IllustrationPLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WARPED. MR
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
What owners actually said
76 reportsWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTS SPEEDING BY ITSELF.DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
THE CAR SHOOK AND PULLED TO THE RIGHT FOR A YEAR AND NOBODY COULD LOCATED THE PROBLEM. THE BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED AND THE PULLING STOPPED. NLM
FRONT 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
PLEASE HELP FOR OTHER DRIVER. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2M3 IPN TIRESIZE: P215/70R15)
TIRE DELAMINATED. STEEL BELT BROKEN PER FIRESTONE SERVICE. REPLACED BEFORE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. CHARGED FULL PRICE TO REPLACE PAIR OF TIRES. FIRESTONE STORE REFUSED TO RETURN DAMAGED FRONT TIRE AND MATCHING FRONT TIRE.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/70R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/70R15 )
AT 4;30 AM ON OCT. 15, 2000, I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-95 IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA ON A RETURN TRIP FROM LOUISVILLE, KY. TO POMPANO BEACH, FL. WHEN I HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF MY CAR AND REALIZED THAT I HAD A TIRE PROBLEM. AT ONCE I KNEW THAT THE TIRE HAD NOT DEFLATED AND THAT I WAS IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. I REDUCED MY SPEED AND TUR…
Read full complaint
AT 4;30 AM ON OCT. 15, 2000, I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-95 IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA ON A RETURN TRIP FROM LOUISVILLE, KY. TO POMPANO BEACH, FL. WHEN I HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF MY CAR AND REALIZED THAT I HAD A TIRE PROBLEM. AT ONCE I KNEW THAT THE TIRE HAD NOT DEFLATED AND THAT I WAS IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. I REDUCED MY SPEED AND TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS AND COULD HEAR A FLAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR. SINCE THE ROAD WAS VERY DARK AND THE TRAFFIC VERY FAST I FELT LIKE IT WAS SAFER TO PROCEED THAN TO STOP AND CHANGE A DRIVER SIDE TIRE ON THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. I DROVE SLOWLY SEVERAL MILES TO THE NEXT EXIT WHERE I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SMALL SPARE. I FOUND THAT AN 8 INCH SECTION OF THE TREAD HAD COME OFF. ALTHOUGH MY TIRES ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. TWO OF THE THREE REMAINING TIRES HAVE HAIRLINE CRACKS AT THE EDGE OF THE TREAD AND COULD BE READY TO DO THE SAME THING. I CONTACTED A LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALER WHO SAID HE COULD NOT HELP ME (OTHER THAN SELLING ME NEW TIRES) AND SENT ME TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHO SAID HE COULD SELL ME A NEW SET OF TIRES AND GIVE ME A 20% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION DISCOUNT. I'M STILL TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO AND STILL HAVE THE THREE REMAINING TIRES ON MY CAR AND THE FAILED ONE IN THE TRUNK. I'M WONDERING IF OTHERS HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE FR 680 AND IF IT WILL ALSO BE COVERED BY A RECALL.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2M3 IPN 2 TIRESIZE: P215/70R15)
PE00 020 ; WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH AND HEARD A NOISE, DRIVER REAR TIRE EXPLODED,AND CAR WOULDN'T START. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*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