY WOULD REPORT PROBLEM TO PROPER DEPARTMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255020

Incident

Dec 18, 2008

Mileage

64,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DIMMED AND THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD A SHORT CIRCUIT. RECALL NUMBER 99V275000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH) WAS FOUND. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 141,000.

NHTSA ID

10197452

Incident

Jul 24, 2007

Mileage

141,000 mi

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. IT IS NOT FIXED YET BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD IT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10149363

Incident

Jan 1, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT STATED CAR WAS REVVING WHEN STARTING IT UP. WHEN PUTTING IT IN DRIVE IN WENT DOWN SOMEWHAT. IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF BY ITSELF. THIS HAPPENED ON 8-31-05. BACK IN 1998 THE CONTACT WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SHE TOOK IT TO A DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED A CHIP THAT HAD BROKEN UNDER THE HOOD. SHE FELT THIS WAS SAME PROBLEM THAT SHE EXPERIENCED IN 1998. THE CONTACT WAS PLANNING TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A DEALER CLOSE TO HER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SHE WAS NOT GOING TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID. SHE WILL HAVE IT TOWED.*AK UPDATED 11/2/2005 - *NM

NHTSA ID

10135063

Incident

Aug 31, 2005

Mileage

95,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. AS A RESULT, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAKING NOISES SINCE IT WAS NEW. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT IT WAS NORMAL. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE PARTS. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10076168

Incident

Jun 14, 2004

Mileage

78,000 mi

THE CAR STARTS AND RUNS WELL. BUT EVER SO OFTEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE ENGINE WILL STALL, AND THEN IT WILL CRANK RIGHT UP. LUCKY FOR ME IT HASN'T STALLED WHILE I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN WITH A SEMI BARRELING DOWN ON ME.

NHTSA ID

10069593

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

Mileage

95,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS ACTING SLUGGISH AND WHITE MOKE CAME FORM TAILPIPE. VEHICLE WAS GOING 35MPH AND OVERHEATED, CAUSING DRIVER TO PULL OVER. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT CONTINUING TO DRIVE WILL CAUSE HEAD TO WARP. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *TT

NHTSA ID

8012955

Incident

Jun 10, 2002

CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE. *JG

NHTSA ID

564227

WHILE DRIVING 15-20 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, CONSUMER PULLED INTO SERVICE STATION TO HAVE VEHICLE INSPECTED, THE SERVICE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTATCED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

8001876

Incident

Jan 8, 2002

AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON A LEFT TURN 45 DEGREE CONTACT TO LEFT FRONT. *AK

NHTSA ID

738455

Incident

Nov 11, 2000

HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING, BRAKES CONTINUE TO MAKE NOISE, KEY SWITCH PROB. RECALL REPAIR, HEATER BLOWS COLD, CAR DIED AFTER EXCEL. RESTARTED AND DROVE 50 FT. DIED AGAIN AND KNOW IN SHOP & BEEN TOLD GASKETS OR BUSTED HEAD. I LOVE THIS CAR AND HAVE TAKEN EXTRA CARE, ENGINE AND CAR KEEP SPOTLESS, CAR IS NEVER LEFT OUTSIDE. ALL TOOK PLACE WITHIN 1 MO. IS IT ALL TIED TOGETHER WITH ONE THING? *AK

NHTSA ID

738145

Incident

Nov 27, 2000

WHILE DRIVING WOULD STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. ALSO, PEDAL FELT HARD. *AK

NHTSA ID

867395

Incident

Aug 9, 2000

WHEN CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CHECK UP,TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT ENGINE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET WICH HAPPENED WITHOUT A WARNING. *AK

NHTSA ID

865979

Incident

Jul 19, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

725106

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

722729

Incident

Sep 1, 1998

THE HEAD GASKET WENT BAD EVEN AFTER ROUTINE REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND ONLY 80,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND SEVERAL MECHANICS THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON. I WAS FORTUNATE BECAUSE THE HEADS AND BLOCK WERE NOT CRACKED UNLIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE ONES THAT ARE SERVICED. IT SEEMS THAT IF THE 3.8 LITER HAS THIS PROBLEM THEN MAYBE THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR QUALITY PROBLEM WITH THE GASKET. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS WHEN HAVING THIS FIXED, THE STEERING PUMP FRONT GASKET USUALLY BREAKS WHEN THE BELT IS REMOVED, THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. IF I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THIS ENGINE I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS OR ANY FORD VEHICLES WITH A 3.8 LITER ENGINE. ALSO WHY DON'T THE SEAT BELTS LOCK? *AK

NHTSA ID

722078

Incident

Aug 18, 1999

ENGINE HEAD GAKSET NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AT 60,000 MILES. THE FORD DEALER "SHAVED" THE GASKET. THE HEAD GASKET IS NOW SHOT AT 98,000 MILES. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD VIA THE INTERNET AND PHONE BUT HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS. FORD HAS ADMITTED TO A DEFECT IN THIS SAME ENGINE IN THE 1994-95 TAURUSES, SABLES, CONTINENTALS, COUGARS, THUNDERBIRDS, MUSTANGS AND WINDSTARS AND OFFERED REIMBURSEMENT AND/OR MONEY TOWARDS A NEW VEHICLE (SEE APRIL 26, 2000 EDITION OF DETROIT NEWS AUTO SECTION - WWW.DETNEWS.COM). *AK

NHTSA ID

721947

Incident

Aug 1, 1996

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY HEADLIGHTS STARTED TO DIM , AND WENT TOTALLY OUT. PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF ROAD. THEY CAME BACK ON AFTER WAITING 10 MINUTES. DROVE ABOUT ANOTHER TEN MILES, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

855817

Incident

Jan 30, 2000

GAS TANK IS LEAKING AT THE TOP OF THE TANK. *MJS

NHTSA ID

550610

GAS TANK LEAKS WHEN FILLED COMPLETELY, INDICATING A LEAK AT THE TOP OF THE TANK OR GAS LINES GOING INTO THE TANK. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT COVERED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY A ROAD HAZARD SINCE IT IS AT THE TOP OF THE TANK. FORD SAID THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR SINCE IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THEY DID AGREE IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *AK

NHTSA ID

717423

Incident

Jul 1, 1998

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED HEAD GASKET FAILURE, RECALL ON OTHER MODELS HOWEVER COUGAR WAS NOT INCLUDED EVEN THOUGH SAME ENGINE AS RECALL MODELS, DENIED RECALL REPAIR (98M01). MJS

NHTSA ID

549571

Incident

Jun 8, 1999

THE DOORS ON THIS CAR WANT CLOSE. THEY ARE TOO HEAVY AND HAVE BENT THE HINGES. THIS A DESIGN FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

712792

Incident

Jun 15, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH IT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CONSUMER REMOVED FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND IT STUCK TO THE FLOOR AND ACCELERATED TO 75 WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS BRAKING HARD. IT JUST KEPT LUNCHING FORWARD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

846942

SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER AT ALL. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SPEEDOMETER HAS BROKEN. IN APRIL OF 92, SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE CURRENT PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

840787

Incident

May 22, 1999

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK VERY SLOW, MAKE A HUMMING NOISE AND STOP WORKING. NLM

NHTSA ID

546242