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1994 Mercury Cougar

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 15 of 137 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

27 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 15, 2002
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed ControlVisibility

VEHICLE BEGAN SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE IDLE AND STOPPED ON 10 OCCASIONS SINCE 5/1/2002. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM JOLTING FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. WHILE PULLING INTO MY GARAGE TODAY, TRAVELLING AT LESS THAT 1 MPH, THE CAR ACCELEARATED ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE TO P…

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VEHICLE BEGAN SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE IDLE AND STOPPED ON 10 OCCASIONS SINCE 5/1/2002. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM JOLTING FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. WHILE PULLING INTO MY GARAGE TODAY, TRAVELLING AT LESS THAT 1 MPH, THE CAR ACCELEARATED ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT FROM CRASHING INTO A HEATING OIL TANK. VEHICLE HAS BEGUN TO RANDOMLY SHUDDER WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 10 TO 65 MPH. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM BUT VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT OCCURRED ON HIGHWAY YESTERDAY. POWER WINDOW ON DRIVER SIDE NOW RANDOMLY SHUDDERS WHEN LOWERING. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM AND IS NEW. THE PASSENGER POWER WINDOW IS INOPERABLE AND TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO HAVE FIXED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE 1997 AND THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ME $150 TO FIX AND THAT IT IS MERELY A SENSOR DEFECT AND NOT A AFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, FORD SHOULD OVER THE COST FOR REPAIR, NOT THE CONSUMER.

NHTSA ODI #761952

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ODI #734676

Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2000
Parking BrakeService Brakes, Hydraulic

CONSUMER WAS COMIMG OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. SHE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, AND THERE WAS NO BRAKIN GPOWER. SHE TURNED VEHICLE OFF, AND CALLED DEALERSHIP. *AK

NHTSA ODI #870416

Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2000
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic

THE CARS ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED(SO THEY SAID) ON JULY 1997 AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE AGAIN. THE SPEED CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THE WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK THE WINDOWS ARE POWER AND WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN.ALSO THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACE…

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THE CARS ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED(SO THEY SAID) ON JULY 1997 AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE AGAIN. THE SPEED CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THE WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK THE WINDOWS ARE POWER AND WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN.ALSO THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED ALSO THE CAR HAS TIRE VIBRATION THANK YOU THIS CAR IS NOW BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND WE STILL ARE MAKING PAYMENTS I CALLED THE DEALER ON 4-5-2000 AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LOOKING AT OUR CAR PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #721108

Mileage unknown · Feb 6, 1999
Service Brakes, HydraulicUnknown Or Other

BRAKES PULSATE STRONGLY, EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT. INSTRUMENT PANEL HOOD DOES NOT PREVENT SUN FROM REFLECTING TO DRIVER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #702988

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKE SYSTEM FAULTY CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE ONCE APPLYING THE BRAKE AT SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH, IF AN EMERGENCY STOP HAD TO BE MADE THE BRAKES WOULD FAIL RESULTING IN CONSUMER HAVING TO STEER CLEAR OF THE HAZARD, VIRTUALLY EVERY PART OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED. *ET

NHTSA ODI #781798

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 1999
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUMS/SHOES AND REAR CYLINDERS.

NHTSA ODI #781797

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 1999
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic

TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL IN THE FALL OF 1996. IT WOULD SHUDDER SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE AND ONCE IN OVERDRIVE IT SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON IT'S OWN. JANUARY 1997 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTOR AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. 6 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING THE SA…

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TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL IN THE FALL OF 1996. IT WOULD SHUDDER SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE AND ONCE IN OVERDRIVE IT SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON IT'S OWN. JANUARY 1997 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTOR AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. 6 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. SEPT 1997 I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NOW JAN 1999, THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND IS CONVENIENTLY PAST THE 12 MONTH/12000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE REPLACEMENT PART. ON THE INTERSTATE LAST WEEK, MY WIFE WAS GOING 70 MPH AND THE CAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO OVERDRIVE. A SEMI ALMOST RAN INTO THE REAREND OF THE CAR. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEPT 1997 WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN 1997 THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME FORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE 1994 TRANSMISSIONS. LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. NOW I'M STUCK WITH AN $1800 REPAIR BILL.

NHTSA ODI #702019

Mileage unknown · Dec 7, 1998
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON ANY TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE, NO INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE SHIMMIES BADLY. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A NUMBER OF REPAIRS, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES CONTINUES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #831881

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 1998
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicVisibility

I HAVE SEARCHED THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS AND FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS RELATED TO BOTH THE BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED. PLEASE REMIT THIS COMPLAINT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND ADVISE WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MANUFACTURER IS DOING ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THESE CUT…

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I HAVE SEARCHED THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS AND FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS RELATED TO BOTH THE BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED. PLEASE REMIT THIS COMPLAINT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND ADVISE WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MANUFACTURER IS DOING ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THESE CUTOMER COMPLAINTS. POWER WINDOWS REPLACE FOUR TIMES. BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. TRANSMISSION SLIPPING FROM DAY ONE BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME REPEATEDLY THER WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT.

NHTSA ODI #537180

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

1

DP94005 · Engine Compartment Fire

Opened Jul 6, 1994 · Closed Sep 22, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

There is no summary currently available