Page 5 of 5 · complaints 201–211 of 211

2000 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 2000 record →

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Sep 7, 2000OH

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.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 23, 2000VA

WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED WHILE DRIVING , THE ENGINE WILL MAINTAIN RPM AND/OR INCREASE RPM BY AS MUCH AS 1500 RPM FOR SEVERAL SECONDS OR UNTIL THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED IN GEAR. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE DRIVING (SHIFTING GEAR) OR COMING TO A STOP WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT. IF I HIT THE THROTTLE TO TRY AND BRING THE RPM DOWN IT WILL HANG AT THE HIGHER RPM.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 14, 2000TX

RPMS REMAIN HIGH WHEN CLUTCH IS ENGAGED; RPMS TAKE FAR TOO LONG TO REACH A NORMAL IDLE SPEED. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jul 24, 2000OH

ACCELERATOR STAYS AT 3500 RPM WITHOUT CONSUMER'S FOOT ON THE PEDAL.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed May 16, 2000OH

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

Vehicle Speed Control › Cables
Filed May 9, 2000NM

WHEN SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR OR WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH, CONSUMER NOTICED HIGH RPMS. ALSO, RPMS HUNG FOR A LONG PERIOD BEFORE RETURNING TO NORMAL IDLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. CONSUMER RECALL 99V194000 DEALT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE 1999 VEHICLES, BUT COURGAR 2000 MODELS WERE NOT INCLUDED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed May 3, 2000NC

INVOLVED IN A COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, ALSO, DRIVER SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, UPON IMPACT. *AK

Tires › Sidewall
Filed Apr 18, 2000MA

THE RIGHT SIDEWALLS ON BOTH TIRES FAILED PREMATURELY. YH

Electrical System › Horn
Filed Apr 14, 2000MI

THE HORN REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF FORCE TO OPERATE. YH

Unknown or Other
Filed Apr 12, 2000CA

AT 2600 MILES ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND KEY IN IGNITION SWITCH WASN'T WORKING. *AK

Seat Belts › Integrated Child Seat
Filed Feb 23, 2000AZ

NO CHILD SEAT WILL FIT INTO THE BACK SEAT OF THIS CAR. WE TRIED EVERY ONE IN THE STORE. *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.

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