2000 Mercury Cougar fuel system, gasoline problems

“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”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ACCELERATING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND MADE THE CONTACT AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V421000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), BUT ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,000.”

“MY 2000 MERCURY COUGAR SUDDENLY STARTED SPUTTERING, BUCKING, AND IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. IT WOULD CRANK BUT NOT START. I HAD TO HAVE IT PUSHED OFF THE ROAD OUT OF TRAFFIC. IT WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. WHEN LOOKING ONLINE FOR RECALLS OR SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGNS, ON THE FORD WEBSITE, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT COUGARS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. THE WEBSITE DID NOT SPECIFY ANY MODEL YEAR. WHEN LOOKING ON ANOTHER WEBSITE AND SEARCHING RECALLS, THE 2000 COUGAR HAD NO RECALLS OR SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGNS. WHAT IS INTERESTING TO ME IS THAT THE OTHER THREE MODEL YEARS, 1999, 2001, AND 2002, ALL HAD RECALLS ON THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. FORD MOTOR COMPANY ISSUED AN EXTENDED MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY ON THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM FOR THOSE THREE MODEL YEARS UNTIL DECEMBER 2010. MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING OUR PROBLEM AND WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE SENT A NOTICE REGARDING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WE SHOULD HAVE HAD IT FIXED BEFORE THE WARRANTY ENDED. OUR CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY THEREFORE WE DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE. THEY BASICALLY SAID…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE CONTACT RECEIVED A JUMP START BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED ON FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BUT FOUND THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE INTERMITTENTLY DIMMING. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V031000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: BATTERY: CABLES). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND THAT FUEL WAS NOT TRAVELING TO THE ENGINE CORRECTLY EVEN WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER BOTH ADVISED THAT CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V421000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”

“MY CAR STALLED WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION WHILE IN MOTION. LATER FIND OUT THAT I NEED A NEW FUEL PUMP. WAS NOT AWARE IT WAS UNDER RECALL. PAID TO HAVE IT FIXED IN JULY OF 2009. REPAIR SHOP FAILED TO PUT MY VIN, MILEAGE, AND CORRECT YEAR OF VEHICLE ON INVOICE RESULTING IN NOT BEING ABLE TO GET MY MONEY BACK FROM FORD. RECALL WAS GOOD THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2010. MY CAR ONCE AGAIN STALLED WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT SPARKS AND SMALL FLAMES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START AFTER STALLING. ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND STILL NO CRANK OR CLICKING. ALSO LISTED AS A RECALL. SPEND $651.02 TO HAVE FUEL PUMP FIXED AND NOW CAN'T GET MY MONEY BACK BECAUSE REPAIR SHOP DID NOT FILL OUT INVOICE CORRECTLY. NOW WILL HAVE TO POSSIBLY PAY OVER A $1,000.00 TO FIX THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE... WHEN THE FUEL PUMP WAS FIXED, THE SHOP FAILED TO SECURE THE GAS TANK CORRECTLY CAUSING FUEL TO POUR OUT WHILE DRIVING AT A RATE OF A GALLON PER MINUTE. FORD IS NOW DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO AVOID PAYING ME BACK FOR THE RECALL SERVICES AFTER I WAS INFORMED BY A FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REP THAT I WOULD BE PAID BACK. I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH FOR…”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY CABLES LEADING FROM THE BATTERY TO THE ALTERNATOR CAUSED SHORTAGES. ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FLICKERED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT SOMEWHERE IN THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, HE NOTICED A FAILURE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE RPM'S WOULD REV TO A HIGH DEGREE AND THEN DECREASE VERY QUICKLY, WHICH OCCASIONALLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE RPM'S FLUCTUATED WHEN SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE OR REVVING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 01V031000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BATTERY:CABLES) AND 04V421000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 106,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000.”