1999 Mercury Cougar

PURCHASED CAR NEW, IN 57000 MILES WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE, 2 ALTERNATORS, 1 STARTER, 2 BATTERIES, ENTIRE RACK AND PINION, POWER STEERING PUMP, TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER, 4 SET OF BRAKES, 4 SETS OF TIRES PLUS TWO INDIVIDUAL TIRES ALL WITH SIDEWALL BLOW OUTS EXCEPT ONE PUNCTURE AND 2 HEADLIGHT SWITCHES, 2 CIG LIGHTERS. THE ENTIRE UPPER ENGINE GASKET SET HAD TO BE REPLACED TO GET TO AN INTAKE LEAK. THE HEAD LIGHTS AND FOGLIGHTS WORK ITERMITTANTLY, ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY GOING ON AND OFF. CURRENTLY ONE HEADLIGHT IS OUT (LAMP IS GOOD) FOG LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING (TODAY) AND AN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT IS INDICATING A PROBLEM AGAIN. *AK

PURCHASED NEW TIRE FROM DEALERSHIP - TIRE HAD SEAM-LIKE CUT ON OUTSIDE WALL - TIRE LOST ABOUT 2 TO 10 LBS OF PRESSURE PER DAY - TOOK CAR IN TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES OVER THIS MATTER - WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE - TIRE WAS FINALLY REPLACED BY DEALER AFTER CONSUMER COMPLAINED MULTIPLE TIMES. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO HAVE CHECKED OUT AFTER HIT BY UNLICENSED/UNINSURED MOTORIST IN THE SIDE - WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP (ETTERS FORD IN CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN) THAT TRANSMISSION DESPERATELY NEEDED SERVICED - WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD A KNOCK AND WOULD CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS IF NOT DEALT WITH - CUSTOMER BROUGHT UP THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT OVERDUE OR EVEN DUE FOR A TRANSMISSION SERVICE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND POINTED TO OWNER'S MANUAL SPECIFICATIONS - WAS TOLD, AFTER CAR RELOOKED AT, THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE AND THAT TRANSMISSION WAS FINE - HAVE HAD A KNOCK AND SLIPPING OF TRANSMISSION SINCE.*AK

THE FIRST TIME THE WHEEL CRACKED WHILE EXITING INTERSTATE AND RUNNING OVER A SMALL POTHOLE. THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING MY DAUGHTER DID. THE SECOND TIME A FEW MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER ONE CRACKED IN THE SAME LOCATION ON THE WHEEL AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. CHECKED WITH THE DEALER WHO REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION OR EVEN INVESTIGATE ANY CHANCE OF MALFUNCTION OF WHEELS. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER WHEN HAVING THE CAR SERVICED, WAS TOLD THE OTHER 2 WHEELS WERE BENT CAUSING THE CAR TO VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 TO 60 MPH.*AK

TIRE HAS CONTINUOUSLY LOST AIR SINCE DAY ONE. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER AT LEAST THREE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, EACH TIME THEY FIND NO CONSTANT PROBLEM. ONCE THEY STATED THAT A PATCH WAS LEAKING. THE TIRE IS SO THIN IN SPOTS THAT A 1/4" SCREW PUNCTURED IT, THUS THE PATCH. THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE SPENDS MORE TIME AT AIR PUMPS THAT GAS. NOW I HAD IT ALIGNED AND BALANCED, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT BOTH FRONT TIRES ARE SEPARATING. I HAVE LONG CONTENDED THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO FORD AND NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. THE TIRES ARE NOW ON THE REAR, AND I WILL TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER, I ALSO EXPECT TO GET A MAJOR RUN AROUND. THE DEALERSHIP I TAKE IT TO IS NOT WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I AM TAKING IT TO HOLMAN LINCOLN MERCURY IN HOLLYWOOD, FL. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP DUE TO DISTANCE.ANY ADVISE?*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/50R16)

DUE TO VIBRATION IN STEERING, I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED IN MAY, 2001. ONE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE "THROWN" A BELT, A DEFECT IN THE TIRE. UPON CONTACTING BF GOODRICH IT WAS FOUND THAT THE NEAREST TIRE INSPECTOR/ADJUSTER WAS 90 MILES FROM MY HOMETOWN. I SET AN APPOINTMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK LATER. IN THE MEANTIME I EXPERIENCED A BLOW-OUT OF THAT TIRE AND HAD TO HAVE IT PATCHED. ACCORDING TO THE INSPECTOR/ADJUSTER, THE PATCH DEEMED ANY WARRANTY VOID AND NO ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE ON A NEW TIRE. THEN IN SEPTEMBER, 2001 I AGAIN NOTICEED SIMILAR VIBRATION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER TIRE DEALER TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED. ANOTHER OF THE TIRES WAS FOUND TO HAVE "THROWN" A BELT, WHICH AGAIN WAS SAID TO BE A DEFECT IN THE TIRE. 2 OF THE 4 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM/DEFECT. I CONTACTED BF GOODRICH WITH MY CONCERN FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT BUT WAS TOLD AS LONG AS THE OTHER 2 TIRES WERE OK THEY CAN ONLY MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE CURRENT DEFECT ISSUE, PRIOVIDED I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER BLOW-OUT IN THE MEANTIME!*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/50R16)

THE VEHICLES REAR TIRE WAS FLAT, THE FRONT TIRE WAS GOING FLAT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE ALL LOW, UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL 4 TIRES HAD A SPLIT IN THE RUBBER THAT WAS PERFECTLY CIRCULAR AND ON THE FLATTEST TIRE THE RUBBER HAD SPLIT AND WAS GAPING OPEN. THE SEPARATION IS THIN AND SMOOTH-EDGED NOT TORN(FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA,P205/55R16). *SLC

ON ONE TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW AND TREAD WAS SEPARATING. CONSUMER CHECKED RIGHT REAR TIRE ,AND THERE WAS TREAD SEPERATION AS WELL. FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK GTA-02, SIZE205/60R15 ON A 1999, MERCURY, COUGAR. *AKALL FOUR TIRES HAD SIDEWALL SEPARATION AT THE SAME TIME,THE VEHICLES REAR TIRE WAS FLAT, THE FRONT TIRE WAS GOING FLAT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE ALL LOW, UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL 4 TIRES HAD A SPLIT IN THE RUBBER THAT WAS PERFECTLY CIRCULAR AND ON THE FLATTEST TIRE THE RUBBER HAD SPLIT AND WAS GAPING OPEN. THE SEPARATION IS THIN AND SMOOTH-EDGED NOT TORN(FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA,P205/55R16). NLM

THE TIRES ON THIS CAR WERE NOT SEVERLY WORN OR CUPPED IN ANY WAY. I TOOK MY CAR HOME AND ROUGHLY A WEEK LATER A BULDGE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR APPEARED ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, LUCKILY MY FREIND CAUGHT IT BEFORE I DID AS WE WERE ABOUT TO GO ON A TRIP AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN BAD. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEN TO FIRESTONE DEALER, BOTH SAID I HAD HIT A POT HOLE, SPEAKING IT WAS MY NEW CAR, I KNOW I HADNT. THE DEALERSHIP AND FIRESTONE DEALER SAID TO JUST REPLACE THIS TIRE. SO I RELUCTANTLY BOUGHT A NEW SET OF GTA02 FOR MY CAR (LIKE AN IDIOT) AND THEN I GO HOME AND GET ON THE INTERNET. I FOUND THAT THE SIZE UP FROM MINE HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR SOMETHING QUITE SIMILAR. NOT ONLY THAT BUT I HAVE FOUND MANY NEW FOCUS, CONTOUR, AND COUGAR OWNERS WHO HAVE FACED THE SAME PROBLEM. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE SINCE I WILL NOW START TO TRAVEL BACK AND FOURTH FIVE HOURS ONE WAY THAT I WILL BE SAFE. THANKS. *AK (TIRESIZE: 215/50R/16)