IllustrationNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *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
What owners actually said
195 reportsIN FALL OF 1999, TOOK CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT LOCAL MECHANICS WITH TEMPTERATURE GAUGE GETTING HOT, LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, ROUGH IDLING, WHITE SMOKE. SPENT OVER $800 FOR TUNE UP, NEW PARTS, WINTERIZING AND SO FORTH. IN JANUARY, 2000 SYMPTONS REOCCURED UNTIL ENGINE LOCKED UP - TOOK TO CROSSROADS LINCOLN MERCURY - CHARGED $1200 FOR HEA…
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IN FALL OF 1999, TOOK CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT LOCAL MECHANICS WITH TEMPTERATURE GAUGE GETTING HOT, LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, ROUGH IDLING, WHITE SMOKE. SPENT OVER $800 FOR TUNE UP, NEW PARTS, WINTERIZING AND SO FORTH. IN JANUARY, 2000 SYMPTONS REOCCURED UNTIL ENGINE LOCKED UP - TOOK TO CROSSROADS LINCOLN MERCURY - CHARGED $1200 FOR HEAD GASKET REPAIR. DEALER INFORMED ME MANY COUGARS HAVE BEEN COMING IN WITH SAME PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I WAS GIVEN A 12 MONTH, 12,000 MILE WARRANTY (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST) AND NOW ON JANUARY 30TH, 2001 NOTICED THE SAME SYMPTONS AGAIN. HAVE ONLY DRIVEN CAR APPROX 5,000 MILES SINCE FIRST REPAIR BUT MY 12 MONTHS EXPIRED BY A WEEK. NOW CAR HAS SAME SYMTPONS AND AGAIN WILL COST ME $1200 TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM REMEDIED. HAVE TRIED TO SEE IF RECALL IS IN EFFECT BUT CAN NOT FIND ANY INFO ON IT. I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A RECALL CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS LISTED IN THIS COMPLAINT DATABASE CONCERNING BLOWN HEAD GASKETS. *AK
VEHICLE STALLED AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ON H, DEALER STATED ANTI-FREEZE WAS LOW AND REPLACED IGNITION, HOWEVER PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND THIS TIME BOTH HEAD GASKETS WERE FOUND LEAKING INTERNALLY, DEALER REPLACED BOTH HEAD GASKETS, THERE IS A RECALL, HOWEVER CONSUMER'S VIN IS NOT INCLUDED, CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *S…
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VEHICLE STALLED AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ON H, DEALER STATED ANTI-FREEZE WAS LOW AND REPLACED IGNITION, HOWEVER PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND THIS TIME BOTH HEAD GASKETS WERE FOUND LEAKING INTERNALLY, DEALER REPLACED BOTH HEAD GASKETS, THERE IS A RECALL, HOWEVER CONSUMER'S VIN IS NOT INCLUDED, CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED FOR SECOND TIME.*AK
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE MY HEAD GASKETS. AFTER SPEAKING TO SEVERAL SERVICE STATIONS AND LOOKING THIS UP ON THE WEB, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH COUGARS AS WELL AS WINDSTARS, MUSTANGS, TAURUS', SABLES, ETC. FORD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE 94/95 COUGARS TO COVER THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT R…
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I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE MY HEAD GASKETS. AFTER SPEAKING TO SEVERAL SERVICE STATIONS AND LOOKING THIS UP ON THE WEB, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH COUGARS AS WELL AS WINDSTARS, MUSTANGS, TAURUS', SABLES, ETC. FORD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE 94/95 COUGARS TO COVER THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT REPAIR MINE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFFECTIVE PART AND A MAJOR PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT OPTIONS I HAVE. THANK YOU. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 38,500 MILES. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THE 3.8 ENGINE HAD ALUMINUN HEADS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS WITH MANY 1993 COUGARS. NO RECALL AND NO LIABILITY FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 25MPH ON SIDE STREET, AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS HESITATING, AND THEN VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
HEAD GASKET BLEW ON ENGINE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN A BIG PROBLEM IN THE 3.8L V-6 BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL. IT IS ADMITTEDLY A FACTORY DEFECT. I THINK FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR.
3 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS ALL CONFIRM THAT THE 3.8L ALUMINUM ENGINE IS PRONE TO BLOW A HEADGASKET DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN BY THE MANUFACTURER. *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