1989 MERCURY COUGAR

104 complaints filed with NHTSA.

104
Complaints
18
Crashes
11
Fires
16
Injuries
0
Deaths

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL15
SEAT BELTS8
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER6
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE5
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION2

Recent Complaints

20081109FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE CAR IS NOW TOAST. IT WAS ABOUT 100 MILES PAST ITS SCHEDULED OIL-CHANGE/TUNE UP BUT OTHERWISE HAS BEEN WELL-CARED-FOR AND WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. I WAS DRIVING, AND A BEEPING STARTED. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT'S COMING FROM THE CENTER OF THE CAR, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON WARNING OF VERY LOW BATTERY, BUT NO OTHER WARNING LIGHTS. I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT THE BACK (REARVIEW AND SIDE MIRRORS) AND IT SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING SYNTHETIC IS BURNING (THIS ALL HAPPENS IN SECONDS TIME); SO, I PULL OVER, PARK

Mileage: 166,900

20030730CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE PLASTIC BLOCK THAT CONNECTS THE THROTTLE VALVE (TV) CABLE TO THE THROTTLE LEVER BROKE WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE THROTTLE LEVER. THE PLASTIC BLOCK, STILL CONNECTED TO THE TV CABLE, DROPPED DOWN AND WEDGED BETWEEN THE THROTTLE LEVER AND A FUEL RAIL AND PREVENTED THE THROTTLE LEVEL FROM GOING BACK TO THE NORMAL IDLE POSITION. WHEN APPROCHING STOPPED TRAFFIC AT AN INTERSECTION THE PARTIALLY OPEN THROTTLE PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STOPPING AS USUAL AND A COLLISION RESULT

Mileage: 205,060

20030730CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE PLASTIC BLOCK THAT CONNECTS THE THROTTLE VALVE (TV) CABLE TO THE THROTTLE LEVER BROKE WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE THROTTLE LEVER. THE PLASTIC BLOCK, STILL CONNECTED TO THE TV CABLE, DROPPED DOWN AND WEDGED BETWEEN THE THROTTLE LEVER AND A FUEL RAIL AND PREVENTED THE THROTTLE LEVEL FROM GOING BACK TO THE NORMAL IDLE POSITION. WHEN APPROCHING STOPPED TRAFFIC AT AN INTERSECTION THE PARTIALLY OPEN THROTTLE PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STOPPING AS USUAL AND A COLLISION RESULT

Mileage: 205,060

20021223CrashENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CONSUMER SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED GAS PEDAL WHILE IDLING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CRASHING INTO A RETAINER WALL. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. TS

Mileage: 140,000

20001003SEAT BELTS

BOTH AUTOMATIC MOTOR BELTS MALFUNCTIONING CAUSING LOCK UP AND 2 INJURIES. *SLC

19990907CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WHEN PUTTING THE CAR INTO REVERSE THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOUD NOISES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELORATED AT FULL SPEED,COLLIDING WITH OTHER VEHICLES. A CABLE CAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE SYSTEM AND LODGED THE ACCELERATOR OPEN. *AK

19990216CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON BRAKE AND HAD VEHICLE IN PARK WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT 35 MPH AND HIT A BRICK WALL. CONSUMRER DOESN'T HAVE A VEHICLE ANY MORE. *AK

19981014VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE WA SPARKED, FACING UPHILL ON A 75 FOOT LONG DOWNWARD SLOPING DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT. STARTED VEHICLE AND IT SUDDENLY REVVED AND ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY REARWARD. VEHICLE RACED BACKWARD, DOWN DRIVE, TOWARD STREET. DRIVER TRIED TO STOP WITH BRAKES, BUT THEY ONLY SLOWED VEHICLE A BIT. FEARING THAT VEHICLE WOULD RACE INTO STREET, SWUNG STEERING WHEEL TO LEFT, TO PUT VEHICLE ON LAWN. REA ROF VEHICLE SWUNG INTO PARKE DVEHICLE, KNOCKING IT FORWARD AND DAMAGING REAR. VEHICLE THEN BOUNCED SIDEWAYS INT

19980503FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WHILE DRIVING THE WIRING FROM THE DASH CAUGHT ON FIRE.

19980205VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN STARTED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.

19971204FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE FIRE.

19971009FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.

19970624CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

CONSUMER SON WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20-25 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO PICK UP SPEED, HITTING 45 MPH, LOST CONTROL OF CAR, ENGINE LOCKED UP, SHIFT GEAR GOT STUCK. DUE TO THIS DEFECT, CONSUMER HAD TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT IN ORDER TO STOP. *AK

19970610CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN STARTING THE CAR AND SHIFTING INTO DRIVE WITH THE FOOT ON THE BRAKE, IT COULD NOT BE STOPPED. THE ACCELERATOR WAS ON THE FLOOR BY ITSELF. THE CAR HAD TO BE TURNED OFF.

19970401CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE POSITION IN PARK, PUT IN GEAR INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, PEDAL WENT THE FLOOR, TRIED TO BRAKE, RPMS UNKNOWN, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, HITTING A PARKED VEHICLE. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

19970401CrashSTEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT

VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE POSITION IN PARK, PUT IN GEAR INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, PEDAL WENT THE FLOOR, TRIED TO BRAKE, RPMS UNKNOWN, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, HITTING A PARKED VEHICLE. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

19970401CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE POSITION IN PARK, PUT IN GEAR INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, PEDAL WENT THE FLOOR, TRIED TO BRAKE, RPMS UNKNOWN, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, HITTING A PARKED VEHICLE. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

19961231FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ALTERNATOR FIRE.

19961106FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

ELECTRICAL WIRING FIRE.

19961029FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.