Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Mercury Cougar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE WINDOWS AND SUN ROOF INDEPENDENTLY ROLLED DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT IS EFFECTING MY VEHICLE. I HAVE A V6 ENGINE, AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, RADIO, INTERIOR LIGHTS, AND HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER WHEN I START UP MY CAR AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. I WENT ONLINE TO LOOK AT POSSIBLY RECALLS AND SAW THAT THERE WAS ONE DECRIBING THE EXACT ISSUE I HAVE. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN HUNTLEY, ILLINOIS AND TALKED TO A GUY IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, NAMED MIKE. HE TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL ONLY AFFECTED CERTAIN MERCURY COUGARS FROM CERTAIN PLANTS.... I AM ALSON HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR.
HEADLAMPS FLICKER- WHEN MY HEADLAMPS ,"FLICKER", THEY GET SO DIM THAT I AM CONCERNED I WILL NOT SEE ITEMS IN THE PATH OF MY MOVING VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD TWO NEAR MISSES; ONE WITH AN ANIMAL AT LARGE, THE OTHER MUCH MORE SERIOUS, AND A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK. THE ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT WAS DONE 2 TIMES, BATTERY REPLACEMENT DONE ONCE. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF MY SERVICE ADVISOR AT FORD HE STATED THAT THIS IS ONLY A BULLETIN BECAUSE IT IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE LIGHTS DO NOT GO COMPLETELY OUT. MY CHILDREN WHOM RIDE IN THIS CAR AND THE PEDESTRIAN THAT I COULD NOT SEE WOULD DEEM THIS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN RIGHT ALONG WITH MYSELF AND OTHER PASSENGERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN MY VEHICLE. I ONLY DRIVE MY CAR AFTER DARK BECAUSE I HAVE NO OTHER CAR. *JB
VEHICLE INTERIOR AND HEADLIGHTS CONSTANTLY BRIGHTEN AND DIM WHEN BRAKE OR GAS PEDAL IS APPLIED. BROUGHT IT IN TO DEALER ON 11/26/04, ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED (100 DOLLARS SPENT). ALTERNATOR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO COMPLETE FAILURE ON CHRISTMAS EVE 2001. NOW ON THIRD ALTERNATOR. ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 29, CAR BEGAN EXHIBITED THE SAME BRIGHTENING AND DIMMING EFFECTS. BROUGHT TO DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRE BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A PROBLEM. DEALER WAS NICE ENOUGH TO FIX IT FOR FREE. I HAVE CONTACTED MERCURY CORPORATE SEVERAL TIMES AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN ACTUALY HELP ME AND AND ALWAYS TOLD THAT I CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYONE ELSE. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE WRONG WITH THIS CAR I DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN.*AK
WHILE TURNING ON THE TURN SIGNAL IT FAILED TO TURN ON. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH UNIT DUE TO A BURNT WIRE. *AK
I FEEL THE FIRST PROBLEM I HAD RESULTED IN THE CONTINUING DEGRADATION OF THIS VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
HEADLIGHT FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND PROBLEM REOCCURRED. VEHICLE BACK AT DEALER. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING E WHEN VEHICLE STALLED IN FRONT OF A SEMI-RACTOR TRAILER. ALSO, STEERING HAD LOCKED UP. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO STALLING. FINALLY TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & LEFT IT THERE. LIGHTS GO DIM AND CAR WANTS TO DIE/ DOESN'T WANT TO GO INTO SECOND GEAR WHEN STARTING OFF, AND SAME THING IS HAPPENING WHEN TRYING TO SIFT INTO FIFTH GEAR/PASSENGER'S TAIL LIGHT IS COMING LOOSE/INTERIOR LIGHTS COMING ON. *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
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