1995 Mercury Cougar

I WAS DRIVING ALONG HWY ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR WHEN CAR ENGINE STOPS. THIS STOPS POWER STEERING, BRAKES ETC. TO STOP WORKING AND YOU HAVE A HARD TIME PULLING OFF THE ROAD. WAITED ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND CAR COOLS DOWN A LITTLE. IT WILL THEN START UP AGAIN AND YOU CAN GO AGAIN FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE OR SO AND ENGINE DIES AGAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DROVE DIFFERENTLY AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE PURVIS FORD INC LOCATED AT 3660 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY #1, FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22408, WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT COULD BE THE IGNITION MODULE, DISTRIBUTOR, OR THE POWER CONTROL MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A MESSAGE WAS LEFT ON THE VOICEMAIL RECORDER. THE CONTACT WAS NOT CALLED BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS, APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, I TAPPED THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE THE CRUSE CONTROL, AFTER MAKING MY EXIT IN TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA THE CRUSE CONTROL TRIED TO RESUME MY LAST RECORDED SPEED WITHOUT ME PRESSING ANY OF THE CRUSE CONTROLS. THE CAR REACHED ABOUT 50MPH IN A 35MPH ZONE AND THE RPM'S SPIKED TO ABOUT 5000 BEFORE I HAD TO MANUALLY TURN OFF THE CRUSE CONTROL.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS AGO HE HAD THE FRONT END REDONE. THIRTEEN MONTHS LATER THE LEFT BALL JOINT FAILED AND IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THEN, HE NOTICED Y THAT THE RIGHT BALL JOINT MALFUNCTIONED. UPON CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

ONE DAY I WENT OUT TO MY CAR TO GO TO WORK AND THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE APPARENT. I PROCEEDED TO START MY CAR AND FOUND IT SLOW TO START THOUGH IT DID START UP AFTER A BIT.THAT EVENING AFTER WORK AGAIN THERE WAS A GAS SMELL AND AGAIN IT TOOK LONGER TO FIRE UP.UPON ARRIVING HOME THERE WAS A BIG WET SPOT ON MY GARAGE FLOOR WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY GASOLINE AND AT WORK THE NEXT DAY ANOTHER PUDDLE OF GAS WHERE I NORMALLY PARK. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THEY TOLD ME MY FUEL LINES HAD WORN THROUGH [CHAFED] IF YOU WILL BY IMPROPER INSTALLATION. BEING THE FUEL SYSTEM IS UNDER PRESSURE AND THE LINE WORE THROUGH THIS IS THE REASON THE CAR STARTED SLOWER THAN NORMAL ANDWHY THERE WAS A GASOLINE SMELL.LUCKILY THIS FAILURE DIDN'T CAUSE A FIRE IN MY CAR ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS IN MY GARAGE THOUGH THE MECHANIC SAID IT COULD HAVE. THE FUEL TANK HAD TO BE REMOVED AND REINSTALLED ALONG WITH THE PURCHASE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FUEL LINES FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE ENGINE AT AN UNNECESSARY EXPENSE TO ME. I READ A CONSUMER REPORTS ARTICLE ABOUT RECALLS FOR 92 -93 MERCURY COUGARS AND ANOTHER ONE FOR 97 COUGARS AND AM REPORTING THIS SAME PROBLEM ON MY 1995 COUGAR.*AK

TRANSMISSION WAS NOT PERFORMING. WELL. CONSUMER STATED THAT GEARS WERE NOT CHANGING, AND THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED.*AK

INFORMATION REQUEST CONCERNING RECALLS OR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS FOR THE 1995 MERCURY COUGAR.*MR *CB *JB

ODOMETER STOPPED AT 40,296. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER OWNERS OF MY SAME CAR AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *LA

BLEW A HEAD GASKET IN MY 1995 MERCURY COUGAR DUE TO A RECALL THAT WAS NOT PERFORMED BY BELL FORD ON MAY 23, 2002 WHEN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THAT REASON ONLY. WHEN I CONTACTED BELL FORD AND MERCURY ON MARCH 27, 2003, NEITHER WILL PAY FOR THE WORK THAT NOW NEEDS TO BE DONE. I AM NOW LEFT WITHOUT A CAR UNTIL IT IS FIXED AND A LARGE BILL TO PAY WHEN THIS COULD HAVE ALL BEEN AVOIDED IF THE RECALL WAS DONE WHEN MY CAR WAS BROUGHT IN. *NLM

MULTI- FUNCTIONAL SWITCH FOR (SIGNALS, BRIGHT LIGHTS, FLASHER AND WIPERS DEFECTIVE). *JB

THE ENGINE SEIGE UP CAUSING TO SHUT DOWN AT HIGHWAY SPEED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER STATED THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON AND RPM'S JUMP FROM 2000 TO 3000 CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE ALL POWER. THE DEALER CHANGED MAIN SENSOR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM STOPPED, BUT RPM'S PROBLEM CONTINUED. DEALER CHANGED SPEED SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. FINALLY THE HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED. *YH

CONSUMER STATES ODOMETER IS INOPERATIVE, DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

A GREEN FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, LOCATED CRACKS IN RADIATOR, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER ANTI-FREEZE WAS LEAKING. *AK *YD

FUEL INJECTION LINES WERE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, THIS CAUSED FRICTION AGAINST THE FUEL TANK AND CHAFED A HOLE THROUGH THE FUEL LINE, CAUSING A LEAK. *SLC

GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK TO THE FLOOR, AND THE CAR JUST OFF BY IT SELF FOR A 1/4 MILE. *AK

THE COATING ON THE DASH BEZELS CAUSES THEM TO MELT. NLM

PLASTIC HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS MELTED AND BOTH LIGHT SOCKETS WERE BURNED BLACK. THIS HAD SMOKED ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. BULBS BEING USED ARE TOO HOT FOR ASSEMBLY, AS THERE IS NO AIR VENITLATION FOR THE HEAT TO BE VENTED. I WILL NOW HAVE TO REPLACE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. WHILE IT DID NOT CAUSE A FIRE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF IGNITION SINCE THE PLASTIC HAD MELTED AND WAS ACTUALLY TOUCHING THE BULB. LUCKILY, THE BULB BLEW AND A FIRE DID NOT OCCUR. *AK

FORD/MERCURY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THE 1995 3.8L V-6 ENGINES AND FAILED TO SEND OUT ANY INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER. THIS MEANS THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CARS THAT HAD ALREADY REACHED THE MILEAGE LIMIT THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY UP TO. WE DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASTE UNTIL AFTER THE CAR HAD OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT. SO WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT WE GET SHAFTED BECAUSE OF FORD. *AK

AIR CONDITIONER SWITCH OVERHEATS AND WILL MELT THE PLASTIC FOR DASHBOARD. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD.*AK THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS AND NEW PARTS WERE INSTALLED. *YH