IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE OVER HEATED INTERMITTENTLY. REPLACED MANY PARTS, BUT STILL IS HAVING A PROBLEM. DEALER STATED HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*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
What owners actually said
195 reportsVEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AFTER VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE MISSING/WHITE SMOKE AND COOLANT LEAKAGES. INFORMED OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK
OWNER EXPERIENCED ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, VEHICLE MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 77,445. *CJ
PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT PLACE TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS, BUT WE HAVE SUNK ALOT OF MONEY INTO SOMETHING WE FEEL FORD NEW ABOUT AND DID NOTHING ABOUT. THE 3.8 ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED.
HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I HAVE CONSULTED 4 MECHANICS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE REPAIRED SEVERAL 1993 MERCURY COUGARS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.
WE BOUGHT A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8L V6 NEW, TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. IN DEC. 1999, AT 68,432 MILES, 2 HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. THE BILL WAS $1200. WE DECIDED TO KEEP THE CAR SINCE WE HAD ALREADY PUT IN $1200 IN BRAND NEW FORD ROCKER PANELS IN 6/99 THAT HAD RUSTED OUT. WELL, SEPT. 15, 2000 AT 72,943 MILES, NOT EVEN 5,000 MI…
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WE BOUGHT A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8L V6 NEW, TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. IN DEC. 1999, AT 68,432 MILES, 2 HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. THE BILL WAS $1200. WE DECIDED TO KEEP THE CAR SINCE WE HAD ALREADY PUT IN $1200 IN BRAND NEW FORD ROCKER PANELS IN 6/99 THAT HAD RUSTED OUT. WELL, SEPT. 15, 2000 AT 72,943 MILES, NOT EVEN 5,000 MILES LATER, THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN! THE BILL CAME TO $600. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!! HOW COULD FORD, KNOWING ALL THE TIME THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE, REFUSE TO ENTEND WARRANTY COVERAGE TO ALL THE MODELS THIS ENGINE WAS IN? (THUNDERBIRDS, TAURUSES, WINDSAR MINIVANS, MERCURY SABLES, & LINCOLN CONTINENTALS). THERE'S AN ACTUAL "3.8L FORD MOTOR COMPANY DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET COMPLAINT AND INFO SITE". ISN'T THAT TELLING YOU THAT THERE'S A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES? WHY ARE THEY GIVING OUT A $4,000 COUPON TOWARDS A NEW FORD, MERC, OR LINCOLN PRODUCT TO ONLY A SELECT FEW? THEY ARE THE SAME ENGINE!! OUR RELIABILITY IS GONE, WE'LL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN! *AK
CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE LIKE IT WAS MISSING. WHITE/GREY SMOKE CAME OUT TAIL PIPE IN LARGE QUANITY. WITH IN A MILE, THE TEMP GUAGE BEGAN MOVING UP TOWARD HOT. I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG AND STOPPED VEHICLE AND SHUT DOWN ENGINE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS IN THE RAN…
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CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE LIKE IT WAS MISSING. WHITE/GREY SMOKE CAME OUT TAIL PIPE IN LARGE QUANITY. WITH IN A MILE, THE TEMP GUAGE BEGAN MOVING UP TOWARD HOT. I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG AND STOPPED VEHICLE AND SHUT DOWN ENGINE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS IN THE RANGE OF $1400.00 TO $1700.00.
THE POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH HAS BECOME VERY TEMPERAMENTAL (ESPECIALLY AT HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES (ABOVE 90 DEGREES)), IT ACTS LIKE THERE IS A CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING AND CLOSING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. WHEN IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE THE ACTUAL LOCKS ARE CYLINDRICAL, THEY CAN NOT BE OPENED BY FINGERS, SO ONE…
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THE POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH HAS BECOME VERY TEMPERAMENTAL (ESPECIALLY AT HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES (ABOVE 90 DEGREES)), IT ACTS LIKE THERE IS A CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING AND CLOSING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. WHEN IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE THE ACTUAL LOCKS ARE CYLINDRICAL, THEY CAN NOT BE OPENED BY FINGERS, SO ONE HAS TO OPEN THE WINDOW, AND USE THE CAR KEYS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR, TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. *AK
THE HEADLIGHTS START TO FLICKER, FLASH ON AND OFF, WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE ABOUT 90 DEGREES. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE QUITE SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED BY RECALL 99V275000, BUT MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE FOG LIGHTS, SO IT DOES NOT QUALIFY. THIS ESPECIALLY HAPPENS, WHEN I AM USING MY BRIGHTS (HIGH BEAMS).*AK
WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, IT HAD A REAL HARD PULL TO RIGHT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO CHECK OUT. THEY ALIGNED THE FRONT END , STILL HARD PULL . THEY SENT ME TO THE SAME FIRESTONE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS IN THE ALIGNMENT (11,200MI) AFTER THE ALIGNMENT($100) THE MECHANIC PUT BACK ON RACK TO ROTATE TIRES , I WOULD NOT AG…
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WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, IT HAD A REAL HARD PULL TO RIGHT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO CHECK OUT. THEY ALIGNED THE FRONT END , STILL HARD PULL . THEY SENT ME TO THE SAME FIRESTONE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS IN THE ALIGNMENT (11,200MI) AFTER THE ALIGNMENT($100) THE MECHANIC PUT BACK ON RACK TO ROTATE TIRES , I WOULD NOT AGREE TO THAT, SO I WENT TO TIRE AMERICA TO BUY NEW TIRES,(MICHELIN) AND THE HARD PULL WENT AWAY. SO FIRESTONE HAS MADE JUNK TIRES FOR SOMETIME!! I DON'T WANT NOTHING FROM FIRESTONE!! THEY WOULDN'T HELP WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE!!!DON'T THINK THAT I AM JUST JUMPING ON THE BAND WAGON, JUST WANT TO TELL MY SIDE OF THE STORY, FORD AND FIRESTONE WOULDN'T LISTEN. THANKS!!!UNK T( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/70R15 )
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