IllustrationTHE PLUG ON THE BACK OF THE HEADLIGHTS BURNT OUT AND MELTED, CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER PUT NEW WIRE HARNESS IN VEHICLE. *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 reportsBRAKE SYSTEM FAULTY CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE ONCE APPLYING THE BRAKE AT SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH, IF AN EMERGENCY STOP HAD TO BE MADE THE BRAKES WOULD FAIL RESULTING IN CONSUMER HAVING TO STEER CLEAR OF THE HAZARD, VIRTUALLY EVERY PART OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED. *ET
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS AND CALIPERS FAILED. IN ADDITION, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUMS/SHOES AND REAR CYLINDERS.
TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL IN THE FALL OF 1996. IT WOULD SHUDDER SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE AND ONCE IN OVERDRIVE IT SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON IT'S OWN. JANUARY 1997 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTOR AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. 6 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING THE SA…
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TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL IN THE FALL OF 1996. IT WOULD SHUDDER SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE AND ONCE IN OVERDRIVE IT SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON IT'S OWN. JANUARY 1997 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTOR AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. 6 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. SEPT 1997 I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NOW JAN 1999, THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND IS CONVENIENTLY PAST THE 12 MONTH/12000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE REPLACEMENT PART. ON THE INTERSTATE LAST WEEK, MY WIFE WAS GOING 70 MPH AND THE CAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO OVERDRIVE. A SEMI ALMOST RAN INTO THE REAREND OF THE CAR. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEPT 1997 WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN 1997 THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME FORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE 1994 TRANSMISSIONS. LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. NOW I'M STUCK WITH AN $1800 REPAIR BILL.
CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISION, AND SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER. THE SEAT BELT BECAME UNFASTENED, CAUSING EXTENSIVE INJURIES. *AK
NO ONLY AM I DISOPPOINTED WITH THE BRAKES WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED 3 TIMES ALL TIMES ON THE SAME SIDE(DRIVERS SIDE ONLY) BUT I AM VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE PAINT JOB THAT MY CAR HAS. I WOULD HATE TO SELL MY CAR BUT NOW BECAUSE THE PAINT IS CHIPPING AND PEELING ON THE HOOD AND BUMPER TO THE POINT THAT WHEN I AM DRIVING PAINT C…
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NO ONLY AM I DISOPPOINTED WITH THE BRAKES WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED 3 TIMES ALL TIMES ON THE SAME SIDE(DRIVERS SIDE ONLY) BUT I AM VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE PAINT JOB THAT MY CAR HAS. I WOULD HATE TO SELL MY CAR BUT NOW BECAUSE THE PAINT IS CHIPPING AND PEELING ON THE HOOD AND BUMPER TO THE POINT THAT WHEN I AM DRIVING PAINT CHIPS ARE FLYING UP AND HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. JUST RECENTLY AS WHAT I THOUGHT OF AS A CRUEL JOKE MERCURY CALLED ME AND THOUGHT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRADE MY 94 COUGAR(WITH BAD PAINT JOB IN FOR A NEW 99 COUGAR AND GUARENTEED THAT THE PAINT WOULD NOT PEEL. I THOUGHT WHAT A LAUGH!
TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING THE CAR TO SHUDDER WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2 TO 3RD, AND 3RD TO 4TH. PROBLEM REPAIRED, BUT OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS OCCURRED LATER. *ML
ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON ANY TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE, NO INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE SHIMMIES BADLY. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A NUMBER OF REPAIRS, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES CONTINUES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
THE LOCATION OF THE ASH TRAY CAUSES THE DRIVER TO LOOK DOWN WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED.
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