Problems · NHTSA complaints
2002 Mercury Cougar problems
Owners filed 111 complaints about the 2002 Mercury Cougar with NHTSA between Jul 2002 and Feb 2020. The most-cited component is fuel system, gasoline (41).
Complaints
111
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Fuel system, gasoline41
- Power train15
- Engine and engine cooling13
- Engine9
- Air bags8
- Visibility8
- Suspension6
- Electrical system5
- Tires5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Vehicle speed control4
- Fuel system, other4
- Structure3
- Seat belts3
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
4
15
13
14
4
15
9
6
2
8
3
2
7
2
0
3
3
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 13 |
| 2005 | 14 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 15 |
| 2008 | 9 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Fuel system, gasoline
41 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“I AM CURRENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO FORD IN OCT 2018. FORD STATED THAT THE 10 YEAR RECALL ENDED AND PER THEIR RECORDS THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED AS FUEL MODULE WAS REPLACED BY DEALER DON KNOTT FORD, CARSON, CA. DON KNOTT FORD IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THE AFOREMENTIONED DEALER I BELIEVE WAS INVOLVED IN UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF SUCH A RECALL AND DEALER NEVER CHANGED MODULE, I DO NOT HAVE DOCUMENTATION & WOULD LIKE SUCH FOR MY RECORDS. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF VEHICLE AND THE PERIODIC INADVERTENT SURGING OF VEHICLE WHEN STOPPED/STATIONARY AT A STREET LIGHT BEGAN 6 MONTHS AGO. I CANNOT 100% SAFELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. FORD HAS NOT PROVIDED ME DOCUMENTATION OF THE ALLEGED REPAIR AND/OR DOCUMENTATION INFORMING ME OF RECALL. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF THIS DOCUMENTATION AND/OR HAVE FORD CHANGE THE MODULE SO THE SURGING CAN STOP. YOUR CONSIDERATION AND REVIEW WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED. LASTLY, FORTUNATELY I HAVE A 2ND VEHICLE THAT I HAVE BEEN USING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED REVIEW OF THIS MATTER. YOURS TRULY, [XXX] *TR”
Power train
15 reports
“I HAVE FOUND 3 RECALLS FOR MY CAR, THEY ARE ALL THE EXACT PROBLEMS I AM HAVING, BUT WHEN I SEARCHED FOR OPEN RECALLS IT SAID NONE ARE OPEN FOR MY CAR. I NEED MY CAR REPAIRED AND THE RECALLS COMPLETED.”
Engine and engine cooling
13 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECREASED TO 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT ALL THREE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WERE CLOGGED AND THE FDM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FDM BUT NOT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 72,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Engine
9 reports1 crash
“SINCE PURCHASING 2002 MERCURY COUGAR IN JANUARY 2010 THE VEHICLE HESITATES, SURGES, AND STALLS AT ANY RATE OF SPEED. INITIALLY THE PROBLEM WAS RARE, THEN GRADUALLY OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY. THIS NOW HAPPENS AT LEAST WEEKLY, SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY. THIS ISSUE HAS ENDANGERED ME MORE TIMES THAN I CAN CURRENTLY RECALL. REPLACED ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, EGR VALVE AND SENSOR, IAC VALVE, AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE ISSUE PERSISTS.”
Air bags
8 reports5 crashes
“AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. NO ACCIDENT, STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. I DO NOT SEE A RECALL REFERENCE AIRBAG? WITH THE COMPLAINTS I READ ON YOUR SITE ABOUT THE AIRBAGS, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL???????????”
Visibility
8 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE OPENED THE SUN ROOF AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE SUN ROOF TO CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE SUN ROOF WAS CLOSED. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE MOTOR WAS FINE BUT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE SWITCH. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND ONE WEEK AFTER HAVING IT REPAIRED, THE SUN ROOF WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 8/24/12 *CN”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.