2000 Mercury Cougar

MY 2000 MERCURY COUGAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY AND THE HEAD LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKERING CONSISTENTLY. FIRST I TOOK IT TO TWO LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS WHO FOUND NO CHARGING PROBLEMS. THE SECOND SHOP PROVIDED ME WITH A RECALL AND RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER(WITH THE RECALL PAPER WORK) AND THEY FIRST REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR (WHICH DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM) THEN REPLACED A CONNECTOR (WHICH DIDN'T FIX MY PROBLEM). WHEN I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE BATTERY CABLE TO THE ALTERNATOR WHICH IS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE A $1,900.00 WIRING HARNESS TO DO THAT. HE RECOMMENDED THAT I TRADE MY CAR IN. SO I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A "CONSUMER REPORTS" USED CAR BUYING GUIDE TO LOOK FOR A RELIABLE USED CAR AND I FOUND A SECTION IN THE BACK FOR "RECALLS". UNDER THE '99-00 MERCURY COUGAR SECTION IT REFERENCES THIS RECALL AND SAYS "IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE BATTERY CABLE". I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD AND PLAN TO CALL THE ATTORNEY GENERALS CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION NEXT. *JB

I PURCHASED A USED 200 MERCURY COUGAR IN 12/2005. THE FUEL HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY FESTUS FORD AS DEFECTIVE. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AS PART OF RECALL #04V421000. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE 1-866-436-7332 TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT FORD COULD DO TO OFFSET THE COST OF THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT AND MY REQUEST WAS REJECTED. IT'S APPARENT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE COUGAR FUEL PUMPS. I REPORT TO FORD THAT I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, SINCE THIS IS CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER AND/OR SURGE. THEY DID NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED AT ALL. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AFTER HITTING AN EMBANKMENT AND FLIPPING OVER ON ITS TOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A DEER, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ONE PERSON WAS INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, ACCORDING TO THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

WITH NO WARNING, MY CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WILL START FAILING. LIGHTS WILL DIM, RPM AND SPEED GAUGES RESET AND THE CAR STALLS WITH IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START AGAIN AND HAS TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED 5+ TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS. THE FAILURE IS IN THE ALTERNATOR TO THE CAR AND POSSIBLY THE BATTERY AS WELL WHICH BOTH HAVE ONLY EVER BEEN THE MANUFACTURERS PARTS. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY BATTERY REPLACED 4 TIMES AND MY ALTERNATOR 5+ TIMES IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE CAR IS NOT DEPENDABLE AT ALL AND CAUSES MORE STRESS, MONEY,& TIME THAN IT IS WORTH. THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *JB

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAD A FLAT TIRE. WE THOUGHT THE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT, BUT WHEN WE CHANGED THE TIRE, WE FOUND THAT THE RIM HAD BURST OPEN AND THE TIRE WAS PERFECTLY FINE. THANK GOD THE CAR DID NOT FLIP. IF IT HAD, NO ONE WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT HAPPENED. WE CALLED THE FORD COMPANY AND THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT INCUR ANY COST FOR THEIR CLEARLY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. AFTER ALL THE PROBLEMS THEY HAVE CAUSED THE PUBLIC WITH THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS, YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD HAVE AT LEAST HAD A DEALERSHIP LOOK AT THE RIM TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. BUT APPARENTLY THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCTS UNLESS SOMEONE GETS KILLED LIKE IN THE CASE WITH THEIR DEFECTIVE TIRES. I REALLY FEEL THAT IF THEY HAD TAKEN THE COMPLAINTS SERIOUS ABOUT THE TIRE SITUATION, NO ONE WOULD HAVE LOST THEIR LIFE. IF ONE CUSTOMER COMPLAINS, AND YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT, I WOULD THINK THE COMPANY WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHY THEIR PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I TRULY HOPE THE FORD COMPANY GETS WHAT IS DUE THEM. AS THE OLD SLOGAN SAYS; FORD REALLY DOES MEAN FOUND ON THE ROAD DEAD. *JB

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

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

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALER FOUND THE BATTERY WIRE HAD CAME LOOSE FROM THE ALTERNATOR. THE PROBLEM RETURNED A SECOND TIME UNDER A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. THE BATTERY WIRE WAS REATTACHED THE SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT FOUND THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THE BATTERY CABLES, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 01V031000. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED ON OCTOBER 15, 2001 AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM FOUND. ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS THE RECALL IS CLOSED.