IllustrationWE HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. ONE OF WHICH IS THE BRAKES. ANOTHER IS THE COOLING SYSTEM. THERE IS A RECALL ON THE MANIFOLD BUT OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER WLLL NOT REPLACE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO DO SO. IN ADDITION THE ENGINE HAD A PROBLEM WHICH NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT.
1997 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
00–25K
625–50K
850–75K
775–100K
4100–150K
1150K+
26 reports with mileage · 50 unknown
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 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
9 reportsFRONT HYDRAULIC DISC ROTORS ARE 1/2 INCH BIGGER THAT REAR ROTORS WHICH CAUSES ROTORS TO WARP. BRAKES OVERHEAT, STEERING STARTS SHAKING, AND FRONT END WILL NOSE DIVE IF VEHICLE BRAKES TOO HARD, CAUSING WHEELS TO LOCK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING 30MPH IN TRAFFIC STARTED APPLYING BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, HAD NO BRAKES, AND VEHICLE KEPT GOING. BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL HAD FAILED. STOPPED VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO MECHANIC. WAS INFORMED THAT BRAKE BOOSTER PLUNGER, HAD WORN OUT, CAUSING NON BRAKING ABILITY.*AK
TRANSMISSION VIBRATES AND WAS ERRATIC, TORQUE CONVERTER WAS CLEANED, TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WAS INOPERATIVE. *YH
BRAKE LINE CORRODED BY BATTERY ACID AND BROKE, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKE FUNCTION AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH VEHICLE THAT STOPPED AHEAD. BRAKE COMBINATION VALVE LOCATED IN FRONT OF BATTERY. ALL THE BRAKE LINES RUN PAST THE BATTERY FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AND TO THE WHEELS AND ARE FULLY PROTECTED BY A PLASTIC COATIN…
Read full complaint
BRAKE LINE CORRODED BY BATTERY ACID AND BROKE, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKE FUNCTION AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH VEHICLE THAT STOPPED AHEAD. BRAKE COMBINATION VALVE LOCATED IN FRONT OF BATTERY. ALL THE BRAKE LINES RUN PAST THE BATTERY FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AND TO THE WHEELS AND ARE FULLY PROTECTED BY A PLASTIC COATING EXCEPT THE LINE TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. ON THIS LINE THE PLASTIC COATING STARTS AT THE VALVE AND STOPS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE BATTERY. THE LINE BROKE AT THE POINT WHERE THE COATING STOPS AND IS HEAVILY CORRODED BY BATTERY ACID FOR SEVERAL INCHES. I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER INVESTIGATING THIS ACCIDENT FOR ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF MY REPORT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING BRAKE DISC ROTORS WARPED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED BRAKE ROTORS NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FRONT END PROBLEMS CAUSING EXCESSIVE VIBRATION (SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS), FRONT BRAKES ALSO EXPERIENCE LOCKING UP ON OCCASIONS, BOTH THESE FAILURES ARE CAUSING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEMS. MJS
NOTICED PULSATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN BRAKING. ASKED DEALER TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ALL 4 ROTORS. DEALER SAID WE CUT THE ROTORS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS REMOVES USEABLE SERVICE LIFE AT MY EXPENSE. I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGNE FLAW OF ROTOR WARPING PROBABLY DUE TO HEAT. SEVICE INVOICE STATES THAT ALL FOU…
Read full complaint
NOTICED PULSATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN BRAKING. ASKED DEALER TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ALL 4 ROTORS. DEALER SAID WE CUT THE ROTORS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS REMOVES USEABLE SERVICE LIFE AT MY EXPENSE. I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGNE FLAW OF ROTOR WARPING PROBABLY DUE TO HEAT. SEVICE INVOICE STATES THAT ALL FOUR ROTORS WERE TURNED DUE TO WARPING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH LATE YEAR MODEL FORD CARS. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF FOUR FORD OWNERS WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM.
BRAKES BEGAN VIBRATING EXCESSIVELY AT APPROX. 30,000 MILES.
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