FaultScore

1994 Mercury Cougar brake problems

36 of the 178 complaints about the 1994 Mercury Cougar are about the braking system — 20% of everything reported for this model year.

D

36

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 10 27.8%
Foundation Components 6 16.7%
Disc 6 16.7%
Rotor 6 16.7%
Master Cylinder 2 5.6%
Conventional 1 2.8%
Wheel Cylinders 1 2.8%
Shoes/Linings 1 2.8%
Drum 1 2.8%
Antilock 1 2.8%

Brakes across every Mercury Cougar year

1989 11 4.2%
1991 12 4.6%
1992 13 5.0%
1993 25 9.5%
1994 36 13.7%
1995 49 18.7%
1997 13 5.0%
1999 91 34.7%
2000 12 4.6%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

West Chester, PA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

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.

East China,, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKE SYSTEM FAULTY CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE ONCE APPLYING THE BRAKE AT SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH, IF AN EMERGENCY STOP HAD TO BE MADE THE BRAKES WOULD FAIL RESULTING IN CONSUMER HAVING TO STEER CLEAR OF THE HAZARD, VIRTUALLY EVERY PART OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #781798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cleveland HTS, OH

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA complaint #734676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

East China,, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKE SYSTEM FAULTY CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE ONCE APPLYING THE BRAKE AT SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH, IF AN EMERGENCY STOP HAD TO BE MADE THE BRAKES WOULD FAIL RESULTING IN CONSUMER HAVING TO STEER CLEAR OF THE HAZARD, VIRTUALLY EVERY PART OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #781798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warwick, RI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

CONSUMER WAS COMIMG OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. SHE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, AND THERE WAS NO BRAKIN GPOWER. SHE TURNED VEHICLE OFF, AND CALLED DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA complaint #870416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warwick, RI

PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL

CONSUMER WAS COMIMG OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. SHE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, AND THERE WAS NO BRAKIN GPOWER. SHE TURNED VEHICLE OFF, AND CALLED DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA complaint #870416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Millville, NJ

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

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.

Whitney, TX Crash 2 injured

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:ROTOR

I HAVE CONTINUELY HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED DUE TO WARPED ROTORS AND GLAZED BRAKE PADS.

NHTSA complaint #704119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Free Soil, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

BRAKES PULSATE STRONGLY, EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT. INSTRUMENT PANEL HOOD DOES NOT PREVENT SUN FROM REFLECTING TO DRIVER.

NHTSA complaint #702988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

East China, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUMS/SHOES AND REAR CYLINDERS.

NHTSA complaint #781797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

East China, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUMS/SHOES AND REAR CYLINDERS.

NHTSA complaint #781797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

East China, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUMS/SHOES AND REAR CYLINDERS.

NHTSA complaint #781797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

East China, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUMS/SHOES AND REAR CYLINDERS.

NHTSA complaint #781797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gainesville, FL

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL IN THE FALL OF 1996. IT WOULD SHUDDER SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE AND ONCE IN OVERDRIVE IT SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON IT'S OWN. JANUARY 1997 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTOR AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. 6 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. SEPT 1997 I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NOW JAN 1999, THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND IS CONVENIENTLY PAST THE 12 MONTH/12000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE REPLACEMENT PART. ON THE INTERSTATE LAST WEEK, MY WIFE WAS GOING 70 MPH AND THE CAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO OVERDRIVE. A SEMI ALMOST RAN INTO THE REAREND OF THE CAR. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEPT 1997 WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN 1997 THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME FORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE 1994 TRANSMISSIONS. LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. NOW I'M STUCK WITH AN $1800 REPAIR BILL.

NHTSA complaint #702019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sunnyside, NY

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK

NO ONLY AM I DISOPPOINTED WITH THE BRAKES WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED 3 TIMES ALL TIMES ON THE SAME SIDE(DRIVERS SIDE ONLY) BUT I AM VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE PAINT JOB THAT MY CAR HAS. I WOULD HATE TO SELL MY CAR BUT NOW BECAUSE THE PAINT IS CHIPPING AND PEELING ON THE HOOD AND BUMPER TO THE POINT THAT WHEN I AM DRIVING PAINT CHIPS ARE FLYING UP AND HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. JUST RECENTLY AS WHAT I THOUGHT OF AS A CRUEL JOKE MERCURY CALLED ME AND THOUGHT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRADE MY 94 COUGAR(WITH BAD PAINT JOB IN FOR A NEW 99 COUGAR AND GUARENTEED THAT THE PAINT WOULD NOT PEEL. I THOUGHT WHAT A LAUGH!

NHTSA complaint #701405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Maple Park, IL

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON ANY TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE, NO INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE SHIMMIES BADLY. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A NUMBER OF REPAIRS, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES CONTINUES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #831881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Valencia, CA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE CAUSING ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #535547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Corpus Christi, TX

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

I HAVE SEARCHED THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS AND FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS RELATED TO BOTH THE BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED. PLEASE REMIT THIS COMPLAINT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND ADVISE WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MANUFACTURER IS DOING ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THESE CUTOMER COMPLAINTS. POWER WINDOWS REPLACE FOUR TIMES. BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. TRANSMISSION SLIPPING FROM DAY ONE BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME REPEATEDLY THER WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT.

NHTSA complaint #537180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tell City, IN

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

ROTORS CONTINUALLY FAIL CAUSING VIBRATION.

NHTSA complaint #530644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Nashville, TN

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKING PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #529084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Garden City, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TENDS TO SLIP AND THEN ENGAGE INTO THE GEAR ROUGHLY WHEN SHIFTING. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE DURING ACCELERATION, SUCH AS IN PASSING SITUATIONS. ALSO AIR BYPASS VALVE MALFUNCTIONED. ABS BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY DURING MODERATE BRAKING. IN ADDITION, MACHINED WARPED ROTORS AND REPLACED PADS.

NHTSA complaint #522875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Garden City, MI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TENDS TO SLIP AND THEN ENGAGE INTO THE GEAR ROUGHLY WHEN SHIFTING. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE DURING ACCELERATION, SUCH AS IN PASSING SITUATIONS. ALSO AIR BYPASS VALVE MALFUNCTIONED. ABS BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY DURING MODERATE BRAKING. IN ADDITION, MACHINED WARPED ROTORS AND REPLACED PADS.

NHTSA complaint #522875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Perth Amboy, NJ

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE. DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, WITHOUT HAVING APPLIED THE ABS BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN ON ITS OWN.

NHTSA complaint #802945 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Yukon, OK

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

THE FRONT ROTOR WORE OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE .

NHTSA complaint #987041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Apollo, PA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

PURCHASED CAR NEW THE FRONT ROTOR WAS CUT THREE TIMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE .

NHTSA complaint #982512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Texarkana, TX

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

EXCESSIVE WEAR ON FRONT DISC ROTORS AND PADS WHICH HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 30K MILES.

NHTSA complaint #980744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grand Prai, TX Crash

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP COMPLETELY DUE TO MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DSH

NHTSA complaint #490569 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hanover, PA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES.

NHTSA complaint #979463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hanover, PA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES.

NHTSA complaint #979463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Germantown, MD

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THE ABS SYSTEM IS FAILING AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT STOPPING PROPERLY. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA complaint #975648 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1994 Mercury Cougar problems

← Full 1994 Mercury Cougar report