IllustrationDRIVING 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
1993 Mercury Cougar
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cougar years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 18 of 195 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
105 reportsTHE 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 REPLACE…
Read full complaint
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 …
Read full complaint
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
ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID LEAK GOING INTO GASKET, CONSUMER HAD GASKETS AND COVERS REPLACED. *AK *SLC
FORD EXTENDED WARRANTIES FOR 1994 & 1995 3.8L ENGINE BECAUSE ADMITTEDLY, FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. THIS WAS OFFERED TO OWNERS OF MUSTANGS, THUNDERBIRDS AND THUNDERBIRD SUPERCOUPS FOR 100,000 MILES. I'VE CONTACTED FORD FOR THE SAME OFFER AS I PAID OUT-OF-POCKET FOR MY BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, ALSO TOWING. *AK
TEMPERATURE GOES UP AND DOWN, THERE'S WATER IN OIL, AND CAR SPUTTERS. IT IS HEAD GASKET. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT CERTAIN MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR HEAD ENGINE, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK *JB
WITHIN 81,000 MILES ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING BECAUS ETHEY HAVE PREMATURELY BLOWNOUT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKETS BLEWOUT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.*AK *JB
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH LOSS OF COOLANT, AND 3.8L V6 ENGINE OVERHEATED. VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE,. ALSO MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK *JB
THERE WAS NO HEAT IN VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE A HEAD GASKET THAT WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. HAD TO REPLACE HEAD GASKET AT OWNERS EXPENSE FOR $1200.00. *AK *SLC
Official recalls
399V275000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Oct 12, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DRIVER'S COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH INCORPORATES A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN, AND INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, IF NEEDED.
97V159000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Sep 22, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WEST VIRGINIA. MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL LINES CAUSES THE NYLON FUEL LINE JUMPER TO CHAFE AGAINST THE FLOOR PAN. THIS WEAR CAN CAUSE A PIN HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS FUEL LEAKAGE RESULTS IN DAMPNESS AND FUEL ODOR, AND IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WAS PRESENT, A FIRE COULD RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PLASTIC CONVOLUTE COVERING AROUND THE FUEL LINES. IF THE LINES SHOW A LEAK, THE LINES WILL BE REPLACED FIRST.
96V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA99005 · Headlight Switch
Opened Jan 20, 1999 · Closed Dec 14, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
SUBJECT VEHICLES HAVE A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WITH AN INTERNAL, BIMETAL CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT CAN OPEN DUE TO OVERHEATING DURING HEADLING OPERATION.
RQ97011 · Fuel Line Jumper
Opened Sep 25, 1997 · Closed Nov 16, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE ALLEGED FUEL LINE FAILURES OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL GEOGRAPHIC REGION AND IF THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED NATIONALLY