1990 Mercury Cougar LS review from North America
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Had to replace a blown head gasket at 130,000 kms.
Air Conditioning not working due to leaks and poor dealer job done at retro-fit to R134a refrigerant (not the cars fault however)
General comments?
I would recommend buying one IF:
- the mileage is reasonably low and the car has been maintained otherwise. Same as buying any used car.
- rear-wheel drive is not an issue and you don't mind driving a large (by todays standards) car.
- One thing very important: Periodically take your car in or check for this yourself: CHECK RADIATOR COOLANT MORE OFTEN THAN YOU NORMALLY WOULD. BY "CHECK" I MEAN DON'T JUST LOOK AT COLOUR AND COOLANT LEVEL. WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO CHECK FOR IS THE pH LEVEL. IF COOLANT IS TOO ACIDIC THEN YOU CAN EXPECT SOME HEAD GASKET TROUBLE.
TRY TO MAINTAIN COOLANT pH LEVEL AT AROUND 7.5.
- To summarize a good used car to buy and enjoy. I'd buy another one.
Recommended reviews
| Probably was good when it was new |
|
| 1989 - Cougar LS 3.8 V6 standard It has been a reliable car, but fraught with nuisances and inept repair personnel |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1990 |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Most recent distance | 140000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Accord |
| Date of Entry | 3rd July, 2007 |