2000 Mercury Cougar

THE 99'-2002 MERCURY COUGARS HAVE FAULTY FUEL PUMPS. ONCE THEY BECOME INEFFECTIVE THE VEHICLE BUCKS VIOLENTLY AND NO LONGER IS CONTROLLABLE. I AM PART OF A CAR CLUB CALLED "NEW EDGE COUGARS" AND EVERY SINGLE MEMBER HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM, MOST OF THE TIME IT OCCURS ON BUSY HIGHWAYS AND INTERSECTIONS. I MYSELF ALMOST WAS HIT NUMEROUS TIMES AS MY VEHICLE DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY INTERSECTION. OTHER MEMBERS HAVE HAD THE COUGAR DIE WHILE TRAVELING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ONCE YOU GET THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME ONE AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN IN THE NOT SO DISTANT FUTURE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WHICH THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX BUT JUST REPLACE THE ITEM WITH THE EXACT SAME INEFFECTIVE ONE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME WHEN A COUGAR OWNER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR TRAFFIC WILL NOT IT THEM WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO A SUDDEN STOP. THIS WILL CAUSE NUMEROUS INJURIES, LARGE PROPERTY DAMAGES AND POSSIBLE DEATH. *LA

PURCHASED 2000 MERCURY COUGAR 13 NOV. 2000. SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE, ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE SAID VEHICLE HAS SPUTTERED AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC DO TO LACK OF FUEL COMSUMPTION. WHILE UNDER WARRENTY DEALER HAS CHANGED THE FUEL PUMP ONCE. AS OF THIS DAY, ON THREE NOVEMBER 2003, I MYSELF CHANGED ANOTHER FUEL PUMP ON SAID VEHICLE. I'VE NOTICED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW NOTHING IS BEING DONE BY THE DEALER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. TODAY IS 10 NOV. 2003 AND SAID VEHICLE HAS STALLED AGAIN. I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FUSE WAS BLOWN AND CHANGED IT ALSO INSTALLED A NEW PUMP RELAY. THERE SEEMS TO BE AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITHIN THS SYSTEM, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES THE PUMP TO BURN UP. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF A FUEL PUMP FOR THIS VEHICLE IS THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS OR MORE WHICH DOESN'T INCLUDE LABOR FOR INSTALLATION. MY QUESTION, IS THERE A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE HARNESS OR THE RELAYS THAT ARE MANUFACTORED. BECAUSE I'VE FOUND THE PUMP FUSE BLOWN ON THE LAST THREE OCCASIONS. WHAT IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THANKFULLY THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY INJURIES. BUT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU STALL, IT VERY WELL COULD BE. I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD TO AT LEAST KEEP A HALF OF TANK OF GAS IN VEHICLE TO KEEP PUMP FROM OVERHEATING. WHAT'S THE DEAL? NOW IS THE DEALER REGULATING CONSUMERS FUEL CONSUMPTION. WHAT IF I WENT ON A ROAD TRIP I WOULD NEVER GET THERE.*AK

MERCURY COUGAR 2000 AFTER AFTER DRIVING FOR AN HOUR OR MORE WITH OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IN THE HIGH 90S OR LOW 100S BEGIN SURGING AND STUTTERING AND STOPS RUNNING. AFTER THE CAR COOLS IT WILL RESTART AND RUN. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL SERVICE MANAGERS AT SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THE FUEL PUMP OVERHEATS AND STOPS WORKING. FORD/MERCURY WHEN CONTACTED DENIED THAT THERE WAS A PERVASSIVE PROBLEM BUT ALL OF THE DEALERSHIPS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO AND BROUGHT MY CAR INTO TO BE FIXED HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM.*AK

THE FIRST TIME THE CAR STALLED IT WAS IN JANUARY 2003. IT DID IT AGAIN ON JUNE 8, 2003. IT APPEARED TO BE FINE, BUT THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON THE WAY TO WORK IT WAS HAVING TROUBLE. DID NOT USE CAR UNTIL TRANSPORT TO DEALERSHIP IN PORT JEFERSON, NY ON JUNE 11, 2003. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. LOOKING THROUGH PAST COMPLAINTS IT APPEARS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE MANUFACTURER INTENDS TO DO ABOUT THIS. I HOPE THAT THIS WILL NOT BE ANOTHER FORD PINTO SITUATION. *JB