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1994 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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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 15 of 137 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

11 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 15, 2002
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed ControlVisibility

VEHICLE BEGAN SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE IDLE AND STOPPED ON 10 OCCASIONS SINCE 5/1/2002. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM JOLTING FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. WHILE PULLING INTO MY GARAGE TODAY, TRAVELLING AT LESS THAT 1 MPH, THE CAR ACCELEARATED ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE TO P…

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VEHICLE BEGAN SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE IDLE AND STOPPED ON 10 OCCASIONS SINCE 5/1/2002. IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM JOLTING FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. WHILE PULLING INTO MY GARAGE TODAY, TRAVELLING AT LESS THAT 1 MPH, THE CAR ACCELEARATED ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT FROM CRASHING INTO A HEATING OIL TANK. VEHICLE HAS BEGUN TO RANDOMLY SHUDDER WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 10 TO 65 MPH. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM BUT VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT OCCURRED ON HIGHWAY YESTERDAY. POWER WINDOW ON DRIVER SIDE NOW RANDOMLY SHUDDERS WHEN LOWERING. THIS IS NOT A CONSISTENT PROBLEM AND IS NEW. THE PASSENGER POWER WINDOW IS INOPERABLE AND TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO HAVE FIXED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE 1997 AND THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ME $150 TO FIX AND THAT IT IS MERELY A SENSOR DEFECT AND NOT A AFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, FORD SHOULD OVER THE COST FOR REPAIR, NOT THE CONSUMER.

NHTSA ODI #761952

Mileage unknown · Jan 22, 2002
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

ON DECEMBER 23 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY 1994 MERCURY COUGAR AND SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK,

NHTSA ODI #757170

Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2000
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic

THE CARS ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED(SO THEY SAID) ON JULY 1997 AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE AGAIN. THE SPEED CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THE WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK THE WINDOWS ARE POWER AND WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN.ALSO THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACE…

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THE CARS ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED(SO THEY SAID) ON JULY 1997 AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE AGAIN. THE SPEED CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THE WINDOW SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK THE WINDOWS ARE POWER AND WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN.ALSO THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED ALSO THE CAR HAS TIRE VIBRATION THANK YOU THIS CAR IS NOW BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND WE STILL ARE MAKING PAYMENTS I CALLED THE DEALER ON 4-5-2000 AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LOOKING AT OUR CAR PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #721108

Mileage unknown · May 19, 1999
Vehicle Speed Control

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED OR WHEN MAKING A STOP VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER REPLACED SENSOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #838137

Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 1999
Vehicle Speed Control

AFTER PROCEEDING FROM A STOP LIGHT AND TAKING FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO VERY HIGH RPMS. APPLIED BRAKES, BUT DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN PARK IN ORDER TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #835375

Mileage unknown · May 18, 1998
Vehicle Speed Control

97V22500 FORD CONTOUR, 97V225000, MERCURY MISTIQUE, CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HE MOVES HIS FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR KEEPS GOING. RECALL ON OTHER CARS THAT HE OWNS STATES THAT IN CARS WITH TRACTION CONTROL ENGINE MAY NOT SLOW TO IDLE WHEN DRIVER REMOVES FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR. HE IS NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH TH…

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97V22500 FORD CONTOUR, 97V225000, MERCURY MISTIQUE, CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HE MOVES HIS FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR KEEPS GOING. RECALL ON OTHER CARS THAT HE OWNS STATES THAT IN CARS WITH TRACTION CONTROL ENGINE MAY NOT SLOW TO IDLE WHEN DRIVER REMOVES FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR. HE IS NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE THIRD VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #823391

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 1997
Fuel System, GasolineVehicle Speed Control

GEAR ENGAGEMENT; VEHICLE REEVS 3,000 RMPS. WATER DEVELOPED THROUGH INLET, COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. DEALER'S COMMENTS: MASS FLOW AIR SENSOR ALSO SERVICED ON BYPASS AIR VALVE TUBE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #817789

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 1997
Vehicle Speed Control

HAS ROUGH ENGINE IDLE, WHEN AT TRAFFIC LIGHT AND FEELS VEHICLE SURGING; HAD AT DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BUT PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #808487

Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 1997
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

ON THE BELTWAY WENT TO ACCELERATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE AND THEN LOST POWER. THIS CONSUMER HAD TO LET UP AND TAKE FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND TRIED IT AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE PICKED UP AGAIN. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #808020

Mileage unknown · May 8, 1995
Vehicle Speed Control

WHEN PRESSED, GAS PEDAL VIBRATES AND ACCELERATES. TT

NHTSA ODI #964922

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

DP94005 · Engine Compartment Fire

Opened Jul 6, 1994 · Closed Sep 22, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

There is no summary currently available