10 of the
104 complaints about the 1989 Mercury Cougar are about the
engine — 10% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
140,000 miles.
THE CAR IS NOW TOAST. IT WAS ABOUT 100 MILES PAST ITS SCHEDULED OIL-CHANGE/TUNE UP BUT OTHERWISE HAS BEEN WELL-CARED-FOR AND WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. I WAS DRIVING, AND A BEEPING STARTED. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT'S COMING FROM THE CENTER OF THE CAR, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON WARNING OF VERY LOW BATTERY, BUT NO OTHER WARNING LIGHTS. I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT THE BACK (REARVIEW AND SIDE MIRRORS) AND IT SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING SYNTHETIC IS BURNING (THIS ALL HAPPENS IN SECONDS TIME); SO, I PULL OVER, PARK, TURN THE CAR OFF. MY FRIEND AND I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. WITH THE CAR STOPPED I REALIZED THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I CALLED AAA FOR A TOW-TRUCK AND THE SMOKE WAS DYING DOWN. THEN THE SMOKE PICKED UP AGAIN AND I SAW WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS SMALL DROPS OF FIRE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD (PROBABLY DRIPPING, BURNING OIL). I THEN CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ABLAZE WITH A MASSIVE DARK SMOKE PLUME GOING WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN EASILY 100 FEET INTO THE AIR. THEY PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT NOT BEFORE THE EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD WAS TOTALLY BURNED OUT AND THE TWO FRONT TIRES (WHICH ARE NOW MELTED ONTO THE FRAME) HAD EXPLODED RATHER DRAMATICALLY. WHILE SMOKE GOT INTO THE COCKPIT, THE FLAME DID NOT BREACH IT NOR DID THE GAS TANK EXPLODE, BUT THE FUEL LINE MUST HAVE BEEN BREACHED. I'M CALLING A WRECKER TOMORROW MORNING TO TAKE THE CAR TO A SCRAP YARD (NO ONE OPEN SUNDAY EVENING). I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS THE SORT OF THING THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSES SOMEONE FOR. I HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE, BUT NOT COMPREHENSIVE. NO ONE WAS HURT, SAVE FOR WHAT I AS A LAYMAN WOULD CHARACTERIZE AS MINOR SMOKE INHALATION WHILE MY FRIEND AND I WERE IN/VACATING THE CAR (I FELT NAUSEOUS I WHILE AFTERWARD, BUT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE SHOCK OF SEEING MY CAR TURN INTO A FIREBALL AS MUCH AS IT WAS THE SMOKE I INHALED).
NHTSA complaint #10248214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 93,655 milesJersey City, NJ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED A REREATED BRAKE PROBLEM; WHEN SLIGHTLY PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN, DURING HIGH/LOW SPEEDS, CITY/HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE BRAKE PEDAL CONTINUES TO DEPRESS ON ITS OWN UNTIL IT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN SLAPS THE CONSUMERS FOOT AS IT COMES BACK UP TO NORMAL POSITION, WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING FOR 15 MINS, THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AT LOW/NO SPEED-AND HAS HAPPENED TO THE CONSUMER WHEN SITTING AT A RED LIGHT/ON SEVERAL TIMES WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM-@ J & S/DIFEO FORD SERVICE STATION. UNTRUSTING FORDS SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MIDAS, AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AS WELL. THE CONSUMER THEN RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR SEVERAL RECALLS AND FOUND THAT AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE COULD START EXPERIENCING A REDUCTION IN THE BRAKE PERFORMANCE THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A FULL REIMBURSEMENT OF 978.02, AND REQUEST INFO ON ALL NECESSARY REPAIR INFO AS WELL AS ANY PARTS TO BE REPLACED ALONG W/INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FORWARDED TO MIDAS AUTO SERVICE. REFER TO #89V081000. SCC
NHTSA complaint #10001373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 140,000 milesSouth Farmingdale, NYCrash
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
CONSUMER SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED GAS PEDAL WHILE IDLING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CRASHING INTO A RETAINER WALL. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. TS
NHTSA complaint #10001375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Camanche, IA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER SAID FORD NEW OF THIS PROBLEN BUT DID NOTHING TO CORRECT IT.
NHTSA complaint #760383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brooklyn, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #604396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Worth, TXFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #523795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Walnut CRE, CAFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #521636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
State College, PA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
INTERMITTENT STALLING DUE TO ENGINE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #510510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tucson, AZ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING ENGINE TO SIT ON OIL PAN, RUBBING A HOLE IN IT WHICH CAUSED OIL TO SPLASH ONTO ENGINE/TRANSMISSION.EXHAUST.
NHTSA complaint #482930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tucson, AZ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CRANK CASE PULLEY BROKE OFF.
NHTSA complaint #482930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.