1999 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

I OWN A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR WHICH CURRENTLY HAS 5700 MILES. THE FLYWHEEL HAS FAILED ,RESULTING IN COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE STARTER AND FLYWHEEL. THE PROBLEM BEGAN MORE THAN A YEAR AGO BUT WAS SO INTERMITTENT THAT MY MECHANIC COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. DAMAGED PARTS WILL BE RETAINED FOR FUTURE INSPECTION IF NEEDED. I CONDUCTED A WEBSEARCH AND FOUND A WEBSITE WHICH CONTAINED MANY OTHER OWNERS OF 99 COUGARS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, EVEN AT THE SAME APPROX. MILEAGE. THE WEBSITE IS LOCATED AT: ://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_5988.HTML. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE/SURGE FORWARD BEFORE STALLING. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WILL BE NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE ,THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE COMPUTER CODE NEEDED TO BE RESET AND RESET IT TWICE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB *TC

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND REPLACED THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION AXLE LIGHT IS ON AND THE DASHBOARD SAYS ODOMETR OFF THEN THE TRANSMISSION AXLE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR SHIFTS HARD. THIS HAPPENED AT 49,000 MILES THE DEALER SAID I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I REPLACED TRANSMISSION, AND NOW AT 75,000 MILES THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING. THIS SEEMS TO BE LIKE THERE IS SOME DEFECTIVE PROBLEM GOING ON. I WAS VERY UPSET THAT THE WARRANTY DIDN'T COVER THIS AS IT HAPPENED OVER 36,000 MILES BUT I REFUSE TO HAVE TO AGAIN PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR ANOTHER TRANSMISSION.*AK

MY BLOWER FAN QUIT WORKING ON ANYTHING BUT HIGH. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR HAD GONE OUT AND IT MELTED THE CONNECTOR. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM FOR 1999 MERCURY COUGERS 01S22. *AK

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR WHEN THE BRAKE WERE BEING APPLIED. ALSO, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK THE SWITCH HAD BECOME HOT AND MELTED PLASTIC FROM THE HOUSING AROUND METAL CONNECTOR PRONE. *SC

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A SUN ROOF PROBLEM. WHEN THE BUTTON WAS PUSHED TO RAISE THE ROOF IT WENT OFF THE TRACK. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO WAS NOT STANDING BEHIND ITS PRODUCT. *AK

PURCHASED CAR NEW, IN 57000 MILES WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE, 2 ALTERNATORS, 1 STARTER, 2 BATTERIES, ENTIRE RACK AND PINION, POWER STEERING PUMP, TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER, 4 SET OF BRAKES, 4 SETS OF TIRES PLUS TWO INDIVIDUAL TIRES ALL WITH SIDEWALL BLOW OUTS EXCEPT ONE PUNCTURE AND 2 HEADLIGHT SWITCHES, 2 CIG LIGHTERS. THE ENTIRE UPPER ENGINE GASKET SET HAD TO BE REPLACED TO GET TO AN INTAKE LEAK. THE HEAD LIGHTS AND FOGLIGHTS WORK ITERMITTANTLY, ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY GOING ON AND OFF. CURRENTLY ONE HEADLIGHT IS OUT (LAMP IS GOOD) FOG LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING (TODAY) AND AN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT IS INDICATING A PROBLEM AGAIN. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI CASE NUMBER: 10070550 COMPONENT: OTHER DETAILS: EXHIBITING A STARTER GRINDING NOISE AND / OR LACK OF STARTER DRIVE ENGAGEMENT (FROM TSB). THE FLYWHEEL DEFECT FIRST APPEARED IN JUNE 2001 WHEN THE COUGAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY IN YEARS AND MILEAGE. WHEN THE DEFECT SURFACED, THE COUGAR WOULD NOT KICK-OVER IMMEDIATELY, HOWEVER THIS OCCURRED VERY INFREQUENTLY. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO CONSISTENT PROBLEM TO RECOGNIZE AND RECTIFY. OVER THE ENSUING MONTHS THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. AT THIS POINT, I RECOGNIZED THERE WAS A POSSIBLE MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM I WAS EXPERIENCING WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE FLYWHEEL. ITS TEETH WERE SOFT AND THE DEFECT HAD WORN AWAY THE STARTER. THE FLYWHEEL HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE STARTER MOTOR AND IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO FIRST BE REMOVED. CAUSE: RESULT: OCCURENCES: 1INJURIES: 0 FAIL DATE: 10/15/2002DEATHS: 0 MCS CHECK DATE: 4/25/2004 I INQUIRED ON THE COST FOR THE FLY WHEEL, WHICH HAS JUST BEEN RELAYED TO ME BY MY MECHANIC, THAT IT IS NOT THE STARTER. THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST SAID THE COST WOULD BE $1,030.00 OR SO. I HAVE A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. *JB