2000 Mercury Cougar: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 211 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (25% of complaints); the 2001 and 2002 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2008
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 211 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Takata inflatorsi have a 2000. Mercury. Coguar. When. I bought the. Car it ran tgood, then. In 2014. I had to. Pay 1000. To get a. Fuel pump put in. And. That only lasted. 2yrs. Now the fuel pump went out . I don't. Have. That kind of money .I live on as. When I pay my bills I'm. Broke. I looked up recalls. And its the fuel system on the car. It just stops. Even in traffic. I don't see what my credit. Has anything. To do with getting help. Fixing my car if it has a recall. On the fuel system.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · May 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. While driving 15 mph, the headlights failed without warning. In addition, the windows and sun roof independently rolled down. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Mar 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. While refueling the vehicle, the fuel pump would only allow 1-2 gallons to enter the fuel tank before shutting off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2016
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“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the battery failed and multiple warning indicators, including the check engine indicator, illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics to have the battery replaced. After multiple incorrect diagnostics, it was determined that the battery cable routing was defective. The contact discovered NHTSA campaign number: 01v031000 (electrical system); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,600.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2015
“Having so many problems with the fuel systems. I have put fuelput a new fuel pump in gas tank 2 yes. Ago. Put fuel pressure sensor this year. Put new fuel regulator this year now when driving it will just stop. And wouldn't startup”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2014
“Letter from congressman griffith on behalf of constituent re electrical safety issues with 2000 mercury cougar. *tgw the consumer stated he constantly experienced wiring/electrical problems. *jb”Owner report · Electrical System · Nov 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the interior lights and headlights flickered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the wiring harness had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number 01v031000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was 63,127 and current mileage was 67,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2014
“The drivers rear metal brake line failed catastrophically on the highway in a panic stop. This resulted in complete brake failure of both front and rear brakes. *tr”Owner report · Service Brakes · May 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the sunroof failed to close. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the sunroof rollers had failed. The sunroof was not repaired. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 95,000. The current mileage was 106,000.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Apr 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously included in and repaired under NHTSA campaign id number: 01v031000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the windshield wipers, speedometer and the exterior lighting began operating sporadically after the vehicle had been serviced under the recall. The contact also noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle also stalled intermittently. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2013
When filing, owners marked a crash in 18 of these complaints and injuries in 17 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.
Remedy: AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-323-0354.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). A PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVE (PCRV) IN THE REAR BRAKES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND RESULT IN MALFUNCTION, WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS THAT USE SALT COMPOUNDS ON THE ROADWAY FOR DE-ICING OR DUST CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL IMPROVED PCRV'S IN THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS RECALL WAS EXPANDED IN SEPTEMBER 2000 TO INCLUDE 1999 AND 2000 FORD CONTOUR, MERCURY MYSTIQUE AND COUGAR VEHICLES.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE: K7147, K7329, K8683, AND 104353. THESE PARTS WERE MADE FOR USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.
Remedy: FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.
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 2000 Mercury Cougar reliable?
NHTSA has 211 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2000 Mercury Cougar. The most complained-about area is electrical system (25% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2000 Mercury Cougar problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 65,000 miles or less.
Does the 2000 Mercury Cougar have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic. 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.