Total Complaints
3 filings
MERCURY COUGAR · model year
1973 MERCURY COUGAR
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1973MERCURYCOUGAR carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1973 COUGAR is tires:tread/belt with 2 filings, followed by tires (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 22 investigation files overlapping the 1973 COUGAR. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020612TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CARLTON, P205/75R15, DOT REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT WITH 1000 MILES ON A 1973, MERCURY, COUGAR. PASSENGER'S FRONT TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION AT 45-50 MPH, CAUSING 1100.00 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.*AK DOT CKUL IMC 115. WHILE IN MOTION THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING A BLOWOUT AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. AN EXPERT OF PIRELLI TIRES STATED THE REASON FOR THE BLOWOUT WAS DUE TO TIRE UNDER INFLATION. CONSUMER EXPLAINS TEH TIRE PRESSURE WAS AT THE SPECIFIED PSI. *JG
20020528TIRES
TIRE ON THE VEHICLE HAD BULGES ON THE TREAD. CONTACTED DEALER. FIRESTONE FR721 205/75R15 (DOT UNKNOWN), REPLACEMENT TIRES, 8OOO MILES, MOUNTED ON A 1973 ,MERCURY, COUGAR.*AK WHILE DRIVING STEERING WAS WOBBLY AND SHAKY. UPON INSPECTION FOUND FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT REAR TIRES WERE OUT OF ROUND AND STEEL BELTS HAD SHIFTED. *TT
20020528TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE ON THE VEHICLE HAD BULGES ON THE TREAD. CONTACTED DEALER. FIRESTONE FR721 205/75R15 (DOT UNKNOWN), REPLACEMENT TIRES, 8OOO MILES, MOUNTED ON A 1973 ,MERCURY, COUGAR.*AK WHILE DRIVING STEERING WAS WOBBLY AND SHAKY. UPON INSPECTION FOUND FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT REAR TIRES WERE OUT OF ROUND AND STEEL BELTS HAD SHIFTED. *TT
Compare 1973MERCURYCOUGAR to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1973 MERCURY COUGAR have?▼
The 1973 MERCURY COUGAR has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1973 MERCURY COUGAR?▼
The most-complained component for the 1973 MERCURY COUGAR is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES.
Is the 1973 MERCURY COUGAR safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1973 MERCURY COUGAR; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.