2002 Mercury Cougar

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED VIA AMBULANCE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. SHE WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT AND SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY AND RECEIVED STITCHES TO HER LIP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 86,000. *UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF THE CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW WAS THERE A MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIR BAGS? UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

MY DAUGHTER HIT THE BACK OF A SCHOOL BUS IN MAY OF 2006 IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. LAST NIGHT SHE BARELY SCRAPED HER RIM ON A CURB AND BOTH AIR BAGS WENT OFF AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD. THIS MUST HAVE BEEN FAULTY AIR BAGS FROM THE START BECAUSE THEY SHOULD HAVE WENT OFF IN THE FRONT END COLLISION SHE HAD, AND SHOULD NOT OF RELEASED WHEN SHE HIT HER RIM ON A CURB. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED, THE VEHICLE WILL HESITATE, SURGE, AND LOSE POWER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT A PART OF RECALL # 04V421000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VIN AND # OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 69,470 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 77,000. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE TOOK A LONG TO SHIFT UP TO SPEED. OFTEN TIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD STUTTER AND HESITATE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 04V421000 DUE TO THE VIN. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS STATED IN RECALL # 04V421000, REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A SLOW START AND STALLED WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS KEPT PARKED FOR ONE DAY AND THEN RESTARTED BY THE CONTACT. AFTER A WEEK OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STALLED WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE, AND THAT THE VEHICLE ALWAYS HAD A SLOW START. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN EXCLUDED THE VEHICLE FROM THE RECALL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,900.*AK

I OWN A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR VIN[XXX]. IN 2/06 MY CAR BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING. OVER A FEW WEEK'S TIME, THE PROBLEM WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT THE CAR WOULD HESITATE, THEN SURGE AHEAD, AND COULDN'T BE CONTROLLED. ON 3/7/06, I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 IN S. FLA., AND MY CAR HESITATED AND SURGED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE SURGING CAUSED A NEAR MISS WITH THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. THE CAR SPUTTERED AND I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. ON THE SHOULDER, THE CAR BACKFIRED, THEN SHUT OFF. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, WAITED 15 MINUTES, THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. THE ENGINE RAN, SO I CONTINUED ON MY WAY. WITHIN 15 MINUTES, THE HESITATION AND SURGING STARTED AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, I DROVE STRAIGHT HOME. ALONG THE WAY, THE CAR SHUT OFF 3 MORE TIMES. ONCE HOME, I CONTACTED MY DEALER, MAROONE LINCOLN MERCURY IN N. PALM BEACH, FLA. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY RECALL, AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. I THEN CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO MADE NOTE OF MY COMPLAINT AND TOLD ME OF A SAFETY BULLETIN FOR THE 2002 MERCURY COUGAR FUEL DELIVERY MODULE. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD MY CAR WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN BULLETIN. I CONTACTED A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WYNN PERFORMANCE IN BELLE GLADE, FLA. FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS. WYNN PERFORMANCE VERIFIED THAT MY CAR WAS HESITATING AND SURGING AND THAT A SAFETY BULLETIN EXISTED FOR MY CAR'S MODEL YEAR. WYNN PERFORMANCE OBTAINED A GENUINE FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUEL DELIVERY MODULE AND REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE UNIT. THE TECHNICIAN POINTED OUT THAT THE OLD MODULE AND THE NEW UNIT HAD SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN DESIGN. I TESTED THE CAR AND WAS SATISFIED THAT IT WORKED CORRECTLY. TO THIS DAY, MY CAR DOES NOT SURGE OR HESITATE. REPLACING THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, BUT I INCURRED MORE THAN $400 IN OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES FOR THE SAFETY UPGRADE. I AM UPSET THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND MAROONE LINCOLN MERCURY DISREGARDED MY SAFETY AND IGNORED THEIR BULLETIN. *NM *JS

NO PROBLEMS OR INDICATORS OF ANY PROBLEMS OR ISSUES. WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AND CAR LOSS POWER. WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD. HAD VEHICLE EXAMINED AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE SEIZED. HAD SECOND OPINION, AND MECHANIC DRAINED THE OIL AND SAID THERE WAS METAL SHAVINGS IN OIL, COULD NOT GIVE REASON AS TO WHAT CAUSED ENGINE TO LOCK UP. HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. WARRANTY EXPIRED. WAS TOLD FORD WOULD NOT COVER. HAD LESS THAN 45,000 MILES ON VEHICLE - THIS IS A DEFECTIVE OR MISBUILT MOTOR. *NM