1999 Mercury Cougar V6 Automatic review from North America

The check engine light is almost always on.

To open the trunk, you have to pull up on it while you're pushing the button, whether you're inside the car or using the remote.

The seats aren't the most comfortable in the world.

The low coolant light has been on for 3 months now, and the coolant is completely full.

The tires suck. I slide going around corners at 30 mph without it raining or snowing.

I merely tapped a snowbank in February and the bumper cracked a horizontal line halfway through it that will cost me $800.00 to repair.

I purchased my Cougar a year and 6 months ago. At first, I loved it. It is a hot car and I looked good in it. However, the love quickly died. After just a few short months of owning it, it started smelling like rotten eggs when I accelerated quickly. The service shop employees at the dealership thought it was the catalytic converter, but they weren't sure. So, we ignored it. Now it just smells every once in a while.

1st thing fixed - The moonroof motor broke when I drove through a sudden downpour. It was stuck half open. It took the dealership a week to fix it, luckily it happened less than 3 months of having it so it was fixed free of charge.

#2 - New brakes (pads, shoes, rotors, the works) around 35000 miles.

#3 - New tie-rod and drums at 40000 miles.

#4 - New alternator at around 43000 miles.

#5 - New starter just last week at 48000 miles. The dealership kept my car for 3 days. They told me that in order to put in the newer model starter that you HAVE to change the flywheel as well. Well, my warranty won't cover the flywheel because there is nothing wrong with the one I have. They will only pay for the starter itself because that is the actual failed component. So for me to get the new starter and fly wheel they wanted to charge me $600.00. I told them to figure out a way to just put the starter in and leave my flywheel alone because I'm not paying it. So they did. And nothing has changed... The car still doesn't start all the time.

I think the only good thing about Cougars is their appearance. I get lots of attention when I'm driving down the road. At first I thought it was because I'm a good-looking 21 year old driving a black sports car with the sunroof open and music blasting. More realistically, though, the people looking at me are probably just former Cougar owners who know the hell I'm going through and are saying a silent prayer as I drive by. I know that's what I'll be doing when I see you.

I just hope other people are smarter than me and are reading these reviews BEFORE they buy the car. If not, good luck. You'll need it.