Worst years for a Mercury Cougar
Owners have filed 2,646 complaints about the Mercury Cougar with NHTSA across model years 1962 to 2002. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.
Avoid
1999 Mercury Cougar740 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly electrical system.
Every Mercury Cougar year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | C | 127 | 16 | 1 | 73,750 | Fuel & Propulsion |
| 2001 | C | 103 | 8 | 8 | 76,500 | Fuel & Propulsion |
| 2000 | D | 283 | 20 | 13 | 65,000 | Electrical System |
| 1999 | D | 740 | 34 | 3 | 73,000 | Electrical System |
| 1998 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1997 | A | 112 | 2 | 2 | 65,850 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1996 | B | 77 | 4 | 0 | 61,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1995 | C | 160 | 12 | 5 | 67,000 | Brakes |
| 1994 | C | 178 | 13 | 2 | 70,000 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1993 | B | 236 | 7 | 5 | 114,664 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1992 | — | 122 | 7 | 2 | 98,000 | Lights |
| 1991 | — | 98 | 5 | 8 | 95,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1990 | — | 104 | 11 | 9 | 89,000 | Electrical System |
| 1989 | — | 104 | 18 | 11 | 93,655 | Acceleration & Cruise Control |
| 1988 | — | 72 | 7 | 7 | — | Seat Belts |
| 1987 | — | 49 | 7 | 11 | — | Electrical System |
| 1986 | — | 20 | 0 | 2 | — | Electrical System |
| 1985 | — | 22 | 0 | 1 | — | Electrical System |
| 1984 | — | 25 | 1 | 3 | — | Electrical System |
| 1983 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1982 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | — | Electrical System |
| 1980 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1978 | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | Seat Belts |
| 1973 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | Tires |
| 1962 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Engine & Cooling |
What breaks on a Mercury Cougar
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Exactly what failed on a Mercury Cougar
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Mercury Cougar, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Mercury Cougar problems by state
Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.
Compare the Mercury Cougar
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.