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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

What owners actually said

137 reports
Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2000
Power Train

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVEVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #721242

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 · Apr 4, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE INFAMOUS 3.8L V6 HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THE AUTOMOBILE IS A WELL MAINTAINED 94 COUGAR WITH 65,915 MILES ON IT. IT SHOULD NOT EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AT THIS EARLY STAGE OF ITS LIFE. THEN, TO GO HIDE FROM THE PROBLEM AND NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT IS A DISGRACE. THEY CALL THEMSELVES A WORLD CLASS CORPORATION, THEY …

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THE INFAMOUS 3.8L V6 HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THE AUTOMOBILE IS A WELL MAINTAINED 94 COUGAR WITH 65,915 MILES ON IT. IT SHOULD NOT EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AT THIS EARLY STAGE OF ITS LIFE. THEN, TO GO HIDE FROM THE PROBLEM AND NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT IS A DISGRACE. THEY CALL THEMSELVES A WORLD CLASS CORPORATION, THEY ARE, THIRD WORLD. *AK

NHTSA ODI #720980

Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM MALFUNTIONED SIMILARLY AS MENTIONED IN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 8100 CINCERNING 1994 MERCURY SABLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #858773

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

THIS CAR HAS THE SAME HEAD GASKET PROBLEM BUT WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. *AK

NHTSA ODI #720069

Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 1999
Suspension

BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS ARE BROKEN, AND THERE IS SOME TYPE OF NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #851777

Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 1999
Air Bags

THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT A STOP LIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS STOPPED,BUT SOMEHOW THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE BACK OF A 1986 PICKUP TRUCK. THE SUN WAS VERY LOW AND THERE WAS APOSSIBILITY THAT MY JUDGEMENT WAS IMPAIRED. THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK WAS MINIMAL $350. MY SMALL DG WAS STRUCK BY THE AIRBAG WHICH EXPLODED ON BOTH SIDES WITH A FORCE TH…

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THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT A STOP LIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS STOPPED,BUT SOMEHOW THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE BACK OF A 1986 PICKUP TRUCK. THE SUN WAS VERY LOW AND THERE WAS APOSSIBILITY THAT MY JUDGEMENT WAS IMPAIRED. THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK WAS MINIMAL $350. MY SMALL DG WAS STRUCK BY THE AIRBAG WHICH EXPLODED ON BOTH SIDES WITH A FORCE THAT KNOCKED ME OUT AND INJURED HIM SEVERELY. HE DIED 5 DAYS LATER AFTER DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SAVE HIM. HIS NECK WAS SNAPPED, AND HE HAD INTERNAL INJURIES. THE FRONT DAMAGE TO MY CAR WAS NOT THAT GREAT AND COULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. I HARDLY TOUCHED THE TRUCK. MY CONCERN IS WERE THE AIRBAGS DEFECTIVE THE DAMAGE TO THE INSIDE OF MY CAR WAS ENOUGH TO TOTAL THE CAR. I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS HAPPENED BEFORE WITH THE 1994 COUGAR XR7. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL COMMENTS CONCERNING THE SAFETY OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, AND I AM CONCERNED AS I REALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED AND WHY THE AIRBAGS EXPLODED AS THEY DID. I HAVE TO SAY THIS WAS A DEVESTATING XPERIENCE TO ME, AND ONE I HOPE NEVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE. THE CAR ACTUALLY EXPLODED INSIDE AND I THOUGHT THE CAR HAD BLOWN UP WITH ALL THE SMOKE IT MADE. THE WAY THAT THE BAG EXPLODED BROKE OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IN 2 PLACES, BROKE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, BROKE THE DRIVER VISOR OVERHEAD, BROKE THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND CRACKED THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD IN HALF WHERE IT EXPLODED OUT. THIS DAMAGE WAS WHY THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALLED THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI #713655

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 1999
Power Train

DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN 1996 WITH A LITTLE OVER 20,000 MILES ON THE CAR. AT LESS THAN 60,000 MILES, I BEGAN HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR SHUDDERS VERY VIOLENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. I DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS IS VERY GOOD WORKMANSHIP ON THE PART OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED FORD VEHICLES …

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DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN 1996 WITH A LITTLE OVER 20,000 MILES ON THE CAR. AT LESS THAN 60,000 MILES, I BEGAN HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR SHUDDERS VERY VIOLENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. I DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS IS VERY GOOD WORKMANSHIP ON THE PART OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED FORD VEHICLES AND NEVER HAD A PBLEM SUCH AS THIS. I AM VERY UNHAPPY. THERE IS NO WAY UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS SHOULD THIS CAR BE ON ITS SECOND TRANSMISSION, LET ALONE TO BE HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I AM SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHEN AT ANY TIME, THE TRANSMISSION COULD COMPLETELY GO OUT. I HAVE ALL OF THE PAPERWORK FROM STIVERS LINCOLN MERCURY CONCERNING THE FIRST REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ODI #713489

Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 1999
Unknown Or Other

THE PAINT IS FALLING OFF THE HOOD, TRUNK AND TOP OF THE CAR. IT IS DOWN TO THE METAL IN SOME AREAS. I APPARENTLY RECEIVED A VEHICLE WITH A FLAWED PAINT JOB. I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL OTHER COUGARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM RIGHT HERE IN THE OKC AREA. NO SAFETY DEFECT . *AK

NHTSA ODI #712719

Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 1999
Power Train

WHEN DRIVING, TRANSMISSION HAS A HARD SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND SHUDDERS.

NHTSA ODI #712594

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