2000 Mercury Cougar problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY FAILED AND MULTIPLE WARNING INDICATORS, INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR, ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED. AFTER MULTIPLE INCORRECT DIAGNOSTICS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE ROUTING WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V031000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,600.”

“DURING PERIODIC MAINTENANCE THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE PASSENGER SIDE FUEL TANK STRAP HAD CORRODED AND BROKE. LIKELY CAUSE WAS THE SALT AND CHEMICALS APPLIED TO THE ROADS DURING THE WINTER. THE DRIVER SIDE STRAP WAS INTACT BUT WOULD LIKELY FAIL IN THE FUTURE. I WAS INFORMED THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE SPECIAL ORDER SINCE THEY DO NOT NORMALLY FAIL. RETURNED THE NEXT DAY TO HAVE BOTH STRAPS REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE THE TANK SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE WITH FORD TRUCKS OF THE SAME VINTAGE. *TR”

“THE VEHICLE, 2000 MERCURY COUGAR, BEGINS JERKING AS IT IS BEING DRIVEN AT ANY SPEED, AND RESULTS IN COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ENGINE. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WILL RESTART AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES, AND WILL NOT RESTART AT TIMES; REQUIRING TOWING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER, AND AN EMPLOYEE STATED THAT IT WAS KNOWN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT YEAR VEHICLE. ANOTHER EMPLOYEE TOOK HIM TO THE SIDE AND SCOULDED HIM FOR THE DISCLOSURE. THEY WOULD NOT DISCUSS IT FURTHER, EVEN THOUGH I CONTINUED TO QUESTION WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO CORRECT THIS KNOWN DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP. TO THIS DAY THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REPEAT THE SAME FAILURE. I HAD THE FUEL FILTER REPLACED TWICE. FINALLY A MECHANIC REPLACED THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR (HE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH THE CAR MANY TIMES) AND KNEW THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE CAR WORKED WITHOUT SHUT DOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS, BUT BEGAN THE SAME SEQUENCE OF SHUT DOWNS ALL OVER AGAIN. THE DESIGN FLAW SHOULD BE RECALLED OR CONSUMERS SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR PURCHASE OF A KNOWN DEFECTIVE VEHICLE BY IT'S MANUFACTURER AND DESIGNER. IT IS A SHAME TO GET "STUCK"…”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. IN 2006, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND WAS STRUCK BY SIX VEHICLES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS CRASHES DUE TO DODGING ROAD DEBRIS, WHICH CAUSED HIS VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED AND CRASH INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS HAVE NEVER DEPLOYED IN ANY OF HIS CRASHES. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE DUE TO THE LACK OF SAFETY RISK. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE SUN ROOF THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF MECHANISM WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUN ROOF NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126000.”

“MY VEHICLE HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR A CRASH YET, BUT IT SOON COULD. THE THROTTLE/ ACCELERATOR HAS BEEN STICKING ON MY 2000 MERCURY COUGAR SINCE SOON AFTER I BOUGHT IT IN OCTOBER OF 2003. IT STARTED WITH THE RPMS REVVING UP TO 2 OR 3 AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED ONCE EVERY COUPLE WEEKS OR SO. THE RPMS DO NOT GO DOWN UNTIL AFTER I HAVE COMPLETELY STOPPED. IT HAS SINCE BECAME MORE FREQUENT (CLOSE TO EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR) AND SIGNIFICANT(RPMS GO TO 3 OR 4). I TOOK IT TO THE LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERSHIP SOON AFTER I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM IN APRIL 2003. THEY REPAIRED A BLOWN AIR VALVE. THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN WITHIN A MONTH OF THE REPAIR. I THEN TOOK IT BACK IN JUNE 2003 AND REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. IN MAY 2004 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A CONTAMINATED FUEL PUMP. THINKING THIS WAS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEMS I HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN WITHIN A MONTH. NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO MY CAR, I WAITED A YEAR BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. UPON EMISSIONS INSPECTION IN SEPTEMBER 2005 THEY FAILED IT BECAUSE…”