2002 Mercury Cougar: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 95 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is fuel system, gasoline (41% of complaints).
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 95 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Airbag warning light comes on. No accident, stationary and in motion. I do not see a recall reference airbag? With the complaints I read on your site about the airbags, there should be a recall???????????”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2019
“The car was parked in my driveway. Upon starting the car, at the moment I turned the key the driver seat airbag deployed.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury cougar. While driving unknown speeds, the headlights dimmed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the protected wiring cover was deteriorating. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jun 2017
Show 7 more owner reports
“Driving on freeway, car next to me came into my lane towards my car, I hit my brakes resulting in my vehicle swerving and hitting the median head on at high speed, air bags did not deploy upon impact. *tr”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury cougar. The contact stated that while she driving at 30 mph, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuel pump. However, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in recall NHTSA campaign number 04v421000 (fuel system, gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Sep 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury cougar. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle made a knocking noise and stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2014
“The car gets a stalling sensation when at a red light, or a complete standstill. It feels like its stuttering and unable to keep power. Changed egr valve, 2 idle control changes, along with a transmission flush was done. Nothing seems to be fixing the issue. The car acts up and stalls in cold temperatures. Stalled at a red light twice. Has been taken to different car shops on numerous occasions. No engine light comes on. *tr”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury cougar. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph in a driveway, there was a sudden increase in the acceleration. The vehicle failed to decelerate even as the contact applied the brakes. The contact was unable to control the failure and crashed into a house. The contact sustained a fractured left wrist. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle sustained severe front end damages. The vehicle was towed to a police impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the acceleration failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Sep 2013
“Tl* 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 90,600.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury cougar. The contact stated that she opened the sun roof and was unable to get the sun roof to close. The vehicle was taken to a personal mechanic for diagnosis and the sun roof was closed. The contact was told by the mechanic that the motor was fine but she needed to replace the switch. The switch was replaced and one week after having it repaired, the sun roof would not close. The dealer was notified but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 63,000. Updated 8/24/12 *cn”Owner report · Visibility · Dec 2011
When filing, owners marked a crash in 9 of these complaints and injuries in 12 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 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.
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 2002 Mercury Cougar reliable?
NHTSA has 95 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2002 Mercury Cougar. The most complained-about area is fuel system, gasoline (41% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2002 Mercury Cougar problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 68,050 miles or less.
Does the 2002 Mercury Cougar have open recalls?
3 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.