1999 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

POWER RACK AND PINION LEAKAGE OCCURRED AND RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE WARRANTY 3 YRS. OR 36,000 MI. HAD EXPIRED ACCORDING TO DEALER. $800.00 AND 15 MONTHS LATER A "CLUNKING" NOISE IS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL DURING PARKING MANEUVERS. APPARENTLY, THEY ONLY WARRANTY THE PART FOR 12 MONTHS. *JB

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAD DEPLOYS IN A PARKED CAR CAUSING INJURY AND DAMAGE WORTH $3,500 AND FORD REFUSES TO PAY FOR IT. ON 31ST MAY 2003, WE WENT TO THE LIBRARY TO DROP OFF OUR BOOKS. WE PARKED OUR CAR, AND I GOT DOWN TO DROP THE BOOKS. MY WIFE, WHO WAS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TURNED AROUND TO PICK MORE OF THE BOOKS FROM THE BACK SEAT AND HER SIDE AIR BAG BLEW OUT. SHE BROUGHT HER HAND FORWARD TO COVER HER FACE AND WAS HIT BY THE BLOWN AIR BAG. AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED. THE CAR IS A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT AND WE HAD TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. PER, FIRE DEPARTMENT CAPTAIN, THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS CASE BEFORE. LUCKILY, THE SMOKE WAS JUST THE AIR BAG POWDER. SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. AIR BAG COVER HIT THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH CRACKED THE WHOLE WINDSHIELD. THE FORCE OF DEPLOYMENT ALSO POPPED OUT AIR VENT AND THE DASHBOARD. WHEN WE CALLED UP FORD, THEY ASKED US TO CLAIM IT THROUGH OUR INSURANCE. BUT WHEN WE TOLD THEM THAT IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE THEY TOLD US SEND THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY CAN RUN DIAGNOSTICS. CURRENT MILEAGE IS AROUND 64,000. FORD SAYS THAT ONE OF THE MODULES WAS FAULTY AND ALSO THIS MODULE HAS WARRANTY OF 5 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES. BUT THIS WAS NOT MENTIONED IN ANY OF THEIR SERVICE MANUALS. ALSO NOBODY POINTED THIS OUT WHEN THE CAR HAD THE FORD RECOMMENDED 60,000-MILE MAINTENANCE AND CHECK WE ALSO MADE REPEATED CALLS TO FORD, TO GIVE US IN WRITING THAT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DUE TO FAULTY UNIT. BUT THEY ARE REFUSING TO DO SO. PROGRESSIVE, OUR INSURANCE AGENT HAS SAID THEY CANNOT COVER IT AND THAT WE HAVE TO TALK TO FORD (THEY DID SAY THAT IF THIS INCIDENT CAUSED A COLLISION, THEY WOULD HAVE PAID FOR IT). FORD SAYS THIS IS OUT OF WARRANTY. HOW DO WE COME TO KNOW WHICH PART IS GOING TO COST US IN FUTURE BECAUSE IT HAS RUN OUT OF WARRANTY, IF NOBODY POINTS OUT THE PROBLEM DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. *NLM

THERE IS A RECALL ON THE GAS TANK AS BEING LOOSE. THIS IS CAUSING THE NOZZLE NOT TO GO IN SMOOTHLY, AND THE PUMP KEEPS SHUTTING OFF. *AK

WHEN FILLING UP THE GAS NOZZLE GAS KEEPS SHUTTING OFF, AND ITS VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT NOZZLE IN AND OUT OF NECK. *AK

IMRC (INTAKE MANIFOLD RUNNER CONTROL) UNIT SEEMS TO HAVE USED INSUFFICIENT CABLE STRENGTH. FAULTY DESIGN CAUSED THE CABLE TO FRAY INSIDE THE UNIT EVENTUALLY BREAKING. *NLM

I OWN A 99 MERCURY COUGAR, ORIGINAL OWNER. MY HUSBAND CHANGED THE FRONT BRAKES AND FOUND THE SENSOR WAS MISSING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. MY HUSBAND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE TO ONE OF THE TECH'S, HE SAID ALL 4 WHEELS SHOULD HAVE A SENSOR. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR THERE TODAY THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THE TECH COMPARED IT TO ANOTHER COUGAR AND FOUND NO SENSOR ON THE RIGHT FRONT. IF A COUGAR HAS ABS THERE WILL NOT BE ANY SENSORS, SO WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WAS COMPARING IT TO. NO BRAKES WEAR EVEN. THE ONLY WAY I WILL BE HAPPY IF SOMEONE SENDS ME A PICTURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN A TRUCK AND CAR TECH. FOR 30 YEARS AND HE SAID ALL FOUR WHEELS SHOULD HAVE A SENSOR. WHO ARE THEY KIDDING. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE ENGINE PISTON LOCKED UP AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BLOW. *NLM

THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE DISC'S ARE NOTHING BUT A TOTAL PROBLEM. REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT 30000 MILES. THE FRONT AT 38000 MILES. NOW THE FRONTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT 52000 MILES. IT IS ABOUT TIME FOR FORD TO BUILD A RELIABLE CAR OR JUST QUIT MAKING CARS. *JB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AS STATED IN RECALL 01 V 230 000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND A HALF A TANK OF FUEL OR BELOW, THE ENGINE MISFIRES AND ALMOST STALLS OUT, THIS PRESENTS A HAZARD WHEN MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC COMING. THE FUEL SYSTEM HAS BEEN CHECKED AND SEEMS TO BE OPERATING FINE. *NLM