2001 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY, SHUT DOWN THE O/D NOW WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR UNTIL CLOSE TO 5,000 RPM. THE CAR HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES. *NM

I OPENED MY MOONROOF ONE DAY AND IT MADE A NOISE SO I LOOKED AT IT AND IT LOOKED TO BE OFF TRACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SO WE TRIED TO SHUT IT AND IT WOULD NOT SHUT ALL THE WAY SO WHEN IT RAINED, IT RAINED IN MY CAR. FINALLY TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THE PLASTIC CLIP WAS BROKE AND HAD TO FORCE IT CLOSED SO NOW WHEN I GO DOWN THE ROAD IT OPENS SOME AND COULD EVENTUALLY FLY OFF, IT IS A DISTRACTION WHEN I AM DRIVING BECAUSE IT MAKES NOISE AND RIGHT NOW IT IS COLD OUT AND IT RAINS IN IT. THE REPAIR GUY TOLD ME THAT SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE CAME IN FOR THE SAME REASONS THIS COULD CAUSE A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. THESE COMPANY'S NOW DAYS MAKE THEIR PARTS SO CHEAP AND THEN SALE THEM FOR A LOT OF MONEY, THEY NEED TO RE-THINK WHAT THEY ARE DOING BEFORE THEY LOOSE ALL OF THEIR CUSTOMERS, NO WONDER THERE ARE SEVERAL PLACES HAVING TO CLOSE. THE REPAIR GUY ALSO TOLD ME THAT IF I DO GET IT REPAIRED THEN I WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO GET IT REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY ARE MADE SO CHEAP. *JB

THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL ONE DAY I WENT TO PULL OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AND THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. DURING THAT SAME EPISODE, WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL IT WAS PUT IN 2 INSTEAD OF DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 48,000 AND THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT OF A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS $3,256 + TAX. *JB

DT: THE SUN ROOF I BROKE. THE SUN ROOF WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE PROBLEM STARTED ON OCTOBER 2, 2005. AND WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED, THEY HAD TO BREAK THE ATTACHMENTS TO GET IT TO CLOSE. AFTERWARDS , THERE WAS STILL A CRACK BETWEEN THE SUN ROOF AND THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ALLOWS WIND TO COME THROUGH WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. SHE HAD TO TAPE IT DOWN TO KEEP IT FROM FLYING OFF. WHEN SHE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURE R'S DEFECT, AND THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR HERSELF. *AK

THE METAL SUNROOF ON MY 2001 MERCURY COUGAR BROKE FREE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE DRIVING. FORD APPARENTLY USED PLASTIC PARTS IN THE ASSEMBLY WHICH HOLDS THE METAL SUNROOF TO THE CAR. THESE PARTS FAILED AFTER ONLY 26,500 MILES. IF THE DRIVER SIDE ASSEMBLY HAD ALSO BROKEN, THE METAL ROOF COULD HAVE FLOWN OFF THE CAR AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. A COMPLAINT WEBSITE (WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM) CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 800 COMPLAINTS OF 1999-02 COUGAR METAL SUNROOF'S FAILING IN A SIMILAR FASHION. SEVERAL OF THESE COMPLAINTS NOTE THAT THE METAL SUNROOF ACTUALLY FLEW OFF THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. FORD CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DEFECT, BUT NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE INJURED OR DIE IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THESE DEFECTIVE METAL SUNROOF'S BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED? *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED UNDER A FORD RECALL. CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING AS BEFORE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. *AK

BOUGHT CAR BRAND NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2001. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT 43,000 MILES (JUNE 2005). NO RECOURSE AS WARRANTY ONLY COVERED ME FOR 3 YEARS/36,000 MILES. THIS IS TOO SOON FOR A TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS AUTOMATIC, I COULD FEEL THE CAR LOSE POWER AS IT SHIFTED AUTOMATICALLY FROM 1ST GEAR INTO 2ND GEAR. TOOK THE CARD TO FORD DEALER WHO TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $3,000 TO FIX. I AM APPALLED!

CONSUMER WAS NOT INFORMED OF TWO RECALLS ON THE 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. *MR RECALL CAMPAIGN# 04V421000. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED MONEY BACK FOR THE OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS. *SC *JB

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT VEHICLE SUDDENLY/UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND LURCH FORWARD. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES HARD TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN, ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO HIT THE CURB, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE STUCK. *AK

2001 MERCURY COUGAR. SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR I HAVE REPLACE THE ENGINE AT 65,000 MILES, LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING AT 70,000 MILES, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING IS ON ITS WAY OUT AT 100,000 MILES ALONG WITH A PLUGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. A/C ALSO FAILED AT 115,000 MILES.*AK