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1978 Mercury Cougar

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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2Owner complaints

Model-year median: 2

1Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
0
19750
19760
19772
19780
19792
19800
1981
Compare all Cougar years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Seat Belts
2

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Seat Belts. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Seat Belts complaints

2 reports
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42,267 miles · Jan 29, 2008
Seat Belts

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1978 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 78V108000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR) BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD. THE VIN WAS INACCURATE AND THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURR…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1978 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 78V108000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR) BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD. THE VIN WAS INACCURATE AND THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 42,267.

NHTSA ODI #10216421

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 1995
Seat BeltsCrashInjury

CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN PERSON HIT HER HEAD WAS TOTALED. TT

NHTSA ODI #967953

Official recalls

1

78V108000 · Seat Belts:front:retractor

May 15, 1978

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH SHOULDER HARNESS RETRACTORS THAT MAY NOT LOCK. SHOULD THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN DECELERATION OR IMPACT, THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE RESTRAINED BY THE SHOULDER HARNESS PORTION OF THE THREE-POINT SEAT BELT SYSTEM. FURTHERMORE, THE SHOULDER HARNESS RETRACTORS MAY NOT ALLOW EXTRACTION OF THE SHOULDER BELT WEBBING DUE TO A PRE-LOCKED CONDITION. THIS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE TO THE EMERGENCY LOCKING RETRACTOR PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES".

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES IF NECESSARY, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP79004 · Wheels

Opened Oct 24, 1978 · Closed Jan 8, 1979

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels

WHEELS