Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 52 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 52, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUNROOF SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE POSSIBLE WATER DAMAGE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. HE STATED THAT THE SUNROOF SHIFTED TO THE SIDE AND HE HEARD A CRACK WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN IT, WHICH CAUSED THE BRACKET TO BREAK. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO THE TRACK AND BRACKET WERE REPLACED HOWEVER THE SUNROOF WOULD NO LONGER CLOSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.
TL*- THE CONTACT HAS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR WITH A FAILURE MILEAGE OF 107,000. WHEN THE CONTACT OPENED THE SUN ROOF SHE HEARD A SNAPPING SOUND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY. SHE FELT THAT THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A PART THAT ONLY NEEDED A PLASTIC PIECE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 137,000 MILES. *AK THE CONSUMER HAS PROVIDED MULTIPLE PAGES OF VARIOUS CUSTOMERS AND THE PROBLEMS OF THEIR MERCURY COUGARS WHICH ARE LOCATED ON WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM AND BROKEN SUNROOF POLL. THE CONSUMER HAS ALSO PROVIDED THE INVOICE WITH AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. UPDATE 05/09/07*TR
SUNROOF BROKE LOOSE. IS STUCK NOW BUT COULD POTENTIALLY RELEASE FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AFFECTING MANY MANY VEHICLES. REFER TO WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM. LIST OF OVER 1000 COMPLAINTS THERE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS GETS SOMEONE KILLED. I HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN FIRE PROTECTION AND SAFETY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY FROM OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY'S WORLD RENOWNED PROGRAM AND THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. *NM
THE SUNROOF ON MY 1999 MERCURY COUGAR HAS STOPPED WORKING. IT STOPPED IN THE RAISED POSITION AND UPON INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM IT SEEMS THAT THE PLASTIC PIECES ON THE TRACK HAVE BROKEN. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND CAN BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS OF THE SUNROOF PANEL ACTUALLY FLYING OFF THE CAR WHILE MOVING. FORD/MERCURY KNOWS THIS WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY CHANGED THE PLASTIC PIECES TO ALUMINUM AFTER THIS MANUFACTURE YEAR. IT IS A SHAME THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T MAKE THIS COMPANY FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED BY ONE OF THESE SUNROOF'S MALFUNCTIONING AND FLYING OFF THE CAR OR FALLING ON SOMEONE WHILE TRYING TO GET IT TO CLOSE. YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *JB
SUNROOF FAILED TO CLOSE ON 99 MERCURY COUGAR LOOKED ON THE WEB AND I AM NOT ALONE HTTP://WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM/. *NM
FAULTY EQUIPMENT IN THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY (PLASTIC PIECES THAT HOLD THE SUNROOF TO THE TRACK GUIDES). THESE PIECES ALSO TAKE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF "STRESS" WHEN THE SUNROOF IS IN THE OPEN POSITION. THEY ARE SUPPORTING MOST OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SUNROOF ITSELF. AND ALSO ON MY CAR, LEFT SIDE TRACK IS BROKEN AND JAMMED. TAKE A LOOK AT WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS. THEY FOCUS AROUND THE SAME PROBLEM, AS I HAVE DESCRIBED ABOVE. I THINK A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR ANY 1999 AND UP MERCURY COUGAR THAT HAVE SUNROOFS. *NM
THE ISSUE IS WITH THE DESIGN FLAW FOR A SUNROOF ON THE 1999 FORD MERCURY COUGAR, WHICH HAPPENED ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHEN TRYING TO OPEN ONE DAY. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH LOW MILEAGE OF 53000, SUNROOF ONE OF MAIN REASON FOR PURCHASE. DID SOME RESEARCH, THERE IS GREAT WEBSITE THAT SHOWS THOUSAND PLUS OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM AND NO HELP FROM FORD. PROBLEM IS SMALL PLASTIC PIECE IN DESIGN OF SUNROOF CANNOT SUPPORT ROOF, THEREFORE BREAKS AND ENTIRE ROOF MUST BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH PART COST A FEW DOLLARS. THE COST TO FIX VEHICLE FROM FORD WITH LABOR HAS BEEN QUOTED BETWEEN 1500-2500 DOLLARS, UNBELIEVABLE FOR DESIGN FLAW. ALSO CAUSES SAFETY ISSUE FOR SOME AS SUNROOF IS LOOSE ON TOP OF ROOF AND WILL NOT SHUT ALL THE WAY FOR MANY OWNERS, BUT SINCE NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED YET, FORD HAS NOT RECALLED FAULTY DESIGN. MY ONLY REQUEST IS THAT SOMEONE FROM AGENCY TAKES A LOOK AT THE THIS WEBSITE AS THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS DONE A TERRIFIC JOB EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM, THE UNFAIR TREATMENT FROM FORD, AND ALSO COMPLIES A VERY LONG LIST OF OWNERS WHO HAVE ALL HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THE WEBSITE WILL ALLOW THE AGENCY A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUE AND HOPEFULLY TAKE ACTION FOR THOSE WHO FEEL CHEATED BY THE COMPANY (I WAS DIRECTED TO THE NHTSA FROM THAT SITE). PLEASE REVIEW THIS WEBSITE AS IT WILL EXPLAIN ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE COMPLAINT AND HOPEFULLY ALLOW THE AGENCY TO TAKE SOME ACTION FOR THE CONSUMERS. HTTP://WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM/FAQS.PHP AND HTTP://WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM/INDEX.PH. *JB
1999 MERCURY COUGAR SUNROOF BROKE AND THE COST OF REPAIR IS UNBELIEVABLE! I HAVE SEEN MANY WEBSITES WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE DONE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WHEN ALL THESE SUNROOFS ARE BREAKING CONSTANTLY. *NM
SUNROOF FAILED TO CLOSE AT 40K MILES AND IS STUCK OPEN. IT WILL COST ABOUT $2K TO FIX. IT RATTLES WHEN DRIVEN AND I AM AFRAID IT WILL FLY OFF ON THE FREEWAY. I AM CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE NOT TO MENTION THAT ALL SORTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS HAVE RUINED THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. I READ ABOUT THIS SITE ON A WEB SITE DEVOTED TO BROKEN COUGAR SUNROOF'S ( WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM ) AND THERE ARE OVER 800 PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT ALREADY. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET HURT. *JB
THE SUNROOF BROKE, IS A COMMON AND KNOWN PROBLEM (WITH A WEBSITE DEDICATED WITH OVER A THOUSAND TESTIMONIALS). FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING. ONLY OPTION IS $1700 REPAIR. *NM
WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST COUGAR IN 2001. IT IS A 1999. A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT, THE SUNROOF BROKE AND FROZE IN THE UP POSITION. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS TOLD TO US COVERED THIS PART. WHEN TOOK IT IN TO GET LOOKED AT, IT DID NOT COVER IT AND THEY SAID THAT THE SUNROOF WOULD COST $2000 TO FIX. RAIN, SNOW, AND ANYTHING ELSE COMES INTO MY CAR NOW AND THE FABRIC IS NOW RUINED. IT IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS THAT THIS MANUFACTURER MADE SUCH A FAULTY PRODUCT AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP FIX IT. I HAVEN'T SEEN A COUGAR SINCE WITH A SUNROOF THAT IS NOT BROKEN. PLEASE RECALL THIS ITEM!!! *NM
MY SUNROOF BROKE AND ALMOST FLEW OFF OF MY CAR!!!!!! *NM
(1) SUN ROOF WAS CLOSED FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO EVENT. (2) SUN ROOF BEGAN TO OPEN AND STOPPED, REMAINING IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION. (3) FAILURE IS NOT CORRECTED. PARTS AND LABOUR WILL RUN $1500. SAFETY CONCERN IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, SUN ROOF IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION MAY CAUSE ADDITIONAL INJURIES TO PASSENGERS. ADDITIONALLY, CONCERN ABOUT SUN ROOF REMAINING INTACT IN THE OPEN POSITION FOR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME DURING INTERSTATE DRIVING. POSSIBILITY THAT SUN ROOF MAY DISLODGE. *NM
SUNROOF ARMS BREAK AND SUNROOF GOES FLYING OFF THE CAR AT HIGH SPEEDS. THERE ARE ALSO OVER 800 PEOPLE WITH THIS SIMLAR PROBLEM. THE FULL LIST IS AT WWW.COUGARSUNROOFS.COM. *NM
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 10/99. I HAVE HAD THE SUN ROOF REPLACED ONCE AND NOW NEEDS IT AGAIN FOR THE SAME REASON; THE TRACK BROKE ($1000 TO FIX, $2000 IF I GO TO THE DEALER). THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE BECAUSE IT STICKS (IT NEED TO BE CHANGED AGAIN). IN 2/00 IT STARTED: WHENEVER THE CAR GOT COLD, THE CAR WOULD EITHER NOT TURN ON OR WOULD JUST SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. HE CHANGED NUMEROUS PARTS BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, UNTIL A 2004 RECALL FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. THAT, I HAD REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEN STILL HAD TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DONE A SECOND TIME, AND TO HAVE THE COMPUTER RESET TO HAVE THE ENGINE LIGHT SHUT OFF. ANYTIME I HAVE WORK DONE ON THE CAR, EVEN JUST MAINTENANCE, THE CHECK COOLANT LIGHT OR THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND I HAVE TO BRING IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT SHUT OFF. IN 9/05 THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND A DAY LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO CHANGED THE OVERFLOW TANK BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IT TO BE A BAD SENSOR. AFTER FIXING THAT, THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF AS WELL AS ONE OF MY BRAKE LIGHTS. HE DID MULTIPLE TESTS AND DETERMINED THAT IT IS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL, UNFORTUNATELY HE COULD NOT PINPOINT THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. FOR SOME REASON THOSE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OFF BUT I EXPECT THEM COME BACK ON SOON. *JB
MY BLOWER FAN QUIT WORKING ON ANYTHING BUT HIGH. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR HAD GONE OUT AND IT MELTED THE CONNECTOR. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM FOR 1999 MERCURY COUGERS 01S22. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A SUN ROOF PROBLEM. WHEN THE BUTTON WAS PUSHED TO RAISE THE ROOF IT WENT OFF THE TRACK. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO WAS NOT STANDING BEHIND ITS PRODUCT. *AK
THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE BLOWER MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB
THE BATTERY SEEMED LOW ON THE CAR, INDICATED BY INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT BEING VERY ILLUMINATED, BUT THEN DASHBOARD LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND WINDOWS ROLLED UP VERY SLOWLY. I CHARGED THE BATTERY FOR MANY HOURS AND IT TOOK A CHARGE, SO I COULD GET TO THE MERCURY DEALER. IT DIED WHEN I GOT THERE AND THEY WERE CLOSED, SO I HAD TO JUMP IT AND MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION TO LEAVE OVERNIGHT. THIS HAD HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE IN THE PAST 2 1/2 YEARS, SO I NEW IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR AGAIN! THAT'S THREE ALTERNATORS IN 2 1/2 YEARS. THIS TIME I AM OUT OF WARRANTY AND AM EXPECTED TO PAY $550 FOR A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT CLEARLY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DEALER CAN NOT TELL ME WHY THIS IS OCCURING, AND FORD "CUSTOMER SERVICE" COULD CARE LESS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS THAT MANY COUGAR OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM CONTINUALLY. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE MOTOR FOR THE SUNROOF.*AK
SUNROOF FAILS TO OPEN... OVER A $1000 TO REPAIR... PLASTIC RAIL AT FAULT... FUNNY 2000-01 HAVE METAL RAILS... WHY WASN'T THIS DEFECT RECALLED-IF MANUFACTURER KNEW OF WEAK PART. NOW PASSES THIS FAULT ON TO THE CONSUMER INSTEAD OF FIXING IT....AT HIGH PRICE TO REPAIR. *JB
SUNROOF OPENS WHEN SWITCH IS PUSHED. THEN WHEN SWITCH IS PUSHED THE SUNROOF WILL NOT CLOSE. YOU CAN HEAR THE MOTOR TRYING TO WORK TO CLOSE THE SUNROOF BUT IT JUST NEVER HAPPENS. AFTER WAITNG A FEW HOURS TO A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEN TRY TO CLOSE THE SUNROOF BY PUSHING THE SWITCH, THE SUNROOF WILL CLOSE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE ENTIRE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BECASUE IF THE MOTOR WORKS TO OPEN THE SUNROOF, THEN IT SHOULD WORK TO CLOSE THE SUNROOF.
SUNROOF WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY, JUST QUOTED $1000 FOR A WHOLE NEW ASSEMBLY, THE CAR HAS ONLY 32,000 MILES ON IT. HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, WHY ISN'T A RECALL BEING DONE????*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SUNROOF WILL NOT CLOSE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
I OWN A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR IN JANUARY OF 2003 WITH 32,000 MILES ON THE CAR. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR THE ALTERNATOR DIED, WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR. BUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AFTER THAT, MY POWER SUNROOF BROKE, WHICH IS ALSO A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE IT COST ME OVER $1200.00 WITH LABOR TO FIX. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY COUGAR OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SUNROOF BREAK BECAUSE THE 1999 AND 2000 COUGARS WERE MADE WITH PLASTIC RAILS THAT EASILY BREAK. THE 2001 AND 2002 COUGARS WERE MADE WITH METAL RAILS AND WORK FINE. THE PARTS THAT YOU ORDER NOW FOR THE 1999 AND 2000 COUGARS ARE METAL, SO MY QUESTION IS, WHY WASN'T THIS A RECALL, AND WHY SHOULD WE ALL HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND BREAKS ONLY BECAUSE IT IS POORLY MANUFACTURED? WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY I WOULD HAVE TO PUT INTO FIXING THE STOCK PARTS, SUCH AS THE ALTERNATOR, SUN ROOF, AND FUEL PUMP, AND REAR HATCH DOOR, WHICH ARE ALSO VERY COMMON PROBLEMS. *NLM
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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