1993 Mercury Cougar: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 195 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (53% of complaints); the 1991 and 1992 and 1995 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 1999
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 195 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · May 2016
“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.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · May 2013
“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.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Aug 2011
Show 7 more owner reports
“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.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jul 2008
“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”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Mar 2007
“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”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jul 2006
“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”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Nov 2005
“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”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Dec 2004
“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”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2004
“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”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Nov 2003
When filing, owners marked a crash in 6 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WEST VIRGINIA. 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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PLASTIC CONVOLUTE COVERING AROUND THE FUEL LINES. IF THE LINES SHOW A LEAK, THE LINES WILL BE REPLACED FIRST.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH INCORPORATES A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN, AND INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, IF NEEDED.
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
How other years compare
Check your exact Cougar by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1993 Mercury Cougar reliable?
NHTSA has 195 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 1993 Mercury Cougar. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (53% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1993 Mercury Cougar problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 114,664 miles or less.
Does the 1993 Mercury Cougar have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.