Total Complaints
236 filings
MERCURY COUGAR · model year
236 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993MERCURYCOUGAR carries 236 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 5 fires, 4 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 1993 COUGAR is engine and engine cooling:engine with 88 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (18) and exterior lighting:headlights (12). 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 1993 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.
Total Complaints
236 filings
Crashes Reported
7 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 88 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 18 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 12 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 5 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 5 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 5 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH | 5 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 4 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 4 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 4 |
HEAD LIGHT SWITCH HARD TO APPLY HEAD LIGHT FLICKER ON AND OFF.SOMETIME WILL NOT COME ON AT ALL.CAR WAS IN MOTION,AND STATIONARY
Mileage: 38,500
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP, THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V275000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
Mileage: 150,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V275000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,431.
Mileage: 164,431
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR. A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN JUNE OF 2008, THE ELECTRONIC SEAT BELT SHOULDER STRAP WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS CLOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRACKING WAS OFF AND THE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNAVAILABLE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND THE HEADLIGHTS DIMMED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND THEY MADE THE REPAIR. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V275000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 189,000.
Mileage: 4,000
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON MARCH 14, 2007 SHE BEGAN TO SMELL FUMES IN THE 1993 MERCURY COUGAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS RECALL 97V159000 CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS ON THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL, BUT THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK THE CONSUMER HAS PROVIDED AN INVOICE FOR REPAIR. UPDATED 05/04/07*TR
Mileage: 150,000
LIGHTS PERIODICALLY STOPPED WORKING ELIMINATING VISIBILITY. *JB
Mileage: 144,000
I WAS DRIVING HOME GOING DOWN A COUNTRY ROAD AND MY HEADLIGHTS QUIT WORKING. I ALMOST WRECKED,AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I ENDED UP DRIVING IT HOME WITH NOTHING BUT PARKING LIGHTS ON WHICH WAS A GOOD HALF HOUR JOURNEY. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL 97V159000 CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS. THE CONTACT HAD RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED IN DECEMBER 1997. THE VEHICLE STARTED EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY A LOCAL SERVICE DEALER. SINCE RECALL REPAIRS HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT OFFER ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. *AK UPDAYED 11/29/2005 - *NM
Mileage: 115,000
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED OFF AND ON. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS DEFECT WAS NOT AN OPEN RECALL. PREVIOUS REPLACEMENT OF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE UNDETERMINED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HIS VEHICLE BEING OLD IS TO BLAME FOR FAILURE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH REPLACED. *TC
Mileage: 90,000
1993 3.8 L BLEW A HEAD GASKET AT 97K. $1200 OUT OF MY POCKET. I DON'T EVEN MAKE THAT MUCH A MONTH. I WILL NEVER BY A FORD AGAIN. *JB
Mileage: 97,500
1993 COUGAR HEAD GASKET BLEW AGAIN . *AK
Mileage: 105,850
ODOMETER BECAME INOPERATIVE AFTER 84,799 MILES, SPEEDOMETER STILL OPERATES. *AK
Mileage: 84,799
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE ALUMINUM HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS SIZE ENGINE BECAUSE THE GASKET WRAPPED. *AK
Mileage: 101,000
MY 1993 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 HAS BLOWN A HEAD GASKET TWICE (ONE AT 80,000 MILES AND ANOTHER AT 120,000 MILES.) AND AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET ENDLESSLY I HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE TO MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO TRY AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *LA
Mileage: 120,000
THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HINGES HAS A FAILURE, THAT RESULTS IN THE DOOR BEING INOPERATIVE(MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO CLOSE).*AK
Mileage: 100,000
WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS CUT OFF OR BECAME DIM. *NLM *TT
Mileage: 153,000
HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND ON. I HAD TO PLAY WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH TO FINALLY GET THEM BACK ON. AT FIRST THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD NOT COME ON, BUT BARELY PULLED ON SWITCH AND THEY CAME ON. PULLED DASH APART AND NOTICED THE SWITCH BRACKET WAS MELTED A LITTLE AND A (BROWN AND GRAY?) WIRE WAS SCORCHED, MELTED, FRAYED.*JB
Mileage: 120,000
HEAD GASKET BLEW @ 114,000 MILES ON 93 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8 V-6 ENGINE. TWO REPAIR SHOPS HAVE STATED "EVERYBODY" IN VEHICLE REPAIR BUSINESS KNOWS THE 3.8 ENGINE HAS GASKET PROBLEM TO THE POINT THE GASKETS BLOW IN ONE OF TWO PLACES. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF CAR AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED. UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME 3.8 FORD ENGINES, BUT NOT THE '93 ENGINE. *NLM
Mileage: 114,806
THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO UNLOCK. *JB THE AUTO SHOULDER BELT DID NOT MOVE AND INTERRUPTS THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER DOOR MOLDING DID WOULD NOT STAY IN PLACE. THE DRIVER DOOR HAS TO BE PULLED UP IN ORDER TO SHUT. SCC
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.