1996 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

96 V 070 000/STRUCTURE DOOR ASSEMBLY LATCHES AND LOCKS: ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER DOOR FLEW OPEN BY ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER MADE SOME REPAIRS AT NO COST. THE CONSUMER HAS A CONCERN IF THE PROBLEM WILL RECUR. *JB *AK

CHECK FOR COOLANT LEAK AT INTAKE MANIFOLD. REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE WERE REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND TIRE ROTATION. *BF THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON, AND THE COOLANT LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE SENSOR LIGHT AND ADDED A CUP OF WATER. THE CONSUMER'S SON IN LAW WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE, THE RUBBER STRIP ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS COMING OFF, THE RIGHT REAR TRIM PANEL COMING LOOSE, THE BRAKES MADE RUBBING NOISE INTERMITTENTLY, GLOVE BOX DOOR WON'T SHUT, THE AIR BAG WOULD RATTLE, THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR RATTLED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AND THE DOOR SWITCH TRIM PANEL WAS DISCOLORED. *SC

I PURCHASED MY COUGAR IN 1996 BRAND NEW. I HAVE BEEN IT SOUL OWNER SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE. ON NOVEMBER 23, 2004 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND ABOUT HALF WAY THERE MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WAS NO OTHER SIGNS THAT MY CAR WAS IN TROUBLE, NO OVERHEATING ON MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE, SO I CONTINUED TO WORK, PARKED THE CAR. BEFORE I STARTED THE CAR I ADDED A GALLON OF ANTIFREEZE AND IT SEEMED TO DRAIN OUT SO I ADDED ANOTHER GALLON, IT DID THE SAME. I IMMEDIATE CALLED MY MECHANIC BEFORE STARTING THE CAR. HE TOLD ME TO START THE CAR AND WHEN I DID I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND ALL THE ANTIFREEZE WAS POURING OUT FAST. I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED DIRECTLY TO MY MECHANIC. HE HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED. I HAVE HAD THIS ITEM PERIODICALLY CHECKED SINCE I RECEIVED THE RECALL INFORMATION IN 1998. EACH CHECK HAS ASSURED ME THAT THIS MANIFOLD WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. NOW I FIND OUT THAT THE RECALL WILL NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME $1100.00 TO FIX. I THINK IT IS VERY UNFAIR THAT FORD WILL NOT CONTINUE TO HONOR THE RECALL SINCE THEY KNOW THAT THIS PLASTIC MANIFOLD WILL NOT HOLD UP FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THIS IS MY FIRST MAJOR ISSUE AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN FORDS POLICY. I BOUGHT MY COUGAR IN GOOD FAITH AND I LOVE MY CAR VERY MUCH. BECAUSE I TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICLE I MISSED THE CUTOFF TIME BY FOUR MONTHS AND NOW IT WILL COST ME DEARLY. WHY WEREN'T VEHICLE OWNERS INFORMED OF THE CUTOFF TIMES? I WAS GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THIS RECALL WOULD BE HONORED IN GOOD FAITH FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

I JUST PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM USED CAR LOT. DURING MY 3 MILE TRIP HOME THE CAR OVER HEATED AND WATER VAPOR WAS COMING IN THROUGH AIR CONDITIONING VENTS. WHEN I STOPPED AT MY HOME, I COULD SEE STEAM COMING FROM INSIDE ENGINE. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, I FOUND THAT THERE WAS CRACK IN A PLASTIC PART COMING DIRECTLY OFF OF THE ENGINE BLOCK TO A COOLANT HOSE. I WENT TO SEVERAL AUTO PARTS STORES TO IDENTIFY THE PART AND FOUND IT WAS A CRACK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WATER CROSS-OVER JACKET CAUSING COOLANT LEAK. THE STORES DID NOT CARRY A REPLACEMENT, SO I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP. FORD DOES HAVE A REPLACEMENT PART, ACTUALLY THEY REDESIGNED THE WHOLE INTAKE MANIFOLD BECAUSE OF THEIR POOR DESIGN ERROR. THEY ALSO HAD EXTENDED THE CAR WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS TO REPLACE THIS PART IF/WHEN FAILURE OCCURS. THE FORD REPLACEMENT IS AN ASSEMBLY, NOT PART JUST THE PROBLEM PART, IT COSTS $589.17 AND DEALER INSTALLATION OF IT COSTS $450.00. FORD WOULD NOT ASSIST OR GIVE AT ALL ON THE 7 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION TO FIX THEIR OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE PART AND/OR THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. THROUGH ON-LINE NEWGROUPS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, JUNKYARDS CANNOT KEEP THE OLD PLASTIC PART IN THEIR YARDS. I LOVE THE COUGAR XR7 V8, BUT BEWARE IF THIS PART HASN'T BEEN FIXED WITH THE NEW ONE, THAT YOU WILL AT SOME POINT HAVE TO FIX IT. *NM

INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK. AS A RESULT, WATER LEAKED OUT, AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD. *MR ONE WEEK BEFORE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE BACK UP AND BRAKE LIGHTS, THE FAN BELT, AND THE VEHICLE OVER HEATED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING, THE HOOD FLEW UP WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. THERE IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN TO THE HOOD LATCH. *JB *MR

HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS SHORTED OUT MANY TIMES. LOCAL DELARSHIP KNOWS THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED BY A LOCAL SHOP THREE TIMES. FOD HAD CHECKED FOR ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND SAID THEY WERE ALL FINE.*AK AUTOMATIC TRANSMISION WENT OUT BECAUSE THE FILTER WASNT GETTING ENOUGH FLUID BECAUSE THE FILTER WASNT CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FAN 96 COUGAR 41,000 ORIGINAL MILES

I BOUGHT A MECURY COUGAR XR7 FEBURARY 1ST, 2003 AT CARMAX IN DULLES, VA. I HAVE HAD THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS. LAST MONDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2003 I TOOK MY CAR TO INSPECTED BY THE STATE OF MARYLAND. I WAS ASSURED THIS CAR WOULD PASS INSPECTION. MY CAR FAILED INSPECTION. I AM NOW HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR WHERE IT JUMPS AND KNOCKS. THE ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. I HAVE TRIED CALLING CARMAX SEVERAL TIMES THIS WEEK TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED AT THEIR LAUREL DEALERSHIP AND WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR AT CARMAX IN STERLING/DULLES, VA. NO ONE COULD HELP ME TO BRING MY CAR IN OR SET UP AN EARLIER APPOINTMENT. MY CAR SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL APART. MY GIRLFRIEND CALLED THE SALESPERSON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2003. THE SALESPERSON CALLED THE OPERATIONS MANAGER AND HE CALLED MY GIRLFRIEND. THEY ARE TRYING TO SET UP A TIME FOR ME TO BRING MY CAR IN ON MONDAY. I HAVE CALLED ALL WEEK AND NO ONE WOULD FORWARD MY CALL TO THE OPERATIONS MANAGER AT CARMAX. MY APPOINTMENT WAS SET UP TO BRING MY CAR IN ON FEBRUARY 24TH. I AM WORRIED THAT I BOUGHT LEMON. I ONLY HAD THE CAR APPROXIMATLEY 3 WEEKS. THERE IS A CERTIFICATE IN MY CAR FROM VIRGINIA STATE CLAIMING THAT THIS CAR PASSED INSPECTION BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2002.

INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED. MADE OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL. IS THERE ANY RECALLS OUT THERE FOR THIS? IF NOT, WHY NOT? WHY WOULD YOU PUT PLASTIC MATERIAL IN THE ENGINE? *LA