1993 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

INTERNAL LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK RECALL 99V275 DEALS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE FORD RECALL HOTLINE THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED, CONSUMER WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT. *JB

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY, WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK *YD

PAID 3,200.00 FOR A USED CAR FOLLOWED MY GIRLFRIEND HOME AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MUFFLER AND IT HAD A SWEET SMELL.THE DEALER TOLD ME THE MACHANIC SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR WHEN WE BAUGHT IT AND THE NEXT DAY AFTER WE BAUGHT THE CAR IT WAS OVERHEATING SO WE CALLED THE DEALER (LARRY)BUT HE WASNT THERE AND THE GUY I TALKED TO SAID NOT TO WORRY THEY'LL FIX IT OR REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER CAR BUT TO CALL BACK AND TALK TO LARRY FIRST SO WE CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND HE SAID HE COULDNT HELP US BUT OFFERED TO FIX IT BUT WE HAD TO PAY FOR IT.FEELING WE ALREADY GOT SCREWED BY THEESE PEOPLE WE WERENT GOING TO RISK IT. SO WE FINALY TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MACHANIC AND HE SAID THE CAR HAD A BROKEN HEAD GASKET, AND THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SO NOW I PAID HIM 850.00 FOR ANOTHER ENGINE AND 550.00 FOR LABOR (SO TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT WE WERE SOLD A CAR WITH A BUSTED HEAD GASKET AND WERE LIED TO. *AK

LEFT HUB IS STARTING TO GO OUT..THE LOCK IS STUCK ON MY IGNITION SWITCH SO I CANN'T CRANK MY CAR..MOTOR MOUNT BROKE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED ON AND OFF, CONSUMER HAD TO WIGGLE THE SWITCH TO MAKE THE LIGHTS COME BACK ON, AND SOMETIMES IT DID NOT WORK, LOST ALL LIGHTS, AND SMELLED WIRES BURNING. CONTACTED DEALER *AKTHE SWITCH WAS REPLACED BUT THAT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MELTED WIRING AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT REOCCURED. NLM

WHILE DRIVING OR PROCEEDING FROM A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE *YD

HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT NOT THE FIRST TIME I OWEND FORDS & THIS HAPPEND!!NO MORE FORDS FOR MEEEE!!! ALL JUNK BOXES.*AK

DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND SHUT DOWN- BROUGHT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED. ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 3.8 LTR ENGINES. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET ON A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8 LITER V6 FAILED AT 66999 MILES ON 8/20/97 PAST THE WARRENTY PERIOD. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE HEADS ALSO OCCURRED REQUIRING MACHINING AND REPAIR TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $1,548.65 WHICH INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: HEAD REPAIR, HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT, COOLANT REPLACEMENT, SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT, THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT, VARIOUS GASKET REPLACEMENT, DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT, O2 SENSOR REPLACEMENT, AND OTHER MINOR REPAIRS. REPAIRS TOOK 7 DAYS TO COMPLETE. DEALER WOULD NOT COVER COST OF REPAIR UNDER WARRENTY. FORD WAS ALSO CONTACTED AT THAT TIME BUT SAID THERE WAS NOT A GENERIC PROBLEM AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGES WENT UP, AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM EXHAUST PIPE THAT SMELLED LIKE FIRE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, MECHANIC STATED TWO HEAD GASKETS WERE BAD. MECHANIC REPLACED TWO HEAD GASKETS. *AK MECHANIC STATED THAT HEADS WERE WARPED VERY BADLY DUE TO THEM BEING MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. *SLC