IllustrationTHIS VEHICLE HAS A RUBBER FUEL LINE THAT IS MOUNTED AT THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK THAT RUN DOWN NEAR THE SIDE OF THE TANK. GAS LINE IS RUBBING, CAUSING WEAR IN THE LINE WHICH IS RESULTS IN A LEAK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
1995 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: 8 of 109 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
109 reportsWHENEVER FOOT IS RELEASED FROM THE ACCELERATOR AFTER DRIVING 50MPH, VEHICLE WOULD START TO SHIMMY & VIBRATE. THIS CAN ALSO HAPPEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES & PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. *AK
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO DESIGN FLAW. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED EVERY 8 -12 MONTHS WHICH CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF GEARS FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES, WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. *AK
EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST ON FRONT WHEELS. REAR BRAKE DRUMS KEEP WARPING. THEY HAVE BEEN TURNED TWICE. BRAKE PADS LOOK GOOD BUT SOMETHING KEEPS CAUSING DRUMS TO WARP RESULTING IN BRAKE NOISE AND CAR SHIMMYING WHEN COMING TO A STOP.
ENGINE SUCKED WATER THROUGH INTAKE AND AIR CLEANER DURING STORM AT FT. MEYERS BEACH FLA. NHTSA ITEM NUMBER SB600588 FORD MOTOR DENIED ANY CLAIN TO FIX OR COMPENSATE ME FOR COST OF OVER 4000 DOLLARS I HAD CAR CHECKED AT THE MERCURY DEALER IN FT. MYERS , BUT THEY COUL D"T FIX IT FOR 2 WEEKS I RETURNED HOME AT 45 MILES PER HOUR AN…
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ENGINE SUCKED WATER THROUGH INTAKE AND AIR CLEANER DURING STORM AT FT. MEYERS BEACH FLA. NHTSA ITEM NUMBER SB600588 FORD MOTOR DENIED ANY CLAIN TO FIX OR COMPENSATE ME FOR COST OF OVER 4000 DOLLARS I HAD CAR CHECKED AT THE MERCURY DEALER IN FT. MYERS , BUT THEY COUL D"T FIX IT FOR 2 WEEKS I RETURNED HOME AT 45 MILES PER HOUR AND CONTACKED THE LOCAL DEALER ,THEY SAID IT WASN'T COVERED . THEY SAID THAT IF I HAD PURCHED IT FROM THEM THEY MIGHT HAVE HELPED ME. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR 5 OR 6 TIMES AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT YOU COULD GET WATER IN THE ENGINE DURING A RAIN STORM I GOT A TIP FROM A FRIEND WHO GOT ME A COPY OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN.THIS COULD HAVR BEEN A SERIOUS IACCIDENT AS THE ENGINE DIED IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. I MANAGED TO WRESTLE THE CAR TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD .AFTER A WHILE IT RESTARTED ,BUT HAD A BAD KNOCK, SCRATH 1 ENGINE MY WIFE COULD'T HAVE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL IF SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING SINCE THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE PART OF THE. *AK
THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH THE CAR SINCE ITS PURCHASE.
FIRST PROBLEMS OF BREAKING SYSTEM STARTED AT 40,000 MILES BOUGHT CAR AT 23,000 MILES. THE CAR SHIMMIES AND STERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHEN BREAKING. HAVE TURNED ROTOR TWICE AND REPLACED BRAKE PADS TWICE. MY CAR IS AT 50,000 MILES NOW AND HAVE REPLACED WITH NEW ROTORS AND NEW PADS FOR THE THIRD TIME WITHIN 10,000 MILES BECAUSE THE…
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FIRST PROBLEMS OF BREAKING SYSTEM STARTED AT 40,000 MILES BOUGHT CAR AT 23,000 MILES. THE CAR SHIMMIES AND STERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHEN BREAKING. HAVE TURNED ROTOR TWICE AND REPLACED BRAKE PADS TWICE. MY CAR IS AT 50,000 MILES NOW AND HAVE REPLACED WITH NEW ROTORS AND NEW PADS FOR THE THIRD TIME WITHIN 10,000 MILES BECAUSE THE SHIMMING IF GETTING MORE VIOLENT AND WILL CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT I AM FOR SURE BECAUSE THIS PUTS STRESS ON ALL OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE POWERTRAIN. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME IT IS FROM OVER TORCHING OR RIDING THE BRAKES. HOWEVER I HAVE HAD THREE PREVIOUS CARS WITH NO PROBLEM WITH BRAKES AND NO ONE HAS DRIVEN THESE VEHICLES BUT ME. I DO NOT HAVE INDUSTRIAL WRENCH SO OVERTORCHING IS NOT THE PROBLEM. IN CONCLUSION SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE FROM THIS MALFUNCTION. SOMETHING IS WRONG I HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT THE DATA ON THIS VEHICLE FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR IS CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM THAT FORD NEEDS TO LOOK INTO AND RECALL I BELIEVE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )
THE SHIFT LEVER HAS AN OVERDRIVE.CANNOT USE OVERDRIVE BUTTON. TOOK TO MECHANIC. DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO REPAIR OVERDRIVE BUTTON. THE LEVER HAD FALLEN OFF. *AK
THE BRAKES ARE HAVING TO BE COMPLETLY REPLACED (PADS AND ROTORS). IF NOT VEHICLE IS UNSAFE FOR OPERATION. CURRENTLY BRAKES ARE LASTING ABOUT 2,500 MILES. TORQUE CONVERTER IS HAVING TO BE REPLACED EVERY 15,000 MILES. PERHAPS FROM HAVING TO DO MORE WORK IN STOPPING THE CAR. *AK
Official recalls
0No 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
1EA01001 · Blower Switch/resistor Or Wiring Harness
Opened Jan 5, 2001 · Closed Jul 31, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
Electrical System
There is no summary currently available