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2002 Mercury Cougar Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercury Cougar, most often about the fuel system (52% of complaints, typically around 77,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Cougar model year since 2000 and has 1 recall.
Most common 2002 Mercury Cougar problems
Fuel system
49 complaints · 52%Half of these problems showed up before 77,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, storage.
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. The current and failure mileage were 77,000. While driving the vehicle the contact tried to accelerate but the vehicle took a long to shift up to speed. Often times the vehicle would stutter and hesitate. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer, and was told that the vehicle…
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact had the vehicle towed to a repair shop for inspection where they stated that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified and they…
Engine
20 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 87,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that the vehicle began to lose power while driving, which made it difficult to steer the vehicle. He experienced difficultly pulling the vehicle to the side of the road. After approximately 15 minutes, the vehicle was able to be restarted and operated normally.…
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled as the battery, engine, and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was…
Transmission
10 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, clutch assembly.
We were driving our vehicle on the interstate and the car started to hesitate then accelerate fast it did this 6 times. We stopped at a store and pulled in forward when we came back out and started the car the car would not go into the reverse position. The car some how was frozen into drive even if you put the car…
Vehicle has been well maintained. Transmission was shifting poorly and suddenly same day, reverse will not engage, also no 1st or 2nd gear working.
Air bags
7 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 86,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. While driving 30 MPH, the front passenger side crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The road conditions were normal. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed. The driver was transported via ambulance to the emergency room. She was…
My daughter hit the back of a school bus in may of 2006 in which the air bags did not deploy. Last night she barely scraped her rim on a curb and both air bags went off and cracked the windshield. This must have been faulty air bags from the start because they should have went off in the front end collision she had…
Visibility and wipers
6 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 59,500 miles. Parts named most often: sun/moon roof assembly, defroster/defogger/hvac system, power window devices and controls.
Dt: contact stated the heater blower disconnected from underneath the dashboard. The dealer said the blower moved from the attachment grooves, causing it to disconnect. The service dealer reconnected the blower. This corrected the problem.
I have a 2002 Cougar with 60k miles and I've already replaced the fuel pump,power steering pump, and now the heater core is clogged. Although lincoln/Mercury is the only one to work on the car, the warranty wont cover a clog. They will cover a leak...but not a clogg. How asinine is that? Fidelity warranty service is a…
Electrical
4 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: ignition.
I'm having the same issue with my 2002 Mercury Cougar as everyone else, but when I put my VIN number into the search, there are no recalls listed for it. I don't think that its right that my life be put in serious danger because of an apparent design issue. This car is losing all power and shutting down. It doesn't…
Nhtsa campaign number:04v421000 manufacturer ford motor company was driving on a main city st. My auto stopped with no power in the left lane of busy 4 lane st. Would not start in neutral or park, man pushed it into the ctr. Lane out of traffic area. Policeman came after I called 911, after a few minutes he suggested…
Speed control
4 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
Consumer depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle hesitated to accelerate, then it accelerated in full throttle. This resulted in an accident. Please provide more details. Ph
Tl contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. While idling, the engine revs and the vehicle accelerates on its own. The dealer stated that no recalls were available; however, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign id number 99v194000 (vehicle speed control). In addition, the check engine light remains illuminated for weeks at…
Steering
3 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: steering wheel/handle bar, rack and pinion, hydraulic power assist.
I have a 2002 Cougar with 60k miles and I've already replaced the fuel pump,power steering pump, and now the heater core is clogged. Although lincoln/Mercury is the only one to work on the car, the warranty wont cover a clog. They will cover a leak...but not a clogg. How asinine is that? Fidelity warranty service is a…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2002 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 2002 Mercury Cougar
- What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercury Cougar?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: fuel system (49 complaints, typically around 77,000 miles); engine (20 complaints, typically around 87,500 miles); transmission (10 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2002 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 2002 a bad year for the Mercury Cougar?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Cougar model year since 2000, with 95 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.