1999 Mercury Cougar Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1999 Mercury Cougar, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,132 miles. The words owners use most often: “provide further” (8% of reports).
- 99electrical system complaints
- 70,132median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Provide further: mentioned in 8 of 99 complaints (8%)
- Battery cable: mentioned in 6 of 99 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 28 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 99 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Mercury Cougar electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Cougar | 4 | 4% | 135,613 |
| 2001 Cougar | 12 | 15% | 81,500 |
| 2000 Cougar | 63 | 30% | 65,000 |
| 1999 Cougar | 99 | 22% | 70,132 |
| 1998 Cougar | 1 | 100% | — |
| 1997 Cougar | 4 | 5% | 75,000 |
| 1996 Cougar | 3 | 5% | 40,550 |
| 1995 Cougar | 5 | 5% | 7 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system
Problem: On certain my 1996-1998 passenger vehicles built at the kansas city, cuautitlan assembly plants or on my 1999 passenger vehcles built at the automotive alliance international assembly plants, the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector. The damage could, over time, cause increased resistance in the connector and, due to subsequent terminal relaxation, result in an open circuit condition.
Risk: The open circuit could lead to electrical arcing that could melt the connector housing material creasing the potential for a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness. Owner notification began august 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l v6 engines. The battery cable was misrouted and its attachment to the alternator cable was under-torqued. If misrouted, the cable could contact the power steering line and the insulation could wear, resulting in an electrical short.
Risk: The short could potentially result in a fire, stalling, or a no-start condition.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the battery cable to the alternator for damage and, if it is damaged, will replace the cable. Additionally, the routing of the cable will be corrected, as necessary, and a routing clip will be added. Also the torque on the alternator attachment of the cable will be checked and, as required, will be tightened to specification. Owner notification began march 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I got in my car one day after work in the parking lot and started my car and my airbag light was on. It stayed on for three days and is no longer on. It seems like no one wants to take account or provide solutions for the problem. Everytime i roll up my windows, my lights dim as if the battery is…
I have problem with transmmition shifting 1st to second changes at 3000rpm but when i change park to drive shakes motor bad , one of the wires start smoking i like i put tape around wired burnd. Temperature it doesn't show but when i open the hood the car is very hot every time i tried driving it…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercury cougar. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact also stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was able to start after several attempts, however the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Mercury Cougars have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 99 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1999 Mercury Cougar (22% of the 454 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Mercury Cougar electrical system?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 70,132 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1999 Mercury Cougar?
The most frequent phrase is “provide further”, in 8 of 99 complaints, followed by “battery cable” (6).
Other 1999 Mercury Cougar problems
See all 1999 Mercury Cougar problems or electrical system problems across all Cougar years.