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FaultScore report

1985 Mercury Cougar problems

Owners have filed 22 complaints about the 1985 Mercury Cougar with NHTSA between 1995 and 2001. The largest single group is the electrical system.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Mercury Cougar
—

Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

22

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

1

Fires reported

1

Injuries reported

How 1985 compares with every other Mercury Cougar

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 1985 Mercury Cougar

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 13 59.1%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Acceleration & Cruise Control 3 13.6%
Tires 2 9.1%
Doors, Latches & Locks 1 4.5%
Seat Belts 1 4.5%
Body & Structure 1 4.5%
Engine & Cooling 1 4.5%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Dec 1995 peak 10 Jan 2001

NHTSA investigations into the 1985 Mercury Cougar

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

EA86010 Opened 26 Mar 1986 Closed 28 Jul 1989 SEATS

SEATBACK FAILURE

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:FORD BELIEVES THAT THE AL-LEGED DEFECT ONLY OCCURS IN A SMALL NUMBER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ANDRECALLED ABOUT 195,732 1984 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES IN JUNE 1986.ANALYSIS: VEHICLES POTENTIALLY INVOLVED INCLUDE TEMPO/TOPAZ, ESCORT/LYNX/EXP, MUSTANG/CAPRI, LTD/MARQUIS, AND THUNDERBIRD/COUGAR.FORD SOLD ABOUT 110,000 REPLACEMENT MIO BOLTS, MAINLY FOR 1983 AND 1984MODELS. LOW CLAMPING FORCE APPEARS TO BE A LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM.FORD INCREASED THE TORQUE REQUIREMENTS AND REQUIRED THE USE OF A MANUALTORQUE TOOL IN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER 1985 PRODUCTION CHANGES. 1...

Recalls on the 1985 Mercury Cougar

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 1985029 175 units in Canada

VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS THAT HAVE IMPROPERLY ANODIZED INTERNAL SURFACES. THIS COULD CAUSE ACCELERATED WEAR OF A MASTER CYLINDER PISTON SEAL TO THE EXTENT THAT ONE PORTION OF THE SPLIT BRAKE SYSTEM BECOMES INEFFECTIVE. THIS WOULD INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

SAN Clara, CA Fire 1 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE, ENGINE COMPARTMNET FIRE.

NHTSA complaint #983619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Cordova, AL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

INJECTOR ON THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED. SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

TIRES

GOODYEAR TIRES (P215/70R15) FAILED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

ECM FAILED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

STARTER AND SOLENOID BURNED OUT. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID

STARTER AND SOLENOID BURNED OUT. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

INJECTOR ON THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED. SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

TIRES

GOODYEAR TIRES (P215/70R15) FAILED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

ECM FAILED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

STARTER AND SOLENOID BURNED OUT. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID

STARTER AND SOLENOID BURNED OUT. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #558917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cordova, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

WHILE TRYING TO START VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT START.

NHTSA complaint #876891 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Athens, GA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS. WHEN CONSUMER REACHES TO 60 MPH VEHICLE WILL SHUTDOWN, AND THE CONSUMER HAS TO COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #836914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lodi, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE WOULD SURGE & ACCELERATE; WOULD HAVE FOOT ON BRAKES AT TIME TO SLOW DOWN. AFTER DRIVING A WHILE WOULD PULL OFF ROAD & TURN VEHICLE OFF & THEN RESTART; NO SIGN OF SURGING/ACCELERATING; PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. TOOK TO DEALER & COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #814303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Summerdale, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

BASICALLY THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, WHEN SWITCH WAS REMOVED BY OWNER THE SWITCH WAS CHARGED AND BURNED. ALSO SOME WIRING WAS BURNED.

NHTSA complaint #803324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BAY ST. LO, MS

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

HOOD LATCH FAILED DUE TO KINK IN THE RELEASE CABLE.

NHTSA complaint #503837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BAY ST. LO, MS

STRUCTURE:BODY

ROOF LINING FALLING APART, INTERFERING WITH DRIVERS VISION. *DSH

NHTSA complaint #503837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dayton, OH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, SMOKE IS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN.

NHTSA complaint #983972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dayton, OH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, SMOKE IS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN.

NHTSA complaint #983972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LAS Vegas, NV

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

WHEN SHE PUT THE KEY INTO IGNITION, THE CAR STRETED TO GET FILLED WITH SMOKE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. PLEASE DESCRIBE.

NHTSA complaint #983688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LAS Vegas, NV

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

WHEN SHE PUT THE KEY INTO IGNITION, THE CAR STRETED TO GET FILLED WITH SMOKE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. PLEASE DESCRIBE.

NHTSA complaint #983688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Clara, CA Fire 1 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE, ENGINE COMPARTMNET FIRE.

NHTSA complaint #983619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newton CTR, MA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

DRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON A FEW OCCASIONS WILL NOT LATCH OR UNLATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

NHTSA complaint #976658 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.