12 of the 103 complaints about the 2001 Mercury Cougar are about the electrical system — 12% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 81,500 miles.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WELL HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS IS DRY ROTTED LIKE CRAZY THE CAR LOOSES POWER WHILE EXCELERATING WHEN BELOW 3/4 OF A TANK BRAKE FLUID/CLUTCH FLUID IS LEAKING DON'T KNOW WHY AND THE BATTERY LIGHT IS ON
NHTSA complaint #11321150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BATTERY LIGHT IS ON AND HAS FOR AWHILE. LIGHTS KEEP BLOWING FUSES. AND TODAY I HAD TO RIP OUT A HEADLIGHT OR THE CAR WOULD HAVE SET ON FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #11321151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES FLICKERED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.
NHTSA complaint #10956249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
KEY STICKS IN IGNITION SWITCH. SOMETIMES HALFWAY IN OR OUT. AFRAID TO DRIVE AS IT WILL PROBABLY MAKE CAR UNABLE TO START OR TAKE OUT IGNITION KEY. I AM ALSO WONDERING IF THIS COULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, SUCH AS SHUTTING ITSELF OFF.
NHTSA complaint #10593220 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER WAITING A FEW MOMENTS. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS AND OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V421000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE BEGAN TO RECUR APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN BACK FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT FUEL SYSTEM FAILURES LED TO AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE, WHICH DRAINED THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUNROOF WAS JAMMED AND WOULD NOT LONGER OPEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
NHTSA complaint #10435572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT A PIECE OF THE METAL BATTERY CONNECTOR HAD MELTED. THE METAL CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING HER TO LOSE ALL POWER SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V031000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BATTERY:CABLES). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE BATTERY CABLE WAS BURNING AND SMOKING. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED THE SECOND TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #10384744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I AM NOT SURE WHO TO CONTACT WITH THIS, BUT I HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AND I AM STILL A LITTLE UPSET ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I OWNED A MERCURY COUGAR 2DR COUPE 2001. ONE NIGHT I WAS ALERTED BY A NEIGHBOR THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. MY FATHER STARTED PUTTING WATER ON THE CAR, AND I USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAD A CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE COME OUT AND CHECK THE VEHICLE. THEY ALREADY SENT ME A CHECK FOR WHAT THEY SAY THE VEHICLE WAS WORTH, AND I AM JUST NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. I KNOW THAT FORD HAD ISSUES WITH CARS CATCHING ON FIRE. I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THE INSURANCE COMPANY CAN CUT ME A CHECK FOR THE VEHICLE, AND DETERMINE A CAUSE, WITH ONLY PICTURES. MY CAR STILL SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY 2 WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS SITTING PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR ROUGHLY 8 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. I JUST HATE THE FACT THAT I AM HAVING TO TAKE A CAR I SPENT 13,000$ FOR, AND NOW I GET TO BUY SOMETHING WORTH 6,700$. I WAS SEARCHING ONLINE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE FIRES, AND ALSO SAW WHERE IT SHOULD BE REPORTED AND THAT WHY I DECIDED TO WRITE THIS. THANK YOU, SETH GOODOWENS
NHTSA complaint #10243138 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2001 COUGAR STALLS AND LOOSES POWER AND WONT RESTART UNTIL THE NEXT DAY ONLY TO STALL AGAIN AT ANY SPEED. HAS BEEN TO FORD DEALERSHIP 7 TIMES AND 2 INDEPENDENT GARAGES. DEALERSHIP & GARAGE CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE FROM BEHIND STALLING ON HIGHWAY.
NHTSA complaint #10093042 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED BY POPPING THE CLUTCH. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE WIRING AROUND THE STARTER BURNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #10083467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2001 MERCURY COUGAR HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WITHIN A MONTH AND A HALF. TWICE ON THE HIGHWAY AND 3 TIMES IDLE. CAR WAS COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF WITHOUT RESTARTING AND 2 COMPUTER CHIPS WERE REPLACED DUE TO FORD PUTTING IN A BAD CHIP. CAR IS NOW STALLING WHEN GOING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR STOPPED AND HAS BEEN IN AN INDEPENDENT SHOP 3 TIMES WITHIN A 3 WEEK PERIOD SO THE CAR IS NOW STALLING ONCE A WEEK. BRAND NEW WIRES, THROTTLE BODY, IDLE CENSOR WAS REPLACED AND IT'S STILL STALLING. SPENT A SMALL FORTUNE ON RENTAL CARS, TOW TRUCKS AND REPAIRS. FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. WILL NEVER EVER BUY AN AMERICAN CAR AGAIN!
NHTSA complaint #10078947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
JUST OVER 36,000 MILES, THE ALTERNATOR COMPLETELY FAILED LEAVING MYSELF AND A PASSENGER STRANDED MORE THAN 50 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS ALL REFUSED TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS MATTER FORCING ME TO PAY TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR. FURTHERMORE, I WAS INFORMED BY SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT A REASONABLE TIME ESTIMATE ON AN ALTERNATOR IS 100,000 MILES. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10023353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL LOSES IT'S LUMINOSITY WHEN THE BRAKE IS PRESSED. THIS CAUSES VITAL INSTRUMENTATION SUCH AS THE ODOMETER, TACHOMETER, ENGINE TEMPERATURE AND FUEL GUAGES TO BECOME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ. I CONTACTED THE FORD CORPORATION AND THEY STATED THAT THIS DEFECT WAS NORMAL, AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS INHERENT WITHIN ALL COUGARS.
NHTSA complaint #759016 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.