IllustrationENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND TEMP. GOT HOT IMMEDIATELY. WATER AND ANTIFREEZE STARTED COMING OUT TAIL PIPE. CAR WAS NOT DRIVEABLE EXCEPT TO GET IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AT A VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED. *AK
1993 Mercury Cougar
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cougar years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 18 of 195 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
105 reportsNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH & HEAD GASKET BLEW. CONSUMER SLIGHTLY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT WOULD HAPPEN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN PERIODICALLY TO DEALERSHIP, AND IT WAS UNCLEAR WHY THEY DIDN'T DETECT THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT HAPPENED. CONSUMER WAS CONTACTING MANUFACTURER. *AK *ML
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
AFTER TALKING WITH A REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE COMPANY HE ADMITTED THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND THE HEAD GASKETS BUT PLAN NO RECALLS AT THIS TIME. THE LOCAL DEALER HAS NOW STARTING OFFERING TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS AT A REDUCED PRICE TO KEEP THERE CUSTOMERS HAPPY , BUT THAT DOES NOT HELP ME I ALREADY HAD M…
Read full complaint
AFTER TALKING WITH A REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE COMPANY HE ADMITTED THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND THE HEAD GASKETS BUT PLAN NO RECALLS AT THIS TIME. THE LOCAL DEALER HAS NOW STARTING OFFERING TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS AT A REDUCED PRICE TO KEEP THERE CUSTOMERS HAPPY , BUT THAT DOES NOT HELP ME I ALREADY HAD MINE FIXED. FORD IS RECALLING THE THUNDERBIRD BUT NOT THE COUGAR THEY ARE BASICALLY THE SAME CAR WHAT IS THER PROBLEM. *AK
IN APRIL WE HAD TO HAVE THE THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED ON OUR FORD, MERCURY COUGAR. THE CAR ONLY HAD APPROXIMATLEY 50,000 MILES. *AK
LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. NOTICED SMOKE OUT OF REAR WINDOW. TOOK TO GAS STATION & WAS INFORMED THAT HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED & HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED. *AK *ML
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 68,900 MILES ON A 93 MERCURY COUGAR, THE REPAIR COST WAS 1,229.04 BY A LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS ENGINE AND THAT THERE IS A LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM AND I ALSO KNOW THAT FORD HAS BEEN REFUNDING PEOPLE, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I CAN…
Read full complaint
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 68,900 MILES ON A 93 MERCURY COUGAR, THE REPAIR COST WAS 1,229.04 BY A LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS ENGINE AND THAT THERE IS A LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM AND I ALSO KNOW THAT FORD HAS BEEN REFUNDING PEOPLE, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I CAN BE REFUNDED THE COST OF REPAIRS. THANK YOU VINCENT CATARELLA. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 37,140 MILES WAS TOLD CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK
Official recalls
399V275000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Oct 12, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DRIVER'S COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH INCORPORATES A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN, AND INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, IF NEEDED.
97V159000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Sep 22, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WEST VIRGINIA. MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL LINES CAUSES THE NYLON FUEL LINE JUMPER TO CHAFE AGAINST THE FLOOR PAN. THIS WEAR CAN CAUSE A PIN HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS FUEL LEAKAGE RESULTS IN DAMPNESS AND FUEL ODOR, AND IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WAS PRESENT, A FIRE COULD RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PLASTIC CONVOLUTE COVERING AROUND THE FUEL LINES. IF THE LINES SHOW A LEAK, THE LINES WILL BE REPLACED FIRST.
96V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
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
2EA99005 · Headlight Switch
Opened Jan 20, 1999 · Closed Dec 14, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
SUBJECT VEHICLES HAVE A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WITH AN INTERNAL, BIMETAL CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT CAN OPEN DUE TO OVERHEATING DURING HEADLING OPERATION.
RQ97011 · Fuel Line Jumper
Opened Sep 25, 1997 · Closed Nov 16, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE ALLEGED FUEL LINE FAILURES OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL GEOGRAPHIC REGION AND IF THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED NATIONALLY