Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Mercury Cougar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 34 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.
The 25 most recent of 34, in the owner's own words
I HAVE PROBLEM WITH TRANSMMITION SHIFTING 1ST TO SECOND CHANGES AT 3000RPM BUT WHEN I CHANGE PARK TO DRIVE SHAKES MOTOR BAD , ONE OF THE WIRES START SMOKING I LIKE I PUT TAPE AROUND WIRED BURND. TEMPERATURE IT DOESN'T SHOW BUT WHEN I OPEN THE HOOD THE CAR IS VERY HOT EVERY TIME I TRIED DRIVING IT AT FREEWAY OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING I LIKE I PAID TO GET IT FIX AND STILL DOES THE SAME.
I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS INCLUDING BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND BACK WHEEL LOCKING UP. IT WAS RAINING, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY ABOUT 55 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY, THE HEAT/DEFROST STOPPED WORKING AND MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. I JUST INSTALLED A BRAND NEW BATTERY JUST 6 DAYS BEFORE INCIDENT, ALTHOUGH THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE RAINING. THIS TIME IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY DUE TO THE HIGH SPEED I WAS DRIVING AND BECAUSE THE HEAT STOPPED WORKING MY WINDOWS STARTED TO FOG UP QUICKLY CAUSING MY VISIBILITY TO BE REDUCED DRAMATICALLY WHILE TRYING TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO STEER THE CAR AROUND A CURVE WITHOUT HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO SEE AN EXIT I GOT OFF FREEWAY AND CAR DIED COMPLETELY DRIVING UP THE OFF RAMP. THANK GOD THERE WASN'T ANY VEHICLES BEHIND ME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AFTER WAITING ABOUT HALF HOUR CAR STARTED BACK UP, POWER STEERING & HEAT WAS BACK ON. I HAVE 2 YOUNG KIDS AND I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IN THIS CAR WITH THEM. *TR
BOUGHT CAR AT DEALER ON 02/05/01 SINCE THEN I'VE HAD TO REPAIR CAR ON TOO MANY OCCASIONS. HERE SOME OF THE REPAIRS I'VE HAD TO DO ON THIS CAR EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT. ON 3/01: BRAKES, 10/01: DEALERSHIP REPLACED BATTERY AND PERFORMED A RECALL,12/01: DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALTERNATOR, 05/02: BRAKE PADS, 04/04: WATER PUMP BELT, 09/04: REPLACED BATTER, 10/11/04: REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BELT, 10/14/04: REPLACED POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL, 12/04: REPLACED RADIO, 02/06: REPLACED MOTOR MOUNT, 01/07:REPLACED BATTERY, 02/07: REPLACED STRUT, 02/08: REPLACED SHOCK ABSORBER, 10/08: REPLACED BATTERY, 04/09: REPLACED BEARING, TRANSMISSION & ANCHOR ENGINE MOUNT AND DON'T HAVE THE DATE BUT ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. THESE REPAIRS ARE WHAT I HAVE IN RECEIPTS YET FOR EXAMPLE I HAVE REPLACED THE MOTOR MOUNTS MORE THAN ONCE. CURRENTLY THE FOLLOWING AREAS OF MY VEHICLE DO NOT FUNCTION: THE HORN NO LONGER WORKS, CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT FUNCTIONING, THE AIR CONDITIONER NO LONGER HEATS, & THE BRAKE LIGHT OF MY VEHICLE REMAINED LIT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ON AND NOW HAVE FAILED TO TURN OUT (LAMP SOCKET IS BURNT). *TR
I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR AUTOMATIC V6. I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT CONTINUE TO HAVE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. LIKE OTHER 1999 ' 2000 MERCURY COUGAR OWNERS I WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH MORE PROBLEMS THAN CAN COST EFFECTIVELY BE FIXED. MY LIST OF BROKEN ITEMS INCLUDE THE RADIO, POWER WINDOW REGULATOR, O2 SENSORS, TRANSMISSION AT 59,000 MILES, DASHBOARD LIGHTS (LOW COOLANT AND CHECK ENGINE), DOOR/WINDOW LEAKY SEAL ISSUES, ENGINE MISFIRE (DECREASED ACCELERATION) AND NOW MY CRUISE CONTROL AND TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK. UPON RESEARCHING THE RECALL FOR CRUISE CONTROL FIRES DEALING WITH FORD PRODUCTS I FOUND THAT I AM AMONG OTHER DISGRUNTLED COUGAR OWNERS. FORD/MERCURY OR FORD TECHNICIANS HAVE NOT DONE A SATISFACTORY JOB LETTING OWNERS KNOW OF RECALLS THAT NEED ATTENTION. MY LATEST CONCERN IS THAT MY COUGAR MIGHT START ON FIRE, PER MY COMPLAINT WITH FORD; THEY SEE NO THREAT WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL ISSUES AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE NHTSA WITH MY COMPLAINT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE REVS VERY HIGH AND THEN THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO JERK. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE FAILURE AND MENTIONED THAT THE DEALER CHANGED SEVERAL PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO CURRENT RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS FAILURE. THE SERPENTINE BELT, THROTTLE ASSEMBLY, AND VACUUM TUBE WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 183,000. THE CONSUMER STATED BELIEVES DEALER CHARGED FOR UNNECESSARY REPAIRS, INACCURATE DIAGNOSTICS, AND FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR CAR RENTALS AND WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED ALL THE OUTPOCKET EXPENSES. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING ON AN ICY ROAD, THE REAR BRAKES FAILED AND THE CONSUMER HIT INTO A CURB. THE THROTTLE HAS STUCK INTERMITTENTLY SINCE AUGUST OF 2005. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE TWO RECALLS, #00V075000 REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES AND #99V194000 REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *JB
DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. HE HAS BEEN LOOKING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND RECALLS 04V4210000, 04V4210000,1V0320000, AND 01V0310000 . HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THESE RECALLS DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN AFOREMENTIONED RECALLS. WHILE DRIVING AND ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE SURGED. HE HAD NOT NOTICED THIS WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. BUT, NOTICED THIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM AN AUCTION ON 9-18-05. ALSO, THE LEFT REAR TAIL LAMP BLEW OUT THREE TIMES IN A SHORT TIME FRAME. HE BOUGHT THE EXTENDED LIFE BULBS, BUT THEY STILL BLEW OUT. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE LIGHTS WORKED ON THE DASHBOARD. . THE ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON WHEN HE FIRST STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THIS 10-04-05. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THROTTLE STUCK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 99V194000 CONCERNING THROTTLE CABLE: WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN CONSUMER STOPPED AT A LIGHT THE ENGINE REVVED. ALSO, WHEN VEHICLE WAS SITTING STILL THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MOVE, EVEN WHEN THE CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES. THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE WAS ON RECALL. BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AS THE CONSUMER WAS TAKING A RIGHT TURN. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF. *SC *JB
WHILE DRIVING THROTTLE STUCK, AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGH RATE. CONSUMER ABLE TO DECELERATE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK INTERMITTENTLY. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO DECELERATE THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE DEALERSHIP HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THROTTLE STICKS INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING, CAUSING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR 2 YEARS.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING THROTTLE PEDAL WOULD STICK. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY '99 COUGAR SUCH AS, FAILURE OF MY PAT SYSTEM AND COMPUTER SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES WHICH THEY CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD MY STARTER REPLACED TWICE. I HAVE HAD DEFECTS IN SEVERAL SENSORS, WHICH IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY THAT I HAD TO PAY A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THEM TO REPAIR. MY FAN HAS EVEN BLOWN OUT. THERE IS A BURNING SMELL WHENEVER I TURN ON MY HEATER THAT NONE OF THE DEALERS CAN'T SEEM TO SMELL. I ALSO HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW RADIATOR. WHEN MY COMPUTER WENT OUT MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY MADE ME PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, PARTS, AND LABOR OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS NOT ALL. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP, FORD MOTOR CO. AND EVEN HAD SOMEONE FROM FORD TO INVESTIGATE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I'VE HAD WITH MY VEHICLE. THEY HAVE BEEN RUDE TO ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPAIRS OF MY VEHICLE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THE PURCHASE OF A MERCURY COUGAR TO ANYONE.
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY THROTTLE WILL STICK. WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF OF PEDAL, ENGINE DOESN'T SLOW DOWN. DEALERSHIPWAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I THAUGH IT WOULD BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, IT WAS NOT.THE CAR WOULD JUMP AND ACCELERATE WHEN STOPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND STOPPED TRAFFIC WHEN I WOULD PRESS ON THE GAS LIGHTLY. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE $2000. TO FIX. I DID NOT EXTEND MY FORD WARRANTY. THEY SAID THERE WAS A HIDDEN WARRANTY WITH THE ENGIN AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $500. HE ASLO SAID I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANYTHING I DID, THE ENGINE WAS COMING APART, THAT WOULD BE THE MANUFATURER'S FAULT. I WISH I WOULD HAVE NOT BAUGHT THIS COUGAR, ITS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AND RECALLS. I HAVE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO MANY TIME I'VE LOST COUNT.*AK
VEHICLE CUTS OFF ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS WHILE TRAVELING ANY SPEED ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE ACCELERATES AND HEADLIGHTS, AND WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE BEFORE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *JB
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING TEMPORARY CONTROL PROBLEMS, CONSUMER STATES ON SOME OCCASIONS THE ACCELERATOR WILL PAT HER FOOT JUST BEFORE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. *SLC
PASSENGER'S SEAT WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE UNLESS SEAT IS POSITIONED ALL WAY TO THE BACK CLOSELY TO REAR SEAT . *AK CONSUMER STATES THE SEAT IF UNLOCKED AND MOVED FOWARD WILL ONLY RELOCK WHEN PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE REAR, THEN SEAT CAN BE ADJUSTED AND LOCKED FROM ANY POSITION, THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU CAN NOT LOCK THE SEAT IF ANYTHING IS PLACED BEHIND THE SEAT, IN TRYING TO LOCK THE SEAT CONSUMER STATES SHE HAS THE CRUSH HER GRANDCHILD'S FEET IN THE CAR SEAT, CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A STRONG TO LIGHT GASOLINE ODOR, ALSO GAS PEDAL WILL STICK IN UP POSITION AND NEED STRONG PUSH TO RELEASE, DOOR LOCKS AUTOMATICCALYLOCK AND UNLOCK AT ANY TIME, THE LOCKS WERE FINALLY REPLACED AND CONSUMER WAS GIVEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, CONSUMER STATES RADIO GOES OUT AND THE DISPLAY DISAPPEARS WHEN IT IS HOT.*JB
THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A STARTING PROBLEM, IT WOULD CRANK EXCESSIVELY BEFORE STARTING, THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP BUT THAT ONLY TEMPORARILY SOLVED THE PROBLEM AS IT RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER REPLACING THE PUMP. NLM
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT A LOW SPEED VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT DEALER'S PERSONNEL COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK
CAR LEASED IN 1999. SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, THE RADIO SHORTING OUT, 2 SAME SIDE/TIRE BLOW OUTS, TROUBLE LIGHTS AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, BRAKE NOISE AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. IN EACH AND EVERY CASE THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN "WE CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM" HENCE, NO FIXES. WARRENTY EXPIRED NOW THE ALTERNATER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED? COMMENT FROM SERVICE DEPARTMENT "IT MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE". ???
LOUD HUM AND RPM FLUCTUATION AT ALL SPEEDS. VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. DEALER SAYS REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE BACKORDERED AND HAVE BEEN FOR 3 MONTHS.*AK
PANIC BUTTON WENT OFF ON MY MISTAKE BUT ALARM WOULD'NT SHUT OFF HAD TO GET REPLACED, HATCH WOULDN'T OPEN PROPERLY, I HAD MY BRAKES REPLACED 3 TIMES BECAUSE OF SQUEALING NOISE. AND THESE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FOR THE FOURTH TIME NOW .
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
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