1987 Mercury Cougar LS review from North America

Rebuilt Transmission (135,000 miles)

Replaced Engine (125,000 miles)

Right window hard to open/close

Replaced rack and pinion

Engine problem (incorrect timing)

Replaced Heater Core

Other Misc. Small things.

I am 22 and have only owned 2 cars, an 88 Mercury Cougar, and later an 87. The 88 was a great car, although it suffered from small electrical and mechanical maladies throughout its life. I inherited it from my mother in 1998. It ran faithfully without major incident until February 2003, when at 264,000 miles, the seals in the engine went bust.

I bought my 87 Cougar in 2002, and it has had a few more problems than the 88, but it is a great car. I think the engine and trans problems were caused by poor maintenance, and were not design flaws. These cars look great and they are tanks. My 88 was rear-ended at 45 miles an hour by an SUV and suffered only a small scrape on the bumper. They are solidly built and very reliable, even with their small problems. The only problem that really bugs me is that both my cars tend to falsely report low oil pressure, due to a loose connection. It's an easy fix, though. I would recommend these cars to anyone, although they are getting hard to find.