1999 Mercury Cougar

IVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT ALMOST EVERY MONTH IT IS IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME REASONS FIRST THE RADIO HAS BEEN FIXED TWICE AND THEN FINALLY REPLACED THE SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THAT HAS YET TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, MY TRUNK RELEASE ON MY CAR HAS BEEN WORKED ON ATLEAST 4 TIMES AND THEY STILL THINK IT IS NOT A PROBLEM BUT THEY DONT OPEN IT EVERY DAY EITHER, STARTING IN JANUARY OF 2000 I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP 6 OR MORE TIMES COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BRAKES AND EVERY TIME THEY WORKED ON IT THEY SAID ALL BRAKES PULSATE AND SQUEEK A LITTLE BUT LOW AND BEHOLD A RECALL LETTER SUPRISED ME IN THE MAIL TODAY, MY SUNROOF WAS IN THE SHOP DONT KNOW THE DATE BECAUSE IT WAS SQUEEKING AND THE PANEL THAT SURROUND THE KEYS WAS LOOSE THEY"FIXED" BUT THE DAY I GOT IT OUT OF THE SHOP FOR GETTING THE RADIO REPLACED THE SUNROOF QUIT TOTALLY, JUST TALKED TO THEM TODAY AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IT APPEARS THAT THE WIRING IN THE SUNROOF IT WORN OUT I ASKED IF THIS WAS NORMAL FOR A CAR THAT WAS A YEAR OLD AND THEY SAID IT WAS JUST FROM BEING OPENED AND CLOSED BUT IM SORRY ITS ONLY A YEAR OLD THEY SAID IT IS A 1200.00 DOLLAR PROBLEM TO FIX WITHOUT LABOR AND COULDNT GARUANTEE THAT IT WOULDNT HAVE TO BE REPLACED NEXT YEAR AGAIN . THE ALARM SYSTEM RANDOMLY GOES OFF AND WONT SHUT OFF ITS ACTUALLY CALLED A PANIC SYSTEM BUT GOES OFF LIKE AN ALARM SYSTEM AFTER ASKING OTHER COUGAR OWNERS ABOUT THEIRS AND COMPARING NOTES LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ALL HAD THE SAME THINGS GOING WRONG EXCEPT A FRIEND OF MINE HAS ALREADY HAD HER ENGINE REBUILT AT 20,000 MILES ------HELP ME BEFORE MINE GOES OUT TO. THANK YOU

HAD TO CHANGE FRONT BRAKES 3 TIMES . NOW REAR BRAKES HAVE SAME PROBLEM AND DEALER REFUSES TO CHANGE CALLING THE PROBLEM ACCEPTABLE. SUNROOF ASSEMBLY FAILED 3 TIMES . WAS DRIVING FOR 3 MONTHS WITH PROBLEM BEFORE THE PART CAME IN. AFRAID THE SUNROOF WOULD FLY OFF THE CAR WHEN IN HIGH SPEED.HAD TO CHANGE INTIRIOR CLOTH 1 TIME BECAUSE IT HAD WATER STAINS. HAD TO CHANGE WEATHER GARD ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND IT IS STILL NOT DONE RIGHT.WINDOW HAS MARKS FROM IT WHEN I OPEN IT.

ON 8-01-00, WITH A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROLMAN AS A WITNESS, THE BRAKES ON MY GRAND DAUGHTERS CAR FAILED COMPLETELY (PEDAL TO FLOOR), UPON PUMPING THE PEDAL THE BRAKES THEN LOCKED UP AND THE CAR WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLED SKID STRIKING A STOPPED VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE AND WE ARE UNSURE OF THE VEHICLE SPEED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. SHE WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED (ALTHOUGH MY GRAND DAUGHTER'S HEAD DID STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD) AND VERY LITTLE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO EITHER VEHICLE. BOTH FRONT TIRES NOW HAVE SEVERE CUTS AND ABRASIONS ACROSS THEIR WIDTH, APPROXIMATELY 6 TO 8 INCHES LONG, WHERE THE NEWLY FORMED GROOVES IN THE HIGHWAY SHREDDED THE TIRES UPON BRAKE LOCKUP. FAILED COMPONENTS: 1) BRAKES - COMPLETE FAILURE, THEN SEVERE LOCKUP. 2) AIR BAGS - NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. 3) SELT BELTS - SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LOCKUP UPON IMPACT. THE CHP OFFICER, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE AREA, STATED THAT HE SAW THE ENTIRE INCIDENT AND EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN THAT WITH THE SEVERITY OF THE IMPACT THAT THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT DEPLOYED. THE BRAKE ROTORS, CALIPERS AND PADS ON THIS VEHICLE WERE REPLACED AND/OR REBUILT BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY AT 32K MILES. WE HAVE SO FAR BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN CONTACTING FORD/MERCURY ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, AND THE DEALERS SEEM TO BE AT A LOSS ON HOW TO CHECK THE FAILED COMPONENTS. THEIR ATTITUDE IS ONE OF DISBELIEF SINCE THE CARS WERE NOT SEVERLY DAMAGED. WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? *AK