1999 MERCURY COUGAR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE @ 30 MPH THE CAR SUDDENLY STALLED OUT AND I ALMOST CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT STEER NOR BRAKE. FORD HAS A RECALL ON THE 1999 MERCURY COUGAR REPLACEMENT PROGRAM 04N02 BUT FORD SAYS MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM. PLEASE HELP. *NM

I BOUGHT A 199 FORD MERCURY COUGAR AND WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON DEC. 8TH, 2006 WHEN I TRIED TO APPLY BRAKES THEY STARTED MOVING ON THEIR OWN AND THE MOVEMENT WAS BRAKING UP AND DOWN I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND WRECKED AND I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM A CAR LOT. THIS CAR CONSTANTLY WHEN COLD DOES THIS AND IT ALSO SQUEAKS LIKE THERE IS TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON THE WHOLE CAR, THE BRAKES ARE STILL HAVING THAT SHUTTERING PROBLEM. CAN THIS BE FIXED?-I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR... IT HAS SINCE DONE THE SAME THINGS WITH THE BRAKING AGAIN AND IT SCARES ME BUT IT ONLY DOES IT WHEN IT IS COLD OUT ... *NM UPDATED

I ALSO OWN A 99 COUGAR AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ISSUES, BUT I LOVE THE WAY THE CAR DRIVES WHEN IT WORKS CORRECTLY. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND IT'S ALSO ON ITS 5TH WINDOW MOTOR, WHICH STILL DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. I HAVE REPLACED ALMOST EVERY SENSOR POSSIBLE, TOO. OF COURSE WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONED MERCURY ON THESE ISSUES, THEY CLAIM THAT IT'S NOT A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE COUGARS. I HAVE HEARD FROM OTHERS ON THE TIRE ISSUES, BUT LUCKILY MINE HAS NOT HAD ANY ISSUES WITH TIRES. THE NEWEST ISSUE WITH MINE IS THE HEADLAMPS. I WAS IN SOME HEAVY RAIN WATER IN THE BEGINNING OF OCT. 2006 AND THEY LEAKED AND HAD PUDDLES INSIDE OF THEM. I TOOK IT TO BE SERVICED BY MERCURY AND I HAVE NOT HAD MY CAR BACK FOR 3.5 MONTHS! IN TALKING WITH FORD I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAVE NOT MADE ANY HEADLAMPS FOR THE 99 COUGAR SINCE JAN. 2006 AND THEY ARE ON A NATION WIDE BACKORDER. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I AM HOPING THAT FORD WILL MAKE THINGS RIGHT FOR NOT STOCKING HEADLAMPS AND PUTTING ME WITHOUT A CAR FOR THE PAST 3.5 MONTHS. *NM

SUNROOF BROKE LOOSE. IS STUCK NOW BUT COULD POTENTIALLY RELEASE FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AFFECTING MANY MANY VEHICLES. REFER TO WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM. LIST OF OVER 1000 COMPLAINTS THERE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS GETS SOMEONE KILLED. I HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN FIRE PROTECTION AND SAFETY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY FROM OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY'S WORLD RENOWNED PROGRAM AND THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO NEARLY GET REAR-ENDED WHILE BRAKING FROM TRAVELING 70 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO A SHORT CIRCUIT. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #01V032000 PERTAINING TO THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. SECONDLY, THE ENGINE HESITATED WHILE WARMING UP, ACCOMPANIED BY A ROUGH IDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A MECHANIC.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK INTO PLACE AND MOVED AROUND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A SERVICE DEALER.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON DRY CITY STREETS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND.

1999 MERCURY COUGAR SEAT BACK FAILURE DURING REAR-END COLLISION. COUGAR STALLED ON BUSY FREEWAY ENDING IN REAR TOTALED CAR COLLISION. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WENT COMPLETELY DOWN AND UPON SEATS IN THE BACKSEAT. THIS WAS TWO DEFECTS. INJURIES WERE NECK AND BACK PAINS, THREE BUMPS TO THE HEAD RESULTING IN TWO BLACK EYES. MY ADVICE TO ALL 1999 COUGAR OWNERS-GET RID OF THE CAR, BY WAY OF JUNKYARD-THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS VEHICLE AND ONE WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS. *NM

FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 32,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 82,000. *JB

THE SUNROOF ON MY 1999 MERCURY COUGAR HAS STOPPED WORKING. IT STOPPED IN THE RAISED POSITION AND UPON INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM IT SEEMS THAT THE PLASTIC PIECES ON THE TRACK HAVE BROKEN. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND CAN BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS OF THE SUNROOF PANEL ACTUALLY FLYING OFF THE CAR WHILE MOVING. FORD/MERCURY KNOWS THIS WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY CHANGED THE PLASTIC PIECES TO ALUMINUM AFTER THIS MANUFACTURE YEAR. IT IS A SHAME THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T MAKE THIS COMPANY FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED BY ONE OF THESE SUNROOF'S MALFUNCTIONING AND FLYING OFF THE CAR OR FALLING ON SOMEONE WHILE TRYING TO GET IT TO CLOSE. YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *JB