IllustrationCAR STARTED HESITATING AND LOST POWER THEN STALLED OUT CAUSING TRAFFIC TO GET BACKED UP. *TR
2001 Mercury Cougar
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cougar years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
40–25K
1325–50K
1050–75K
775–100K
10100–150K
7150K+
51 reports with mileage · 31 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.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports6 fire reports5 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
11 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND AND EVENTUALLY FAILED. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT INDICATE ANYTHING ABNORMAL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING ONCE THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND SHE NOTICED RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING. AFTER REST…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND AND EVENTUALLY FAILED. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT INDICATE ANYTHING ABNORMAL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING ONCE THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND SHE NOTICED RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MIDAS FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS INFORMED AGAIN THAT HER VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING WHICH ALLOWED RADIATOR FLUID TO MIX WITH THE OIL.
I HAVE A SMELL IN THE CAR AFTER AGGRESSIVE DRIVING, AND THE TSB # IS 00252 AND NHTSA IS 616819. WHAT IS CAUSING THIS SMELL, IT JUST STARTED. ALSO WHAT IS NHTSA # 10004066 TSB # 17174. HESITATION I KNOW, WHAT IS MAKING IT HESITATE. *TR
2001 MERCURY COUGAR. SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR I HAVE REPLACE THE ENGINE AT 65,000 MILES, LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING AT 70,000 MILES, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING IS ON ITS WAY OUT AT 100,000 MILES ALONG WITH A PLUGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. A/C ALSO FAILED AT 115,000 MILES.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND THEN IT STALLED, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND RADIATOR LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SHUT OFF. CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING AT MULTIPLE SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATION.*AK
CAR PARKED AND ENGINE SHUT OFF. WITHIN 5 MINUTES ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. *TS ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761829
TRAVELING 70MPH ON INTERSTATE 75 SOUTH CAR JUST CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE LANE. CAR JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE LANE. FIRE STARTED FROM THE ENGINE AND SHOT TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. STATE FARM INSURANCE CO., THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND A REPRESENTATIVE FOR FORD MOTOR CO., ALL STATED THAT THE CAR HAS A MANUFACTURER'S …
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TRAVELING 70MPH ON INTERSTATE 75 SOUTH CAR JUST CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE LANE. CAR JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE LANE. FIRE STARTED FROM THE ENGINE AND SHOT TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. STATE FARM INSURANCE CO., THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND A REPRESENTATIVE FOR FORD MOTOR CO., ALL STATED THAT THE CAR HAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WHICH CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEPARATE . THE CAR WAS SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT SAME DAY ( ENGINE LIGHT HAD CAME ON) AND RELEASED AS REPAIRED.*AIK
Official recalls
104V421000 · 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.