1999 Mercury Cougar

I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS INCLUDING BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND BACK WHEEL LOCKING UP. IT WAS RAINING, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY ABOUT 55 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY, THE HEAT/DEFROST STOPPED WORKING AND MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. I JUST INSTALLED A BRAND NEW BATTERY JUST 6 DAYS BEFORE INCIDENT, ALTHOUGH THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE RAINING. THIS TIME IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY DUE TO THE HIGH SPEED I WAS DRIVING AND BECAUSE THE HEAT STOPPED WORKING MY WINDOWS STARTED TO FOG UP QUICKLY CAUSING MY VISIBILITY TO BE REDUCED DRAMATICALLY WHILE TRYING TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO STEER THE CAR AROUND A CURVE WITHOUT HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO SEE AN EXIT I GOT OFF FREEWAY AND CAR DIED COMPLETELY DRIVING UP THE OFF RAMP. THANK GOD THERE WASN'T ANY VEHICLES BEHIND ME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AFTER WAITING ABOUT HALF HOUR CAR STARTED BACK UP, POWER STEERING & HEAT WAS BACK ON. I HAVE 2 YOUNG KIDS AND I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IN THIS CAR WITH THEM. *TR

MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. *MR THE VEHICLE DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON THREE OCCASIONS. THERE WERE ALTERNATOR AND FUEL PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A CREDITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE BATTERY, BRAKES AND ADDITIONAL EXPENSES. OTHER PROBLEM ARE AS FOLLOWED: THE NEW WHEELS WERE DEFECTIVE (CORRODED AND FROZEN), THE BRAKE SENSOR SNAPPED OFF OF THE WHEEL, THE CD PLAYER WAS SKIPPING, THE HATCH WOULD NOT RELEASE PROPERLY, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE, THE KEYLESS ENTRY WITH ANTI-THEFT WAS INOPERATIVE, THERE WAS ROUGH IDLE, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD STICK, THE CUP HOLDER DID NOT SHUT, THE HOOD WOULD NOT OPEN, AND THE LIGHTS WOULD DIM AND OR BRIGHTEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. *SC *JB

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

THIS IS THE SECOND WHEEEL FAILURE IN 200 MILES. THE HEAT FROM THE DOCUMENTED POOR BRAKE SYSTEM MAY BE CAUSING THE RIM FAILURE AND THE NUMEROUS BRAKE AND BLOWOUT RELATED COMPLAINTS POSTED TO DATE. ONCE AGAIN, TWO WEEKS SINCE THE FIRST SUDDEN DEFLATION, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY HOT AS WERE THE TIRES AND WHEELS ON THE FRONTS OF BOTH SIDES. THE REARS WERE "AIR TEMPERATURE." EITHER THE PROPORTIONING VALVE IS NON-FUNCTIONAL, OR THE FRONT BRAKES ARE DRAGGING CAUSING EXCESS HEAT TO THE EXTENT THAT TIRES, BRAKES, AND EVEN ALUMINUM RIMS ARE SOFTENING ENOUGH TO CAUSE BLOW-OUTS. ONCE AGIN THE TIRE IS IN FINE SHAPE AND IS CURRENTLY HOLDING AIR; THE RIM IS BENT IN TWO PLACES ON THE INNER BEAD CONTACT AND I'M LEFT WITH ANOTHER $500 DILEMA AND A FAMILY SAFETY QUESTION. BOTH WHEELS AND TIRE ARE AVAILABLE FOR INVESTIGATION AS I WILL BE FORCED TO BUY ANOTHER REPLACEMENT TIRE AND WHEEL. ODI ID 850215 MAY HAVE HAD A SIMILAR DEFECT. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT.