1999 Mercury Cougar

WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST COUGAR IN 2001. IT IS A 1999. A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT, THE SUNROOF BROKE AND FROZE IN THE UP POSITION. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS TOLD TO US COVERED THIS PART. WHEN TOOK IT IN TO GET LOOKED AT, IT DID NOT COVER IT AND THEY SAID THAT THE SUNROOF WOULD COST $2000 TO FIX. RAIN, SNOW, AND ANYTHING ELSE COMES INTO MY CAR NOW AND THE FABRIC IS NOW RUINED. IT IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS THAT THIS MANUFACTURER MADE SUCH A FAULTY PRODUCT AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP FIX IT. I HAVEN'T SEEN A COUGAR SINCE WITH A SUNROOF THAT IS NOT BROKEN. PLEASE RECALL THIS ITEM!!! *NM

(1) SUN ROOF WAS CLOSED FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO EVENT. (2) SUN ROOF BEGAN TO OPEN AND STOPPED, REMAINING IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION. (3) FAILURE IS NOT CORRECTED. PARTS AND LABOUR WILL RUN $1500. SAFETY CONCERN IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, SUN ROOF IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION MAY CAUSE ADDITIONAL INJURIES TO PASSENGERS. ADDITIONALLY, CONCERN ABOUT SUN ROOF REMAINING INTACT IN THE OPEN POSITION FOR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME DURING INTERSTATE DRIVING. POSSIBILITY THAT SUN ROOF MAY DISLODGE. *NM

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 10/99. I HAVE HAD THE SUN ROOF REPLACED ONCE AND NOW NEEDS IT AGAIN FOR THE SAME REASON; THE TRACK BROKE ($1000 TO FIX, $2000 IF I GO TO THE DEALER). THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE BECAUSE IT STICKS (IT NEED TO BE CHANGED AGAIN). IN 2/00 IT STARTED: WHENEVER THE CAR GOT COLD, THE CAR WOULD EITHER NOT TURN ON OR WOULD JUST SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. HE CHANGED NUMEROUS PARTS BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, UNTIL A 2004 RECALL FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. THAT, I HAD REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEN STILL HAD TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DONE A SECOND TIME, AND TO HAVE THE COMPUTER RESET TO HAVE THE ENGINE LIGHT SHUT OFF. ANYTIME I HAVE WORK DONE ON THE CAR, EVEN JUST MAINTENANCE, THE CHECK COOLANT LIGHT OR THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND I HAVE TO BRING IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT SHUT OFF. IN 9/05 THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND A DAY LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO CHANGED THE OVERFLOW TANK BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IT TO BE A BAD SENSOR. AFTER FIXING THAT, THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF AS WELL AS ONE OF MY BRAKE LIGHTS. HE DID MULTIPLE TESTS AND DETERMINED THAT IT IS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL, UNFORTUNATELY HE COULD NOT PINPOINT THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. FOR SOME REASON THOSE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OFF BUT I EXPECT THEM COME BACK ON SOON. *JB

THE BATTERY SEEMED LOW ON THE CAR, INDICATED BY INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT BEING VERY ILLUMINATED, BUT THEN DASHBOARD LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND WINDOWS ROLLED UP VERY SLOWLY. I CHARGED THE BATTERY FOR MANY HOURS AND IT TOOK A CHARGE, SO I COULD GET TO THE MERCURY DEALER. IT DIED WHEN I GOT THERE AND THEY WERE CLOSED, SO I HAD TO JUMP IT AND MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION TO LEAVE OVERNIGHT. THIS HAD HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE IN THE PAST 2 1/2 YEARS, SO I NEW IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR AGAIN! THAT'S THREE ALTERNATORS IN 2 1/2 YEARS. THIS TIME I AM OUT OF WARRANTY AND AM EXPECTED TO PAY $550 FOR A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT CLEARLY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DEALER CAN NOT TELL ME WHY THIS IS OCCURING, AND FORD "CUSTOMER SERVICE" COULD CARE LESS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS THAT MANY COUGAR OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM CONTINUALLY. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE MOTOR FOR THE SUNROOF.*AK