1999 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

DUE TO VIBRATION IN STEERING, I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED IN MAY, 2001. ONE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE "THROWN" A BELT, A DEFECT IN THE TIRE. UPON CONTACTING BF GOODRICH IT WAS FOUND THAT THE NEAREST TIRE INSPECTOR/ADJUSTER WAS 90 MILES FROM MY HOMETOWN. I SET AN APPOINTMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK LATER. IN THE MEANTIME I EXPERIENCED A BLOW-OUT OF THAT TIRE AND HAD TO HAVE IT PATCHED. ACCORDING TO THE INSPECTOR/ADJUSTER, THE PATCH DEEMED ANY WARRANTY VOID AND NO ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE ON A NEW TIRE. THEN IN SEPTEMBER, 2001 I AGAIN NOTICEED SIMILAR VIBRATION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER TIRE DEALER TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED. ANOTHER OF THE TIRES WAS FOUND TO HAVE "THROWN" A BELT, WHICH AGAIN WAS SAID TO BE A DEFECT IN THE TIRE. 2 OF THE 4 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM/DEFECT. I CONTACTED BF GOODRICH WITH MY CONCERN FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT BUT WAS TOLD AS LONG AS THE OTHER 2 TIRES WERE OK THEY CAN ONLY MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE CURRENT DEFECT ISSUE, PRIOVIDED I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER BLOW-OUT IN THE MEANTIME!*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/50R16)

THE VEHICLES REAR TIRE WAS FLAT, THE FRONT TIRE WAS GOING FLAT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE ALL LOW, UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL 4 TIRES HAD A SPLIT IN THE RUBBER THAT WAS PERFECTLY CIRCULAR AND ON THE FLATTEST TIRE THE RUBBER HAD SPLIT AND WAS GAPING OPEN. THE SEPARATION IS THIN AND SMOOTH-EDGED NOT TORN(FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA,P205/55R16). *SLC

SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT START. AFTER VEHICLE IS STARTED, CONSUMER WILL TURN IT OFF TO SEE IF IT WILL START, AND IT WON'T. CONSUMER HAS CONTACED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

MY CAR WILL NOT START. AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN IT AND START IT B ACK UP IT WILL NOT START. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE JANUARY 2000. I'VE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AND THEY KEEP SAYING THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. I'VE FILED A SUIT WITH THE LEMON LAW BUT ITS TAKING TO LONG. PLEASE HELP ME. I CAN'T CUT THE CAR OFF WHEN I DROP MY KIDS OFF AT THE DAY CARE. I'M BEYOND FRUSTRATED. *AK

ON ALL FOUR TIRES PRESSURE WAS LOW AND TREAD WAS SEPARATING. CONSUMER CHECKED RIGHT REAR TIRE ,AND THERE WAS TREAD SEPERATION AS WELL. FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK GTA-02, SIZE205/60R15 ON A 1999, MERCURY, COUGAR. *AKALL FOUR TIRES HAD SIDEWALL SEPARATION AT THE SAME TIME,THE VEHICLES REAR TIRE WAS FLAT, THE FRONT TIRE WAS GOING FLAT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE ALL LOW, UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL 4 TIRES HAD A SPLIT IN THE RUBBER THAT WAS PERFECTLY CIRCULAR AND ON THE FLATTEST TIRE THE RUBBER HAD SPLIT AND WAS GAPING OPEN. THE SEPARATION IS THIN AND SMOOTH-EDGED NOT TORN(FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA,P205/55R16). NLM

BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. ALSO, IT IS HARD TO GET VEHICLE IN AND OUT OF GEAR.*AK

THERE ARE NO BRAKE LIGHTS ,AND ITS HARD TO GET VEHICLE IN AND OUT OF GEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFOMATION.*AK

THE VICTIMS PARENTS BELIEVE THAT RECALL 01V-031 OF THE MISROUTED BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF THERE DAUGHTERS DEATH, THE RECALL WAS RECIEVED 1-MAR-01, 4 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. NLM

VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL AT 70-75 MPH- DEALER CAN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM AND TIRES AND BALANCE ARE OK. *AK

INTERMITTENT ENGINE RACING TO 3000-3500 RPM, WHEN CLUTCH IS ENGAGED, WHICH LASTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS AND INTERMITTENT OVERDECELERATION (AS IF THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED) THAT RELEASES WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS TAPPED. *AK