1997 Mercury Cougar: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 76 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (37% of complaints).
Data updated weekly
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 76 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My vehicles became totally disabled on a very busy highway with heavy after hours rush hour traffic. The manifold which is made of plastic broke were the coolant temperature sensor was built in, I also noticed that a few sparkplugs were flooded with coolant. I found out that there was a lawsuit on these vehicles but no one knew about it and only fleet vehicles were covered and not civilian vehicles. I wonder if there is any chance for me to seek a dealership and get reimbursed for these damages. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 2013
“Fuel was noted leaking from fuel lines just aft of the passenger side door. Upon further investigation, fuel was seem running down the fuel lines and side of fuel tank. Leak was caused by fuel lines chaffing through on top of tank. Car had 51,000 miles on it. *tt”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jul 2011
“Intake manifold crack and anti-freeze spilling out and a lot of steam smoke while I was driving,car in shop now a it will cost me $600.00 to fix. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2008
Show 7 more owner reports
“I have a 1997 mercury cougar xr7 that has 42,000 miles on it. The intake manifold cracked in my garage and liquids leaked all over garage. My car was one of the excluded vehicles in fords class action and recall of cracked manifolds. *nm”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2006
“I parked our 1997 cougar in the driveway around 5:00p.m. On 07/15/05. I have not been having any problems with the car. About 1:00a.m. On 07/16/05, we were awaken by neighbors who had spotted the car on fire. The firemen said it appeared to be an electrical problem starting on the right side. Since it was totally burned, we don't know how to find out what happened. I e-mailed the ford corporate & filled out the information including the VIN asking about a recall, but I have not received anything from them except the acknowledgement of receiving my e-mail.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2005
“1997 mercury cougar developed a cracked manifold.***no answer required***. *mr a recall was issued for 1996 and 1997 mercury cougars but the consumer's vehicle was not included due to VIN. *nm”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2005
“Consumer's request for reimbursement but was denied reimbursement for the plastic manifold replacement in his 1997 mercury cougar .***no answer required***. *mr the consuemr was not reimbursed for the repairs because the repairs were not made at a ford/mercury dealer. *nm”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2005
“While vehicle parked for 15 min,utes a fire started under the hood. The vehicle was totaled. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *bf”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2005
“The intake manifold cracked, causing the coolant to leak out. Could cause the engine to overheat. Consumer will contact the manufacturer.*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Feb 2005
“The consumer received a recall well over seven years ago, at the time of the recall the consumer was not experiencing any problem with the intake manifold mentioned in the letter. While driving the vehicle, the radiator leaked antifreeze onto the street. The vehicle was towed and according to the recall letter the manifold is cracked. *nm......*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2005
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1997 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Cougar by VIN
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Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Mercury Cougar reliable?
NHTSA has 76 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 1997 Mercury Cougar. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (37% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1997 Mercury Cougar problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 71,550 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.