FaultScore

1994 Mercury Cougar acceleration problems

11 of the 178 complaints about the 1994 Mercury Cougar are about the throttle and cruise control — 6% of everything reported for this model year.

F

11

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 8 72.7%
Accelerator Pedal 2 18.2%
Cruise Control 1 9.1%

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.

West Chester, PA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE BEGAN SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE IDLE AND STOPPED ON 10 OCCASIONS SINCE 5/1/2002. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM JOLTING FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. WHILE PULLING INTO MY GARAGE TODAY, TRAVELLING AT LESS THAT 1 MPH, THE CAR ACCELEARATED ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT FROM CRASHING INTO A HEATING OIL TANK. VEHICLE HAS BEGUN TO RANDOMLY SHUDDER WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 10 TO 65 MPH. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM BUT VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT OCCURRED ON HIGHWAY YESTERDAY. POWER WINDOW ON DRIVER SIDE NOW RANDOMLY SHUDDERS WHEN LOWERING. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM AND IS NEW. THE PASSENGER POWER WINDOW IS INOPERABLE AND TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO HAVE FIXED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE 1997 AND THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ME $150 TO FIX AND THAT IT IS MERELY A SENSOR DEFECT AND NOT A AFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, FORD SHOULD OVER THE COST FOR REPAIR, NOT THE CONSUMER.

NHTSA complaint #761952 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dover, MA Crash

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ON DECEMBER 23 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY 1994 MERCURY COUGAR AND SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK,

NHTSA complaint #757170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Millville, NJ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE CARS ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED(SO THEY SAID) ON JULY 1997 AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE AGAIN. THE SPEED CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THE WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK THE WINDOWS ARE POWER AND WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN.ALSO THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED ALSO THE CAR HAS TIRE VIBRATION THANK YOU THIS CAR IS NOW BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND WE STILL ARE MAKING PAYMENTS I CALLED THE DEALER ON 4-5-2000 AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LOOKING AT OUR CAR PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #721108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saranac, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED OR WHEN MAKING A STOP VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER REPLACED SENSOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #838137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Spring Valley, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

AFTER PROCEEDING FROM A STOP LIGHT AND TAKING FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO VERY HIGH RPMS. APPLIED BRAKES, BUT DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN PARK IN ORDER TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #835375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

OLD Bridge, NJ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

97V22500 FORD CONTOUR, 97V225000, MERCURY MISTIQUE, CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HE MOVES HIS FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR KEEPS GOING. RECALL ON OTHER CARS THAT HE OWNS STATES THAT IN CARS WITH TRACTION CONTROL ENGINE MAY NOT SLOW TO IDLE WHEN DRIVER REMOVES FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR. HE IS NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE THIRD VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #823391 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Franklinville, NJ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

GEAR ENGAGEMENT; VEHICLE REEVS 3,000 RMPS. WATER DEVELOPED THROUGH INLET, COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. DEALER'S COMMENTS: MASS FLOW AIR SENSOR ALSO SERVICED ON BYPASS AIR VALVE TUBE.

NHTSA complaint #817789 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hawthorne, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

HAS ROUGH ENGINE IDLE, WHEN AT TRAFFIC LIGHT AND FEELS VEHICLE SURGING; HAD AT DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BUT PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED.

NHTSA complaint #808487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Edgewood, MD

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ON THE BELTWAY WENT TO ACCELERATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE AND THEN LOST POWER. THIS CONSUMER HAD TO LET UP AND TAKE FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND TRIED IT AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE PICKED UP AGAIN. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #808020 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Metuchen, NJ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

WHEN PRESSED, GAS PEDAL VIBRATES AND ACCELERATES. TT

NHTSA complaint #964922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Arling, NJ Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WENT TO STEP ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 70 MILES PER HOUR. TT

NHTSA complaint #960347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1994 Mercury Cougar problems

← Full 1994 Mercury Cougar report