Total Complaints
104 filings
MERCURY COUGAR · model year
1990 MERCURY COUGAR
104 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990MERCURYCOUGAR carries 104 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 11 crashes, 9 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 COUGAR is vehicle speed control with 15 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (8) and seat belts (6). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 22 investigation files overlapping the 1990 COUGAR. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
104
Complaints
11
Crashes
9
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
11 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 15 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 8 |
| SEAT BELTS | 6 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 5 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 5 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
Recent Complaints
20180719ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SEAT BELT DOESN'T STAY LOCKED AND LATCH BROKE, AUTOMATIC HEAD LIGHTS DON'T WORK THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DON'T WORK AND AS SOON AS IS GETS SO HOT IT VAPER LOCKS A LOT
Mileage: 235,000
20180719FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
SEAT BELT DOESN'T STAY LOCKED AND LATCH BROKE, AUTOMATIC HEAD LIGHTS DON'T WORK THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DON'T WORK AND AS SOON AS IS GETS SO HOT IT VAPER LOCKS A LOT
Mileage: 235,000
20180719EXTERIOR LIGHTING
SEAT BELT DOESN'T STAY LOCKED AND LATCH BROKE, AUTOMATIC HEAD LIGHTS DON'T WORK THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DON'T WORK AND AS SOON AS IS GETS SO HOT IT VAPER LOCKS A LOT
Mileage: 235,000
20170919ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE FLICKERING ON OFF OF DASH LIGHTS,PANEL COMPLETELY OUT AND NOW WILL NOT COME BACK ON,CREATING AN ISSUE DRIVING,UNABLE TO SEE SPEED,MILAGE GAS USAGE,WHEN CHECKING UNDER HOOD I WAS GIVEN AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK,THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING,IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF MOTOR
Mileage: 61,800
20170918ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
HEAVY TRAFFIC ON STATE HIGHWAY ENGINE OVERHEATING ALARM ACTIVATED,INCIDENT HAS OCCURED TWICE,IN TRAFFIC,EVERYTHING HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND I HAD TO PULL OFF OF HIGHWAY, OTHER COMPLAINT DASH PANEL LIGHTS OUT WITH DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL ISSUE,ALMOST WILL NOT START,THIS OCCURED WHILE DRIVING AND NOW EILL NOT COME BACK ON AT ALL
Mileage: 60,000
20170918ENGINE
HEAVY TRAFFIC ON STATE HIGHWAY ENGINE OVERHEATING ALARM ACTIVATED,INCIDENT HAS OCCURED TWICE,IN TRAFFIC,EVERYTHING HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND I HAD TO PULL OFF OF HIGHWAY, OTHER COMPLAINT DASH PANEL LIGHTS OUT WITH DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL ISSUE,ALMOST WILL NOT START,THIS OCCURED WHILE DRIVING AND NOW EILL NOT COME BACK ON AT ALL
Mileage: 60,000
20140107FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED SMOKE EMITTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED ON AND WITHIN SECONDS THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT A FUSE BOX LOCATED IN THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.
Mileage: 89,000
20100420CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CONSUMER PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND ACCELERATED WAY TOO FAST AND HE BOLTED FORWARD STRIKING A CONCRETE BARRIER. *DT CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL LETTER REGARDING RESULTS FROM INCIDENT. *TGW 04/06/10 THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE LINKAGE WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB
20040701ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
TWO YEARS AGO THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER NHTSA # 96V071000. DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. ONE YEAR LATER THE RECALLED COMPONENT FAILED AND THIS TIME AN INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. ONCE AGAIN THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NM
20021001ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. *YH
20021001ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE VEHICLE'S CAMSHAFT SENSOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED . *YH
20010925VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOWS CANNOT REMAIN ON TRACK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON WINDOWS COMING OFF TRACK, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY HAVE FIXED OTHER COUGAR WITH THIS PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATED SHE WILL BE DRIVING AND THE WINDOWS WILL JUST FALL DOWN AT TIMES, WINDOWS WILL JUST COMPLETELY GO DOWN IN THE DOOR, CONSUMER HAS TO PAY SOMEONE TO TAKE THE DOOR APART TO GET THE WINDOWS OUT.*JB
20010517ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION WENT BAD. FORD NO LONGER MAKES THE PART. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
20010221ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEADS/HEAD GASKETS HAD CAUSED VEHICLE TO OVER-HEAT AS WELL AS SHUT ITSELF DOWN DURING MOTION. PROBLEM WERE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF HOWARD PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS PRESIDENT, THE FOLLOWING DAY USED CAR MANAGER DEAN SCHULATZ HAD OFFERED TO MAKE ANOTHER EVEN TRADE WITH ME TO A OLDSMOBILE ACHEIVA SO HE COULD PUT THE VEHICLE I WERE CURRENTLY OPERATTING BACK IN SERVICE AND DO THE REPAIR WORK NEEDED TO MAKE IT A SAFE VEHICLE FOR THE ROAD, BUT UPON FINDING OUT THAT I HAVE PUT THIS VEHICLE IN A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP HE HAD DECLINED TO COME FORTH WITH THE MONEY TO DO THE REPAIR WORK ,HE WOULD HAVE FOUND IF HE HAD SERVICED THISVEHICLE PRIOR TO THE SALE OF THIS VEHICLE.*AK
20010131ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING WATER AND ANIT-FREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE MOTOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE NO HEAT. SLC
20001107VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20001024ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
NO SUMMARY
20001020SEAT BELTS
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRAC/ IT COMPLETELY FAILED/ WILL NO LONGER FUNCTION, CAUSING LOSS OF SHOULDER RESTRAINT AND PROTECTION. POSSIBLY CAUSED BY FAILURE OF MOTOR OR BELTS.*AK
20000918SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
ALSO THE FIRST YEAR I OWNED THE CAR, THE PAINT ON THE FRONT BUMPER STARTED COMING OFF, AND THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT MOTOR WAS REPLACED.
20000914SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
ALSO THE FIRST YEAR I OWNED THE CAR, THE PAINT ON THE FRONT BUMPER STARTED COMING OFF, AND THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT MOTOR WAS REPLACED.
Compare 1990MERCURYCOUGAR to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 MERCURY COUGAR have?▼
The 1990 MERCURY COUGAR has 104 NHTSA complaints, 11 crashes, 9 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 MERCURY COUGAR?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 MERCURY COUGAR is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 15 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SEAT BELTS.
Is the 1990 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.