1999 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

ENGINE> VEHICLE HAS BEEN HESITATING SINCE 10/01. VEHICLE BROUGHT IN FOR REGULAR CHECK AND DESCRIPTION OF HESITATION/BUCKING ESP. ON HIGHWAY PROVIDED TO SERVICE REP. VEHICLE SERVICED HESITATION PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS IGNITION WIRES IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. IGNITION WIRES REPLACED, LUBE, OIL, FILTER, AND FLUIDS TOPPED. ALSO TOLD ALL FOUR TIRES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. DECLINED TIRE REPLACEMENT AT THIS TIME. TOTAL COST FOR SERVICE WITH TAX &LABOR=$346.70 VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN THE SAME WAY. ALSO COOLANT AND AIRBAG ICONS CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. SCHEDULED FOR SERVICING AGAIN ON 12/5/01. DIAGNOSIS AIRBAG CENSOR IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT (STILL UNDER WARRANTY ) AND IN NEED OF A NEW COLLANT EXPANSION CONTAINER (APPROX. COST $200.) CAR IN ON 12/31/01 ,AIRBAG SENSOR REPLACED AND CAR CHECKED AGAIN FOR CAUSE OF HESITATION. RESPONSE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE CUSTOMER'S CONCERN. HESITATION CONTINUED AND ON 1/05/02 WHILE RETURNING HOME ON SECONDARY ROAD, CHECK OIL LIGHT ICON CAME ON. DEALERSHIP NEARBY SO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DRIVE CAR THERE . VEHICLE DIED, NO POWER STEERING. LARGE PUDDLE OF OIL UNDER VEHICLE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS> ENGINE GONE AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. IMPLODED FROM WITHIN

VEHICLE CUTS OFF ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS WHILE TRAVELING ANY SPEED ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE ACCELERATES AND HEADLIGHTS, AND WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE BEFORE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *JB

VEHICLE CUTS OFF ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS WHILE TRAVELING ANY SPEED ON HIGHWAY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTATCED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS. WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN AND HIT A PUDDLE ,VEHICLE WILL STALL. ALSO, WHEN HITTING A BUMP WHEEL WILL LOCK/ LIGHTS WILL COME ON, AND VEHICLE WILL STALL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.*AK

5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS COUGAR, THERE WAS A HUGE POWER STEERING LEAK. CALLED AROUND FOR SOMEONE TO FIX IT, BUT DEALER WAS THE ONLY CHOICE. WE WERE TOLD IT COULD BE A BAD PUMP AND THAT WOULD COST $450 TO FIX. THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THE WHOLE GEAR WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST US $700. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT RACK AND PINION GEAR SHOULD NOT GO BAD ON A 2 YEAR OLD CAR. WE ALSO CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS, WHO DID NOTHING TO HELP US. WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK. DEALER ALSO FAILED TO NOTIFY US OF 5 OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THIS CAR. THEN, 2 DAYS AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM STEERING BEING FIXED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT AND STRANDED OUR 19 YEAR DAUGHTER AT 2 IN THE MORNING. THIS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ONE OF THE RECALLED ITEMS. THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE FIXED THIS DURING THE 3 DAYS WHEN THEY HAD THE CAR .*AK

THE CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RECALLS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DATE PURCHASED, BRAKE PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE 00V-075, BATTERY CABLE ROUTING 01V-031, BRAKE LAMP SWITCH JUMPER HARNESS 01V-032. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE, TOTAL FRONT CRASH. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, NO INJURIES. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.*AK

DRIVER SWERVED TO MISS DEER AND IMPACTED A LIGHT POLE HEAD ON AT 75 MPH, CAR ROLLED - AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY - WILL NOTIFY FORD IN THE MORNING.*AK

TIRE HAS CONTINUOUSLY LOST AIR SINCE DAY ONE. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER AT LEAST THREE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, EACH TIME THEY FIND NO CONSTANT PROBLEM. ONCE THEY STATED THAT A PATCH WAS LEAKING. THE TIRE IS SO THIN IN SPOTS THAT A 1/4" SCREW PUNCTURED IT, THUS THE PATCH. THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE SPENDS MORE TIME AT AIR PUMPS THAT GAS. NOW I HAD IT ALIGNED AND BALANCED, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT BOTH FRONT TIRES ARE SEPARATING. I HAVE LONG CONTENDED THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO FORD AND NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. THE TIRES ARE NOW ON THE REAR, AND I WILL TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER, I ALSO EXPECT TO GET A MAJOR RUN AROUND. THE DEALERSHIP I TAKE IT TO IS NOT WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I AM TAKING IT TO HOLMAN LINCOLN MERCURY IN HOLLYWOOD, FL. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP DUE TO DISTANCE.ANY ADVISE?*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/50R16)

THE ENGINE WILL KILL WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS AT HIGH SPEEDS OF 50+ MPH. WHEN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO HIT THE BRAKES OR STEER, THEY BOTH LOCK UP AND THAT IS WHEN I DISCOVER THAT THE CAR IS DEAD. LUCKILY, I NEVER NEEDED TO USE MY BRAKES OR STEERING WHEN IT HAPPENED, I COASTED THROUGH TRAFFIC WHILE HAVING TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS, THEY HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FAIL FOR THEM, YET IT STILL READS AS IF THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT ON ALL OF THEIR DIAGNOSTICS. IT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND FORD IS NOT OFFERING TO REPLACE OR REIMBURSE ME FOR THE AUTOMOBILE. THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ME TO COME PICK IT UP AND DRIVE IT TILL IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SHOULD TRAFFIC HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME, I COULD BE DEAD, MY BABY COULD BE DEAD AND WHOMEVER I HIT COULD BE DEAD. YET FORD IS TAKING LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT.*AK