2000 Mercury Cougar from North America - Comments

Yes I don't believe there is a Mercury Cougar out there with a properly working trunk hatch. But that's something that is only minor.

Both wheel bearings went bad at 75000, and I finally replaced them at about 86000. It also needed new tie-rod ends and ball joints. I did all four struts, which was a big pain cause they are all rusted tight to the car.

Like many others, I am experiencing surging lights and occasionally the battery light comes on, but I won't worry about that for a while.

Currently my biggest problem is that it won't idle. It goes through fast idle @ 2000 rpm, then goes to normal idle @ 1050rpm, stays there for a moment the tries to go to slow idle @ 750 rpm. When it goes to slow idle, it starts to spit and sputter till the rpm drops to about 200 rpm, when the computer finally recognizes that something is wrong and kicks it all the way back to fast idle. Then it falls and stumbles, and picks itself back up again. I have no idea what is wrong. It doesn't get better even at operating temp. Every time I come to a stoplight I have to put it in neutral and jump on the gas.

It's a very stylish car and does fairly well in the snow, provided you keep it on the road, but has very convenient tow hooks on the back end for recovery.

It has been a good first car for me, and hopefully it will continue to be one for a long time, but if I was buying it again I probably wouldn't, or at least I'd go for the manual transmission.

I had the same idling issue when the temperature in my area changed suddenly (went from warm to very cold almost overnight).

Turned out I had a cracked intake. 500$ later, my Cougar runs fantastic. The only real expensive problem I've had with it since I got it.

My car has the same problem.

I bought my 2000 Cougar about a month ago. Nice looking car. But I wish I would have read the reviews on this bucket of bolts.

It seems they borrowed pieces from other cars. Mainly engine parts, and threw this car together.

My car last week went into a fast idle @ about 3000 rpms. Came to find out the EGR valve is plugged, may have caused the fast idle speed.

Another code that popped up was a catalytic converter is plugged. When I was reading reviews about this car on another web site, it does not have one but three. What a stupid idea of putting in three.

Another stupid idea for design was to put the alternator at the bottom of the engine. I read where someone had an oil leak from their valve cover and replaced the gasket. They said that fixed the problem.

A lot of problems with battery and alternator, and flash dash board lights and head lights. This car is full of little gremlins.

Forgot, the sun roof tends to have trouble with binding up. They said to put a little white grease on the glider rails.

This little cat has a lot of little fleas. Or should I say fees. It is worse than my boat.

I am having same problems... a lot of problems.

I am first owner of this car... at first no problems. Up until about 2 years ago.

Today problem one... car doesn't want to start... you can hear it trying as you turn the key... but just not kicking on. Sometimes it does.

My dashboards lights are blinking.. with the one that lights up the time now totally shot and not working.

Battery light comes on and off as it pleases... oh and the other day, had air bag lights blinking on me.

I just changed about 2 months ago and put in new alternator, spark plugs, spark plug wires... and was fine up until today. Really getting frustrated with this car.