1996 Mercury Cougar Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cougar years
- Fewer complaints than other years 7th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Mercury Cougar. That ranks 7th out of 8 Cougar model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (21 complaints, 34%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 62owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Mercury Cougar problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 34% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 10% | 40,327 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 8% | 72,827 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 8% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% | 40,550 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% | 40,550 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 5% | 80,700 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 5% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 5% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Mercury Cougar recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: When in the secondary latched position, the driver door latches may open when subjected to transverse loads less than that specified in fmvss no. 206, "door locks and door retention components."
Risk: The driver's door, when closed only to the secondary latched position, may not sustain a 1,000 pound transverse load.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver door latch.
Equipment:appliance:air conditioner
Problem: Under certain conditions, the climate control blower does not operate as intended. The blower could (1) stick on "high;" (2) operate erratically with blower output varying between no blower and maximum blower; or (3) not operate at all due to malfunction of the temperature control module.
Risk: Blower malfunctions limiting or stopping output can adversely affect windshield defrosting and defogging performance increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will replace the semi-automatic temperature control modules with modules containing revised software.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness (EA01001) — opened Jan 5, 2001, closed Jul 31, 2001, led to recall 01I009000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the climate control adjuster failed. As a result, the blower would only function on high and the contact was unable to adjust the defrost system. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer to have the failure diagnosed, but they…
Tl * the contact owns a 1996 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking anti freeze abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was advised that the plastic intake manifold was fractured and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the drivers side front door and the passengers side front door would open while driving at any speed. When she closed the doors they could be pushed open with little effort. Ford was contacted and stated that there were no recalls…
While driving my 1996 cougar this past september, which has only 40,360 miles on it and is stored most of the year for the purposes of collecting and preserving the vehicle indefinitely, at low speeds i noticed the obvious sign of coolant and the smell of coolant coming from up under the hood. I…
Movement of the fuel lines causes the nylon fuel line jumper to chafe against the floor pan. This wear can cause a pin hole in the fuel line resulting in fuel leakage. Recall # 97v159000 1992-93 mercury cougars...ford recall letter to you dated 9-17-1997..my cougar built 4-'96...1996 was the last…
Other Mercury Cougar years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Cougar | 95 | 1 |
| 2001 Cougar | 82 | 1 |
| 2000 Cougar | 211 | 3 |
| 1999 Cougar | 454 | 7 |
| 1998 Cougar | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 Cougar | 76 | 0 |
| 1996 | 62 | 2 |
| 1995 Cougar | 109 | 0 |
See all Mercury Cougar problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Mercury Cougar?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic, structure problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Mercury Cougar?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Mercury Cougar a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cougar model years, the 1996 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.