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2000 Mercury Cougar

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

99 reports with mileage · 112 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports10 fire reports11 injury reports

Visibility complaints

16 reports
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55,000 miles · Sep 15, 2010
Visibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE SUN ROOF THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF MECHANISM WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUN ROOF NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN RE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE SUN ROOF THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF MECHANISM WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUN ROOF NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126000.

NHTSA ODI #10355716

39,000 miles · Sep 1, 2008
Visibility

1. DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE SUNROOF 2. OVER 1000 OWNERS EXPERIENCED SUNROOF THAT CAN NOT OPEN/CLOSE. SOME PEOPLE EVEN REPORT THAT THE SUNROOF WILL POP-OFF AND FLY AWAY WHILE DRIVING! SEE HTTP://COUGARSUNROOF.COM. *TR 3. I NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY AND MOTORS THAT MOVES THE SUNROOF.

NHTSA ODI #10240518

75,506 miles · Aug 30, 2008
Visibility

SUNROOF CLOSING MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVE DOES NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY...THE FAILURE LEAVES PASSENGER SIDE ON SUNROOF FLOPPING..I 'M VERY CONCERNED THAT SUNROOF COULD FLY OUT AND CRASH THROUGH ANOTHER VEHICLE WINDSHIELD..I DO HIGHWAY COMMUTE EVERYDAY AND ITS VERY UNSAFE FOR ME I ALMOST CRASHED ON WET HIGHWAY WHEN I COULD NOT CLOSE SUN…

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SUNROOF CLOSING MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVE DOES NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY...THE FAILURE LEAVES PASSENGER SIDE ON SUNROOF FLOPPING..I 'M VERY CONCERNED THAT SUNROOF COULD FLY OUT AND CRASH THROUGH ANOTHER VEHICLE WINDSHIELD..I DO HIGHWAY COMMUTE EVERYDAY AND ITS VERY UNSAFE FOR ME I ALMOST CRASHED ON WET HIGHWAY WHEN I COULD NOT CLOSE SUNROOF IN SUDDEN DOWNPOUR WHEN I WAS DRIVING. ON COUGARSUNROOF.COM THERE ARE 1365 COUGAR OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME SUNROOF PROBLEMS AND IT WAS CORRECTED ON 2001 COUGAR MODELS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10240347

79,000 miles · Feb 1, 2008
Visibility

2000 MERCURY COUGAR WITH 76,000 MILES ON IT AND THE SUNROOF HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DON THOMPSON LINCOLN MERCURY AND THEY MADE ME AWARE THAT THE SUNROOF WAS BUILT WITH A PLASTIC RAIL TO OPEN IT, THIS PLASTIC IS TO WEAK FOR THE METAL ROOF IT HOLDS AND CANNOT SUSTAIN THE WEIGHT. IT WAS MENTIONED THIS HAS BEEN A…

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2000 MERCURY COUGAR WITH 76,000 MILES ON IT AND THE SUNROOF HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DON THOMPSON LINCOLN MERCURY AND THEY MADE ME AWARE THAT THE SUNROOF WAS BUILT WITH A PLASTIC RAIL TO OPEN IT, THIS PLASTIC IS TO WEAK FOR THE METAL ROOF IT HOLDS AND CANNOT SUSTAIN THE WEIGHT. IT WAS MENTIONED THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THE PRICE TOO FIX IT WAS $1300 JUST FOR THE PARTS. AFTER CONTACTING FOD DIRECTLY THEY TOLD ME NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS NO LONGER IN EFFECT, AND THEY APOLOGIZED FOR ME BEING STUCK WITH THIS. STILL NOT FIXED AND WHEN DRIVING OVER 55 MPH THE SUNROOF FLIES OPEN, CAUSING A LOUD SOUND TO PRODUCE DISTRACTING ME FROM DRIVING. THE BUTTON TO OPEN IT NO LONGER WORKS, LEAKS ON HEAVY RAINY NIGHT WHICH IS RUINING THE INTERIOR WHICH WILL COST MORE MONEY THAT I DON'T HAVE, AS IT IS I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THE SUNROOF. BAD CHOICE FOR FORD/MERCURY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10216737

70,000 miles · Mar 28, 2007
Visibility

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC TRACK AROUND THE INTERIOR OF THE SUN ROOF WAS DEFECTIVE. THE PLASTIC WHICH HELD THE SUNROOF IN PLACE BROKE, AND THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO HOLD THE SUN ROOF IN PLACE WITHOUT THIS FEATURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE…

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TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC TRACK AROUND THE INTERIOR OF THE SUN ROOF WAS DEFECTIVE. THE PLASTIC WHICH HELD THE SUNROOF IN PLACE BROKE, AND THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO HOLD THE SUN ROOF IN PLACE WITHOUT THIS FEATURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10186419

70,000 miles · Apr 27, 2006
Unknown Or OtherVisibility

SUNROOF IS STUCK OPEN. WENT TO CLOSE IT AND ONLY ONE SIDE GOES DOWN. NEEDS A WHOLE NEW SUNROOF. WATER LEAKS IN WHEN IT RAINS. DAMAGING THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10156357

70,100 miles · Apr 21, 2006
Visibility

MY YEAR 2000 MERCURY COUGAR JUST REACHED 70,000 MILES LAST WEEK. I WENT TO OPEN MY SUNROOF YESTERDAY AND HEARD A LOUD CRACKING NOISE AFTER PRESSING THE BUTTON. THE REAR END OF THE SUNROOF WAS AJAR AND THE SUNROOF MOTOR WAS STILL IN WORKING CONDITION BUT I COULD NOT GET THE ROOF TO CLOSE ALL OF THE WAY. I TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE …

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MY YEAR 2000 MERCURY COUGAR JUST REACHED 70,000 MILES LAST WEEK. I WENT TO OPEN MY SUNROOF YESTERDAY AND HEARD A LOUD CRACKING NOISE AFTER PRESSING THE BUTTON. THE REAR END OF THE SUNROOF WAS AJAR AND THE SUNROOF MOTOR WAS STILL IN WORKING CONDITION BUT I COULD NOT GET THE ROOF TO CLOSE ALL OF THE WAY. I TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY TOOK THE SUNROOF APART AND FOUND A PIECE OF CRACKED PLASTIC ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THEY GOT THE ROOF TO CLOSE AS BEST AS THEY COULD, HOWEVER IT STILL REMAINS AJAR AND RUNS THE RISK OF LEAKING. I WAS TOLD BY THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP THAT THIS COULD COST ME ANYWHERE BETWEEN $1,000-$2,000 TO FIX. ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO, WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS STILL COVERED UNDER ITS MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALERSHIP THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE SUNROOF IN THE COUGARS AND "TO USE MY SUNROOF OFTEN SO THAT MAYBE IT WILL BREAK WHILE IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY." I CONTACTED FORD YESTERDAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THE SUNROOF BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE PROBLEM TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO FOR ME. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10155831

80,353 miles · Apr 14, 2006
Visibility

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH,THE SUNROOF WAS OPENED BY A POWER CONTROL WHICH PARTIALLY ELEVATED THE SUNROOF. AFTERWARDS, THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND. THE EXPOSED SUNROOF ASSEMBLY CAUGHT AIR WHICH RIPPED THE ASSEMBLY, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL, DID NOTHING TO SATISFY THE CONTACT…

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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH,THE SUNROOF WAS OPENED BY A POWER CONTROL WHICH PARTIALLY ELEVATED THE SUNROOF. AFTERWARDS, THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND. THE EXPOSED SUNROOF ASSEMBLY CAUGHT AIR WHICH RIPPED THE ASSEMBLY, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL, DID NOTHING TO SATISFY THE CONTACT'S COMPLAINS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10155381

105,703 miles · Jan 3, 2006
Visibility

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE NEW, IN 2000. IN 2002, AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE A TOTAL OF 38,000 MILES, THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY BROKE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM COVERED THE WORK UNDER MY EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN. JUST THE OTHER DAY, WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY BROKE AGAIN. THIS TIME T…

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I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE NEW, IN 2000. IN 2002, AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE A TOTAL OF 38,000 MILES, THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY BROKE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM COVERED THE WORK UNDER MY EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN. JUST THE OTHER DAY, WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY BROKE AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH, THE SUNROOF DETACHED FROM MY VEHICLE. THANKFULLY, I WAS DRIVING ON A ROAD THAT HAD LITTLE TO NO OTHER TRAFFIC. HAD I BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO WORK DURING RUSH HOUR, THE SUNROOF WOULD HAVE MOST SURELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, IT APPEARS THAT THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY FAILING IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, AS IT IS DOCUMENTED ON WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM. IF QUALITY IS INDEED JOB 1 AT FORD, WHY WOULD THEY NOT FIX AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW? *NM

NHTSA ODI #10146831

39,000 miles · Jul 19, 2004
Visibility

SUN ROOF BROKEN ON MY 2000 MERCURY COUGAR 1) THERE WAS NO WARNING LEADING UP TO IT BREAKING. 2) I WAS OPENING THE SUN ROOF AND THEN A LOUD "POP" NOISE AND IT WOULDN'T MOVE. FORD USED PLASTIC RAILS FOR THE SUN ROOF AND THEY CAN'T SUPPORT IT. THEY LATER CORRECTED THE NEWER MODEL COUGARS WITH METAL RAILS BUT THEY WANT ME TO PAY A…

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SUN ROOF BROKEN ON MY 2000 MERCURY COUGAR 1) THERE WAS NO WARNING LEADING UP TO IT BREAKING. 2) I WAS OPENING THE SUN ROOF AND THEN A LOUD "POP" NOISE AND IT WOULDN'T MOVE. FORD USED PLASTIC RAILS FOR THE SUN ROOF AND THEY CAN'T SUPPORT IT. THEY LATER CORRECTED THE NEWER MODEL COUGARS WITH METAL RAILS BUT THEY WANT ME TO PAY ALMOST $1,000 TO LET THEM FIX IT. 3) IT IS STILL BROKEN. I PAYED MORE FOR THE SUN ROOF IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEY SHOULD FIX IT FOR FREE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10082224

Official recalls

3

04V421000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

Aug 30, 2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CONTAMINATION OF THE FILTER IN THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE (FDM) CAN REDUCE, AND EVENTUALLY BLOCK, THE FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS MAY CAUSE ENGINE HESITATION, LOSS OF POWER, SURGING, AND OTHER SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. OVER TIME, THE FILTER MAY BECOME SUFFICIENTLY BLOCKED TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: THIS ACTION IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN AND IS NOT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE SAFETY ACT. ALL OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FDM WITH A NEW DESIGN AT NO CHARGE IF THE OWNER REPORTS THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS ANY OF THE IDENTIFIED SYMPTOMS. THE FREE REPLACEMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, WITH NO MILEAGE LIMIT. THE CAMPAIGN BEGAN ON APRIL 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

01V031000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables

Feb 6, 2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L V6 ENGINES. THE BATTERY CABLE WAS MISROUTED AND ITS ATTACHMENT TO THE ALTERNATOR CABLE WAS UNDER-TORQUED. IF MISROUTED, THE CABLE COULD CONTACT THE POWER STEERING LINE AND THE INSULATION COULD WEAR, RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE SHORT COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A FIRE, STALLING, OR A NO-START CONDITION.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BATTERY CABLE TO THE ALTERNATOR FOR DAMAGE AND, IF IT IS DAMAGED, WILL REPLACE THE CABLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE ROUTING OF THE CABLE WILL BE CORRECTED, AS NECESSARY, AND A ROUTING CLIP WILL BE ADDED. ALSO THE TORQUE ON THE ALTERNATOR ATTACHMENT OF THE CABLE WILL BE CHECKED AND, AS REQUIRED, WILL BE TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 22, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

00V075000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components

Mar 9, 2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). A PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVE (PCRV) IN THE REAR BRAKES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND RESULT IN MALFUNCTION, WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS THAT USE SALT COMPOUNDS ON THE ROADWAY FOR DE-ICING OR DUST CONTROL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF BOTH PCRV'S MALFUNCTION, VEHICLE HANDLING COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED DURING BRAKING AS A RESULT OF THE REAR WHEELS LOCKING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL IMPROVED PCRV'S IN THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS RECALL WAS EXPANDED IN SEPTEMBER 2000 TO INCLUDE 1999 AND 2000 FORD CONTOUR, MERCURY MYSTIQUE AND COUGAR VEHICLES.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.