Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Mercury Cougar, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system99
- Service brakes, hydraulic72
- Engine and engine cooling67
- Visibility52
- Power train50
- Fuel system, gasoline39
- Structure34
- Exterior lighting34
- Air bags31
- Vehicle speed control31
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 27 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 1999 Cougar vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1999 Mercury Cougar failed the safety check 4.76% of the time — 170% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 96,189 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 9.5–11.7 L/100 km (about 20–25 mpg US), CO₂ 219–269 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cougar · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.0 | 7.6 | 9.5 |
| Cougar · Compact · Regular gasoline | 13.4 | 9.1 | 11.5 |
| Cougar · Compact · Regular gasoline | 13.7 | 9.1 | 11.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 Mercury Cougar.
| 2001042 21 Feb 2001 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a misrouted battery cable to the alternator could contact the metal tubing that is part of the power steering line. This could eventually w… |
| 2001043 6 Feb 2001 | Lights And Instruments On certain vehicles, the brass terminals in the stop lamp extension harness connector at the brake lamp switch are inadequate to handle the current required by … |
| 2000077 21 Mar 2000 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the pressure conscious reducing valve (PCRV) in each of the rear brakes may be subject to malfunction due to corrosion when operated in are… |
| 1999157 27 Aug 1999 | Structure On certain vehicles, the door latch pawl has a coating which will swell in high humidity conditions. In some cases, the latch pawl may stick in the open or unat… |
| 1999139 27 Jul 1999 | Engine On certain vehicles, the accelerator cable may have been manufactured with a burr on or near the end of the cable sleeve interior. This burr could fray the cor… |
| 1998234 23 Nov 1998 | Emissions Certain vehicles may not comply with CMVSS 1105 - evaporative emissions. The rear fuel lines may allow fuel to seep and evaporate at the metal line to nylon tub… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CONTAMINATION OF THE FILTER IN THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE (FDM) CAN REDUCE, AND EVENTUALLY BLOCK, THE FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.
ON CERTAIN MY 1996-1998 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY, CUAUTITLAN ASSEMBLY PLANTS OR ON MY 1999 PASSENGER VEHCLES BUILT AT THE AUTOMOTIVE ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLANTS, THE ROUGH SURFACE OF THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR'S STAINLESS STEEL BLADES CAN DAMAGE THE COPPER SURFACE OF THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR. THE DAMAGE COULD, OVER TIME, CAUSE INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE CONNECTOR AND, DUE TO SUBSEQUENT TERMINAL RELAXATION, RESULT IN AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L V6 ENGINES. THE BATTERY CABLE WAS MISROUTED AND ITS ATTACHMENT TO THE ALTERNATOR CABLE WAS UNDER-TORQUED. IF MISROUTED, THE CABLE COULD CONTACT THE POWER STEERING LINE AND THE INSULATION COULD WEAR, RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH TERMINALS COULD OVERHEAT.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). A PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVE (PCRV) IN THE REAR BRAKES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND RESULT IN MALFUNCTION, WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS THAT USE SALT COMPOUNDS ON THE ROADWAY FOR DE-ICING OR DUST CONTROL.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DOOR LATCH MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH A LATCH PAWL THAT HAS A COATING WHICH WILL SWELL IN HIGH HUMIDITY CONDITIONS. THE LATCH PAWL MAY THEN STICK IN THE OPEN OR UNLATCHED POSITION.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH A BURR ON OR NEAR THE END OF THE CABLE SLEEVE INTERIOR. THIS BURR COULD FRAY THE CORE WIRE RESULTING IN THE ACCELERATOR NOT RETURNING TO IDLE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercury told its dealers about the 1999 Mercury Cougar: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637575 | BATTERY LAMP ON, HOWEVER THE CHARGING SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *TT |
| 637571 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B1213, B1342, B1601, B2431. *TT |
| 636219 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT MULTIPLE MISFIRE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES WITH NO DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS NOTED. *TT |
| 636067 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT COMPLAINTS OF FALSE ALARM ACTIVATION OFTHE PERIMETER ANTI-THEFT ALARM OR BEING INOPERATIVE. *TT |
| 636065 | INFORMATION REGARDING DISCHARGED BATTERY CHARGING SERVICE TIPS AND GUIDELINES. *TT |
| 630685 | CONCERN WITH HEADLAMPS AND/OR INSTRUMENT PANEL LAMPS DIMMING SLIGHTLY AT IDLE. *TT |
| 630631 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE CD4E TRANSAXLE MAY EXHIBIT HARSH AND DELAYED 1-2/2-3 UPSHIFTS AFTER TRANSAXLE OR TURBINE SHAFT SPEED SENSOR REPLACEMENT, POSSIBLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES 628, 642, 645, 646, 647, 648, P0731, P0732, P0734, P0741 AND P01744. *TT |
| 630515 | ENGINE OIL SYSTEM PRIMING PROCEDURES, SERVICE TIPS FOR REPORTS OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TT |
| 630408 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND/OR EGR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES 332, P0401, P1407 (LACKOF EGR FLOW). *TT |
| 630327 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CONDITION WHERE THE DEFROSTER GRILLE EDGES LIFT OUT OF THE DASH PAD. *TT |
| 630070 | SUBJECT ON BRAKE FLUID LEAK. *YH |
| 630024 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NOISE THAT APPEARS TO COME FROM THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. *TT |
| 630001 | SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT |
| 627927 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT VACUUM OR AIR LEAKS IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND / OR ENGINE SYSTEM CAUSING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0171 AND OR P0174. *TT |
| 625805 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT THE DEFROSTER VENT EDGES LIFTING OUT OF THE DASH PAD. *TT |
| 625783 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NOISE THAT APPEARS TO COME FROM THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. *TT |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 624978 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CONCERN OF BACKLITE/HATCHBACK MOLDINGS BECOMING LOOSE. *JG |
| 624583 | INFORMATION REGARDING COUGAR HEADLAMP PARTING LINE, WHICH RESULTS FROM THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND CAN BE SEEN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE TURN SIGNAL FUNCTION FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM. *YD |
| 624084 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 22-SEP-2000, MAY EXHIBIT THE BRAKE LAMPS STAYING ON. *SLC |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 622767 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 02-01-2001 MAY EXHIBIT THE FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR INTERMITTENTLY DROPPING TO EMPTY WITHFUEL IN THE TANK. *TT |
| 622686 | IN THE VEHICLES COVERED BY THE ADDITIONAL COVERAGE PROGRAM, THE FUEL PIPE FLAPPER VALVE MAY STICK WHICH COULD RESULT IN SLOW FILL AND FREQUENT FUEL FILLER NOZZLE SHUT-OFF. *TT |
| 621067 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A/C DISCHARGE AIR TEMPERATURES DIFFERENCES OF GREATER THAN 10 DEGREES F FROM REGISTERS ON LEFT SIDE OF DASH THAN ON RIGHT. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation