FaultScore

1988 Mercury Cougar acceleration problems

10 of the 72 complaints about the 1988 Mercury Cougar are about the throttle and cruise control — 14% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 60,000 miles.

F

10

Complaints

5

Crashes

0

Fires

4

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 7 70.0%
Accelerator Pedal 2 20.0%
Linkages 1 10.0%

Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Mercury Cougar year

1988 10 8.3%
1989 22 18.2%
1990 19 15.7%
1992 10 8.3%
1994 11 9.1%
1999 32 26.4%
2000 17 14.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 60,000 miles Jackson, GA Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ON FEB 12, 1994 MY WIFE AND HER FRIEND TOOK MY RED 1988 MERCURY COUGAR LS TO CHURCH AT 6:30 PM. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY FOGGY EVENING. I RECEIVED A CALL AT THE HOUSE AT 6:50 PM THAT MY WIFE HAD BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND THAT I NEEDED TO COME TO THE SITE. MY CAR WAS IN MINT CONDITION INSIDE AND OUT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I SAW THE CAR, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!! MY WIFE, WITNESSES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOODYEAR TIRE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS THE MERCURY COUGAR?S COMPUTER THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO GO FULL-THROTTLE. DIANE, MY WIFE AND PASSENGER TESTIFIED THAT WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED, SHE PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR. AFTER NO AVAIL, SHE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SPIN INTO A HEAVILY TRAVELED INTERSECTION. AS THE VEHICLE SPUN, MY WIFE TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO ?PARK?. UNFORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE CHANGED INTO ?REVERSE?, SENDING THEM THROUGH A GAS STATION, AT FULL-THROTTLE, BACKWARDS. AT THIS TIME, THE PASSENGER PANICKED. SHE UNBUCKLED HER SEATBELT AND OPENED THE DOOR WHILE TRAVELING IN REVERSE. THE DOOR MOMENTARILY PINED HER TO THE GROUND, RESULTING IN MAJOR FRACTURES OF THE HIP AND OTHER MINOR INJURIES. THE CAR FINALLY CAME TO REST IN THE WOODS ADJACENT TO THE GAS STATION WITH MAJOR FRAME DAMAGE, A SEVERED FUEL LINE AND ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE DESTROYED. MY WIFE WAS SHAKEN, BUT NO INJURIES. WITNESSES STATED THEY CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING THE GAS PUMPS. AT THE TIME, MY FATHER-IN-LAW, A RETIRED GM MECHANIC BLAMED THE EVENT ON MY WIFE. UNTIL I BECAME COMPUTER SMART AND HAVE READ SO MANY ARTICLES THIS WEEK ON FORD VEHICLES SURGING, I THOUGHT I HAD BETTER REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO HELP OTHERS WHO APPARENTLY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE.

NHTSA complaint #10118272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Randolf, MA Crash

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

WHILE DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL VEHICLE WENT INTO A FULL UNWANTED ACCELERATION. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER, CRUISE CONTROL DISCONNECTED. POSSIBLY FAULTY WIRING IN CRUISE CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA complaint #834749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hopkinton, MA 1 killed

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING VEHICLE ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH.

NHTSA complaint #505142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Freemont, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN STOPPING OR SHIFTING INTO PARK VEHICLE SUDDENLY RACES/ACCELERATES.

NHTSA complaint #521357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Little Ferry, NJ Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY ACCELERATED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALLED. *AK CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. TP SENSOR REPLACED DUE TO STALLING. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #816443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hopkinton, MA 1 killed

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT/FATALITY.

NHTSA complaint #514847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Conklin, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED.

NHTSA complaint #512538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hopkinton, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

THROTTLE LINKAGE DEFECTIVE.(1ST VEHICLE ON 601564)

NHTSA complaint #503665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newtonvill, MA Crash 1 injured 1 killed

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNEXPECTED AND UNINTENDED ACCELERATION FROM APARK POSITION. INDEPENDENT ENGINEER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPENED, EA90-009.

NHTSA complaint #502576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dearborn, MI Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE SURGED WHEN KEY PUT INTO CAR, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY.

NHTSA complaint #504685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1988 Mercury Cougar problems

← Full 1988 Mercury Cougar report