HORN FAILED.*ET
1997 Mercury Cougar complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
SEATBELT BUCKLE FAILED. IS BROKEN. I'M A BIT UPSET!!*AK
RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER DOOR LOCKED (STUCK) CLOSED, THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE WITH A KEY, THE OUTSIDE HANDLE IS ALSO IN THE HALFWAY POSITION. NLM
BRAKE LINE CORRODED BY BATTERY ACID AND BROKE, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKE FUNCTION AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH VEHICLE THAT STOPPED AHEAD. BRAKE COMBINATION VALVE LOCATED IN FRONT OF BATTERY. ALL THE BRAKE LINES RUN PAST THE BATTERY FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AND TO THE WHEELS AND ARE FULLY PROTECTED BY A PLASTIC COATING EXCEPT THE LINE TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. ON THIS LINE THE PLASTIC COATING STARTS AT THE VALVE AND STOPS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE BATTERY. THE LINE BROKE AT THE POINT WHERE THE COATING STOPS AND IS HEAVILY CORRODED BY BATTERY ACID FOR SEVERAL INCHES. I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER INVESTIGATING THIS ACCIDENT FOR ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF MY REPORT. *AK
I BOUGHT MY COUGAR IN 1997. AT 6,113 MILES THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED AND HAD TO BE TURNED . AT 8,788 MILES THE ROTERS HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT 15,718 MILES THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN AND HAD TO BE TURNED AGAIN. AT 16,992 MILES THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN AND TURNED ONCE AGAIN. AT 20,990 MILES MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES,PREMIUM AFTERMARKET ROTORS AND PADS WERE ORDERED AND WERE INSTALLED AT 21,461 MILES.THEN AT 26,402 THE BRAKE PROBLEM CONTINUES THE ROTORS WERE TURNED AGAIN. I HAVE TRIED TO BE PATIENT WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT CENTROPLEX FORD BUT THE LAST TIME THEY TURNED THE ROTORS THEY SAID THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I AM VERY CONCERNED. MY WARRANTY WILL RUN OUT SOON AND I WOULD LIKE MY BRAKES FIXED FOR GOOD .
THE PANIC HORN WHICH IS A PART OF THEANTI-THEFT ALARM WENT OFF , CAUSING THE WIRE HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD TO BURN UP TWICE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING BRAKE DISC ROTORS WARPED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED BRAKE ROTORS NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN TRAVELING THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. ALSO, THERE IS VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
FRONT END PROBLEMS CAUSING EXCESSIVE VIBRATION (SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS), FRONT BRAKES ALSO EXPERIENCE LOCKING UP ON OCCASIONS, BOTH THESE FAILURES ARE CAUSING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEMS. MJS
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH IMPACT, ANOTHER VEHICLE DROVE RIGHT IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, CAUSING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE ON THE SIDE. BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE FURTHER INFOMATION. *AK
DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED CAUSING A POPPING NOISE WHEN THE WINDOW IS BEING ROLLED DOWN. NLM
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT NOT CLEAR THE ENTIRE WINDOW. THEY DO NOT GO ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER ALSO OBTAINED SIX STITCHES TO THE HEAD FROM THE DESIGN OF THE SUNVISOR BEING SUPPORTED BY A VERTICAL ROD INSTEAD OF A HORIZONTAL ONE. *JG
THERE IS A LEAKAGE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. GAS IS LEAKAGE FROM THE VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER REPLACED TRANSMISSION FOUR TIMES. *AK
THERE IS A LEAKAGE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. WHENEVER CONSUMER PUT GAS INTO THE VEHICLE, THE GAS LEAKS OUT, AND THE CONSUMER CAN SMELL GAS IN VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP THREE TIMES FOR THE FUEL INJECTION. ALSO CONSUMER HAD TRANSMISSION IN REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES. VEHICLE IS STILL IN REPAIR SHOP FOR FUEL INJECTION PROBLEMS, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
DESIGN OF SUN VISOR SUPPORT ROD CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HIT HIS HEAD ON THE ROD DURING REAR END COLLISION. NLM
ENGINE THERMOSTAT FAILED. MJS
EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL PADDING FAILED. NLM
RACK & PINION STEERING REPLACED BY DEALER DUE TO LEAKS THROUGH BELLOWS.MGM
BECAUSE THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY CAUSED VIBRATION AND SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER CUT THE ROTORS. *AK
NOTICED PULSATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN BRAKING. ASKED DEALER TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ALL 4 ROTORS. DEALER SAID WE CUT THE ROTORS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS REMOVES USEABLE SERVICE LIFE AT MY EXPENSE. I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGNE FLAW OF ROTOR WARPING PROBABLY DUE TO HEAT. SEVICE INVOICE STATES THAT ALL FOUR ROTORS WERE TURNED DUE TO WARPING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH LATE YEAR MODEL FORD CARS. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF FOUR FORD OWNERS WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM.
SEAT BELT FAILED.
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTORS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THOSE THE KIND OF SEAT BELTS CAME WITH THE CAR. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT BOTH REAR SHOULDER HARNESSES DO NOT LOCK AND THAT THEY CAN BE PULLED IN AND OUT WITH EASE, THE REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLIES ALSO FAILED TO LOCK. *SLC
BRAKES BEGAN VIBRATING EXCESSIVELY AT APPROX. 30,000 MILES.
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAILURE DUE TO POORLY DESIGNED CLUTCH PACKS/CYLINDERS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO SHIFT. WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO GEAR, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE ANYWHERE. *AK SERVICE MANGER TOLD CONSUMER THAT FORD USED BAD CLUTCH PACKS AND CLUTCH PACK CYLINDERS IN THE 1997 TRANSMISSIONS. *SLC
STOPPED VEHICLE IN STREET, PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TILTED THE STEERING WHEE, . GOT OUT AND VEHICLE JUMPED INTO REVERSE AND ROLLED BACK. DEALER CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. *AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Mercury Cougar → · Every Cougar year → · How the figures are calculated →