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2001 Mercury Cougar Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 82 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Mercury Cougar, most often about the fuel system (32% of complaints, typically around 102,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Cougar model year since 2000 and has 1 recall.
Most common 2001 Mercury Cougar problems
Fuel system
26 complaints · 32%Half of these problems showed up before 102,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, fuel injection system.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. While attempting to make a turn and/or when driving forward, the vehicle shuts off. The failure occurs intermittently and at various speeds. The vehicle must be restarted and operates normally until the next occurrence. No warning lights are illuminated prior to the failure. The…
The contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and stalled without warning. The contact, with the help of other drivers, had to physically push the vehicle out of traffic to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was…
Electrical
12 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 81,500 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, alternator/generator/regulator, 12v/24v/48v battery, ignition.
I am not sure who to contact with this, but I have already gone through my insurance company, and I am still a little upset about what happened. I owned a Mercury Cougar 2dr coupe 2001. One night I was alerted by a neighbor that my car was on fire. My father started putting water on the car, and I used a fire…
The contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 60 MPH. The vehicle restarted after waiting a few moments. The failure recurred on an intermittent basis and occurred more frequently over time. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and was repaired under the…
Engine
12 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
2001 Mercury Cougar. Since I have owned this car I have replace the engine at 65,000 miles, left front wheel bearing at 70,000 miles, right front wheel bearing is on its way out at 100,000 miles along with a plugged catalytic converter, and transmission slippage. A/c also failed at 115,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The engine check warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel delivery module failed and needed to be replaced.…
Transmission
10 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 48,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, clutch assembly.
There was no indication that there was a problem with the transmission until one day I went to pull out into an intersection and the car felt like it was in neutral. During that same episode, when at a stop light, the car would not move until it was put in 2 instead of drive. I took it to the dealership and was told…
Bought car brand new in september 2001. Automatic transmission needs replacement at 43,000 miles (june 2005). No recourse as warranty only covered me for 3 years/36,000 miles. This is too soon for a transmission to fail. Although the car is automatic, I could feel the car lose power as it shifted automatically from…
Visibility and wipers
7 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 85,000 miles. Parts named most often: sun/moon roof assembly, windshield wiper/washer.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that he attempted to open the sunroof, but was unsuccessful. While driving 60 MPH, the sunroof opened automatically. The contact was able to close the sunroof and drove the vehicle home. He referenced a website named cougarsunroof.com that has various…
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that the metal sun roof detached from the passenger side of the vehicle while driving. She further stated that a complaint website www.cougarsunroof.com contained approximately 800 complaints for 1999-2002 Cougar metal sun roof failures in a similar fashion.…
Air bags
6 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
While driving 30 MPH consumer hit a pile of sand and lost control, causing the vehicle to role twice. Vehicle landed upside down. Upon impact, airbags did not deploy. Driver sustained minor injuries.
Driving car to class last week, recently bought it within the past year. Was pulling into a parking spot in a parking garage going maybe 5 MPH. Was creeping up into the spot and the airbags deployed out of nowhere, cracking my windshield and getting smoke and an awful smell into my car. I also will be wearing a wrist…
Wheels and tires
6 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: sidewall.
Cooper trendsetter se,p205/55/r16,inside one tire is a pile of powdered rubber/inside wall of tire,rubber has came off and you can see what looks like bands.
Body and structure
5 complaints · 6%Parts named most often: body.
The metal sunroof on my 2001 Mercury Cougar broke free on the passenger side while driving. Ford apparently used plastic parts in the assembly which holds the metal sunroof to the car. These parts failed after only 26,500 miles. If the driver side assembly had also broken, the metal roof could have flown off the car…
Dt: the sun roof I broke. The sun roof would not close. The problem started on october 2, 2005. And when the contact took it in to be repaired, they had to break the attachments to get it to close. Afterwards , there was still a crack between the sun roof and the rest of the vehicle. This allows wind to come through…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2001 Mercury Cougar recalls
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: This may cause engine hesitation, loss of power, surging, and other similar symptoms. Over time, the filter may become sufficiently blocked to cause the engine to stall, which could result in a crash.
Fix: This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. All owners will be notified of the problem, and dealers will replace the fdm with a new design at no charge if the owner reports that the vehicle exhibits any of the identified symptoms. The free replacement will be available for a period of 10 years following the original purchase of the vehicle, with no mileage limit. The campaign began on april 16, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles, contamination of the filter in the fuel delivery module (fdm) can reduce, and eventually block, the flow of fuel to the engine.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2001 Mercury Cougar
- What are the most common problems with the 2001 Mercury Cougar?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: fuel system (26 complaints, typically around 102,000 miles); electrical (12 complaints, typically around 81,500 miles); engine (12 complaints, typically around 67,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2001 Mercury Cougar have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 30, 2004 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2001 a bad year for the Mercury Cougar?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Cougar model year since 2000, with 82 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.