1999 Mercury Cougar

5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS COUGAR, THERE WAS A HUGE POWER STEERING LEAK. CALLED AROUND FOR SOMEONE TO FIX IT, BUT DEALER WAS THE ONLY CHOICE. WE WERE TOLD IT COULD BE A BAD PUMP AND THAT WOULD COST $450 TO FIX. THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THE WHOLE GEAR WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST US $700. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT RACK AND PINION GEAR SHOULD NOT GO BAD ON A 2 YEAR OLD CAR. WE ALSO CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS, WHO DID NOTHING TO HELP US. WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK. DEALER ALSO FAILED TO NOTIFY US OF 5 OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THIS CAR. THEN, 2 DAYS AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM STEERING BEING FIXED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT AND STRANDED OUR 19 YEAR DAUGHTER AT 2 IN THE MORNING. THIS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ONE OF THE RECALLED ITEMS. THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE FIXED THIS DURING THE 3 DAYS WHEN THEY HAD THE CAR .*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)

THE ENGINE WILL KILL WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS AT HIGH SPEEDS OF 50+ MPH. WHEN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO HIT THE BRAKES OR STEER, THEY BOTH LOCK UP AND THAT IS WHEN I DISCOVER THAT THE CAR IS DEAD. LUCKILY, I NEVER NEEDED TO USE MY BRAKES OR STEERING WHEN IT HAPPENED, I COASTED THROUGH TRAFFIC WHILE HAVING TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS, THEY HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FAIL FOR THEM, YET IT STILL READS AS IF THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT ON ALL OF THEIR DIAGNOSTICS. IT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND FORD IS NOT OFFERING TO REPLACE OR REIMBURSE ME FOR THE AUTOMOBILE. THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ME TO COME PICK IT UP AND DRIVE IT TILL IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SHOULD TRAFFIC HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME, I COULD BE DEAD, MY BABY COULD BE DEAD AND WHOMEVER I HIT COULD BE DEAD. YET FORD IS TAKING LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT.*AK

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)