IllustrationRECALL # NOT AVAILABLE. CONSUMER HAD OVER 100,000 MILES ON VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WAS ALMOST 7 YEARS OLD. DEALER COULD NOT FIX PROBLEM FOR RECALL. *AK
1994 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: 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
What owners actually said
137 reportsRADIATOR FAILED BETWEEN PLASTIC SIDES AND ALUMINUM CORE. THIS IS THE FIFTH FORD RADIATOR OF THE SAME CONSTRUCTION IN THE 1994-1995 MODEL YEARS I HAVE HAD FAIL. *AK
NO SUMMARY
REPORTING VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SLIP OUT OF GEAR AND RE-ENGAGE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS COMIMG OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. SHE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, AND THERE WAS NO BRAKIN GPOWER. SHE TURNED VEHICLE OFF, AND CALLED DEALERSHIP. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF ,WAS TOLD IT REQUIRED TWO SENSORS-/ SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE WIRING, AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WORK SOMETIMES AND THE CLOCKS GOES ON & OFF NEVER KEEPING THE CORRECT TIME/ LOST EMERGENCY BRAKE/ AND SPIDER CRACKS IN THE BLACK CLEARCOART ON ROOF, HOOD, AND TRUNK. *AK
FORD SENT LETTER STATING THAT HEAD GASKETS MAY HAVE DEFECT AND CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE COSTING $3,000 TO $4,OOO TO REPAIR. FORD HAS GIVEN ME FIVE MONTHS FOR THE CAR TO FAIL OR BUY A NEW FORD, FORD WILL NOT COMPENSATE FOR THE DEVALUATION OF THE CAR DUE TO THIS LETTER AT TIME OF TRADE IN. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED WHILE TRAVELING. REPAIRS WERE DONE AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. A FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 3.8L ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS RECEIVED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. MANUFACTURER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS OVER THE 100,000 MILE LIMIT BY 11 MILES. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA I…
Read full complaint
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED WHILE TRAVELING. REPAIRS WERE DONE AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. A FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 3.8L ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS RECEIVED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. MANUFACTURER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS OVER THE 100,000 MILE LIMIT BY 11 MILES. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK
CONSUMER HAD A FRONT END COLLISION, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. AFTER MUCH TIME HAD PASSED AND THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED, OWNER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD ABOUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERING HEAD GASKET FAILURES. *AK *ML
Official recalls
0No 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
1DP94005 · 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