2000 Mercury Cougar Engine Problems

THE VEHICLE, 2000 MERCURY COUGAR, BEGINS JERKING AS IT IS BEING DRIVEN AT ANY SPEED, AND RESULTS IN COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ENGINE. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WILL RESTART AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, AND WILL NOT RESTART AT TIMES; REQUIRING TOWING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER, AND AN EMPLOYEE STATED THAT IT WAS KNOWN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT YEAR VEHICLE. ANOTHER EMPLOYEE TOOK HIM TO THE SIDE AND SCOULDED HIM FOR THE DISCLOSURE. THEY WOULD NOT DISCUSS IT FURTHER, EVEN THOUGH I CONTINUED TO QUESTION WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO CORRECT THIS KNOWN DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP. TO THIS DAY THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REPEAT THE SAME FAILURE. I HAD THE FUEL FILTER REPLACED TWICE. FINALLY A MECHANIC REPLACED THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR (HE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH THE CAR MANY TIMES) AND KNEW THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE CAR WORKED WITHOUT SHUT DOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS, BUT BEGAN THE SAME SEQUENCE OF SHUT DOWNS ALL OVER AGAIN. THE DESIGN FLAW SHOULD BE RECALLED OR CONSUMERS SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR PURCHASE OF A KNOWN DEFECTIVE VEHICLE BY IT'S MANUFACTURER AND DESIGNER. IT IS A SHAME TO GET "STUCK" WITH A LEMON. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID

10238800

Incident

Jul 18, 2007

Mileage

103,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED ON HER VEHICLE. FORD INFORMED HER THAT A RECALL REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE CORPORATE FORD OFFICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE OCCASIONALLY STALLED AND ONE OF THE STRUTS FAILED DURING A TEST DRIVE AT 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY TOWED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,125 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ID

10198328

Incident

Jul 19, 2007

Mileage

110,000 mi

DT: 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONSUMER FOUND RECALL 01V031000 FOR THE ELECTRIC BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK, AND THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED. . WHEN SHE CONTACTED MERCURY THEY STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE VEHICLE WILL START. BUT WHEN SHE TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER OR RADIO THE VEHICLE STALLED. BOTH THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN CHECKED TO SEE IF THEY WERE THE PROBLEM. TWO MECHANICS STATED THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WERE FINE. IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE EMISSION SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE VEHICLE KEPT COMING ON. FORD STATED THEY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT COULD BE CHECKED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10133524

Incident

Aug 13, 2005

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. DRIVER NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10116999

Incident

Jan 20, 2005

Mileage

64,000 mi

VEHICLE WILL STALL AND THEN LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING OR HESITATING. THEN JERK FORWARD WHILE IDLING. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN EITHER OF THESE FAILURES OCCUR. THE FUEL PUMP/MASSIVE FLOW SENSOR WERE REPLACED TWICE, BUT FAILURES RECURRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10115404

Incident

Sep 20, 2003

Mileage

40,000 mi

AFTER RUNNING FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES IN A ROW ENGINE WILL NOT RESTART FOR THIRTY OR FOURTY MINUTES. BRAKES LOSE CONTROL IN RAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10082812

Incident

Jul 8, 2004

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. THIS CAUSED THE LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. AS RESULT, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED A COLLISION, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10081630

Incident

Jun 26, 2004

Mileage

59,000 mi

#1 I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM FORD IN LATE APRIL 2004 REGARD THE FUEL PUMP. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 2000 COUGAR LOOSING POWER ON INCLINE FOR THE PAST YEAR OR SO. AFTER I PAID TO HAVE A NEW FUEL PUMP I RECIEVED THE LETTER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE NEW FUEL PUMP WOULD BE OUT LATE MAY 2004, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM AS OF DATE. *AK #2 EVERYTIME I DRIVE MY CAR FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES OR MORE, ONCE I TURN OFF THE CAR, IF I TRY TO START IT WITHIN 5 TO 10 MINUTES IT WILL NOT START. I HAVE TO WAIT AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. FORD DEALERSHIP REPAIR CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10075386

Incident

Jun 14, 2004

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10075475

Incident

May 13, 2004

Mileage

70,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING/TURNING AT 55 MPH VEHICLE HESITATED THEN STALLLED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10071834

Incident

Mar 21, 2004

Mileage

65,000 mi

SICKLY SWEET SMELL WHEN AIR CONDITIONER ON. INITIALLY CHECKED FOR POSSIBLE FLUID LEAKAGE FROM AIR CONDITIONER. THAT WAS NOT IT. LATER TRACED TO TOXIC MOLD IN A TRAPPED AREA OF THE AIR CONDITIONING PATH. DEALER SPRAYED IN FUNGICIDE WHICH WORKED FOR A SHORT WHILE. ON ONE OCCASION I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND INTO THE HOUSE AND COULD SMELL THIS SICKLY SWEET SMELL ON MY BREATH. THE DAY AFTER I STARTED COUGHING AND IT TOOK 3 MONTHS OF INTENSIVE MEDICAL TO GET IT CLEANED UP. THEN I GOT ANOTHER WHIFF AND STARTED COUGHING AGAIN. I DISCOVER THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT NOT ADMITTED. VOLVO RUNS A SPECIAL DRYING CYCLE IN THEIR AIR CONDITIONING TO AVOID THIS MOLD PROBLEM. I ALSO HEAR MERCEDES HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10070755

Incident

Aug 15, 2003

Mileage

8,000 mi

THIS CAR HAS INTERMITTENTLY SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC AT 70 MPH, ALSO WILL NOT START FROM TIME TO TIME. VERY UNRELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. INCREDIBLY POOR CHOICE OF VEHICLE. KEY HAS ELECTRONIC CHIP IN IT WHICH MALFUNCTIONS. KEY REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY; WENT BAD AGAIN. COSTS $400 TO REPLACE.

NHTSA ID

10069419

Incident

Jun 15, 2002

Mileage

23,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S ENGINE STALLING.*MR DEFECTIVE ALARM SYSTEM AND WINDOW. INVOICE STATES THAT WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. *TS

NHTSA ID

10032237

Incident

Jul 14, 2003

PROBLEMS WITH ODOMETER, GAS GAUGE, TURN SIGNALS,WINDOWS, RADIO, HAZARD LIGHTS, AIR BAG LIGHTS, SPEEDOMETER.*MR. THE MILEAGE AND CLOCK WERE NO LONGER VISIBLE. A NEW BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WERE INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE SUN ROOF LEAKED CONSTANTLY AND WAS ALSO FIXED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE BATTERY AND WRENCH LIGHT WERE CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. CONSUMER HAD TO EXIT AND BARELY MADE IT HOME WHEN SHE ENTERED THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY DIED. *PH. THE AIR CONDITION WAS NOT COLD ENOUGH, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS BROKE, THE BRAKES MADE A GRINDING NOISE, THE DOOR LOCKS/LATCHES WERE INOPERATIVE, AND THE VEHICLE HAD A TRANSMISSION LEAK. *JB

NHTSA ID

10032290

Incident

Jan 16, 2001

THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10015804

Incident

Mar 19, 2002

Mileage

17,000 mi

I HAVE A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR THAT ONCE WARMED UP ACCELERATES 3000 TO 3500 RPM AND WILL NOT SLOW DOWN UNTIL I COME TO A DEAD STOP. I HAD IT IN FOR THIS PROBLEM AT LEAST 6 TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIX IT. I CALLED THE FORD/MERCURY SERVICE HOT LINE TO SEE IF SOMETHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT THIS I THOUGHT THAT A MERCURY REP. WOULD GET A HOLD OF THE CAR DEALERSHIP WERE I GOT THE CAR (JOHNSON FORD LINCOLN/ MERCURY IN PITTSFIELD, MA) AND THEN GET A HOLD OF ME. I CALLED IN JAN. THATS NOT WHAT HAPPENED, WHEN I CALLED I FOUND OUT THAT JOHNSON FORD TOLD THEM, THEY DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. THAT'S AN OUT RIGHT LIE. DOM KELLOG HEAD OF JOHNSON SERVICE DROVE IT AND EXPERIENCED IT AND ON ANOTHER TIME ONE OF THE MECHANICS RIDING WITH ME ALSO EXPERIENCED IT. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS. I CAN'T LET ANYBODY DRIVE MY CAR, I AM AFRAID THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE HANDLE IT AN GET SERIOUSLY HURT. I DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I GET KILLED OR SOME ONE ELSE BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU OR I CAN DO ABOUT THIS. I AM GOING TO PUT DOWN AN ESTIMATE THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WHICH WAS ABOUT 10000 MILE MARK THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 23000 MILES ON IT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10010375

Incident

May 7, 2001

Mileage

10,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR VEHICLE WILL SHAKE VIOLENTLY. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. TS

NHTSA ID

10004812

Incident

Oct 1, 2002

Mileage

60,000 mi

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING.SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL RESTART. *AK

NHTSA ID

899973

Incident

Apr 15, 2001

ENGINE WOULD STALL UNEXPECTED AND LOSE CONTROL DUE TO LACK OF POWER SUPPLIED FOR POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, ALSO EXPERIENCE HESITATION.. *AK

NHTSA ID

752955

THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL DURING DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WITHIN TWO DAYS THAT I RECEIVED THE VEHICLE IT STALLED. ELECTRICALS INTACT. MILEAGE 102. DEALER SAID MOST LIKELY BAD GAS, CALL IF HAPPENS AGAIN. AT JUST OVER 7000 MILES SOMETIME IN MARCH IT STARTED BUCKING AND THEN STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES IT RESTARTED. I WAS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS I WAS STUCK ON THE SPAN OF A MAJOR BRIDGE WITH NO PLACE TO GO.. FOR THREE WEEKS THE DEALERSHIP ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND FINALLY BLAMED A FUEL PUMP. ONE WEEK LATER, AT 55 MPH, THE CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING, ELECTRICALS APPEARED TO WORK. CAR RESTARTED ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER ON FIRST TRY. DEALERSHIP BLAMED AIR CONDITIONER, EXCEPT I HAD NOT USED AIR CONDITIONER IN THE PREVIOUS SIX MONTHS. THEY NEVER FIGURED IT OUT AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE. AFTER A NASTY DEALING WITH FORD, MY LAWYER, AND THE FLORIDA LEMON LAW I NOW DRIVE A 2001 MERCURY DEATHTRAP/COUGAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

752163

Incident

Mar 26, 2001

VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

895708

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

LIGHTS FLICKERING, LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, ALTERNATOR NEEDS REPLACEMENT PART, EMISSION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, MALFUNCTIONING IGNITION. RECEIVED POOR SERVICE FROM DEALER.*AK

NHTSA ID

743513

Incident

Feb 8, 2001

WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN ENGINE BLEW OUT. PRIOR TO ENGINE STALLING CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO VALVA LINE TO GET OIL CHANGED. ONCE ENGINE BLEWOUT, IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER. DEALER SAID THAT SHOP WAS AT FAULT. SO MANUFACTURER HAD AN INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK OVER VEHICLE. CONCULSION WAS THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT.*AK

NHTSA ID

874739

Incident

Oct 26, 2000

DEFECTIVE OIL PUMP CAUSED SMOKE TO COME OUT OF ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

734575

Incident

Oct 2, 2000

RISING RPMS WHEN CLUTCH ENGAGED - ROSE TO APPROX 7KRPM AND ENGINE DIED 3X'S WITHIN 1 MILE. NOTE, DID NOT RISE WHILE IN GEAR PRESSING GAS ONLY ROSE MORE.

NHTSA ID

730674

Incident

Sep 7, 2000