1999 Mercury Cougar from North America - Comments

Wow...where to begin?

I bought my car 3.5 years ago used. It only had 60,000 miles, now it's well over 146,000. In that time, I have replaced:

-three batteries

-the alternator

-too many front tires to mention

-the serpentine belt (4 times)

-the water pump, hoses and belt

-the ac compressor and manifold

-the engine mounts

-the brakes (twice)

-the passenger window motor

-had to jimmy rig the moon roof so I could get it shut (the rain is a deterrent to leaving it open all the time) and it remains broken

-spark plugs and wires

-various sensors, etc.

Currently, I need to replace my brakes (again), just got another set of tires, have a massive oil leak that no one seems to be able to find, need new rack bushings, inner and outer tie rods, and the heat doesn't work. The check engine light is always on, no matter what sensors I change or what I get cleaned. Also, when I try to coast, the engine will buzz until I hit the gas again. Not a big issue unless you are braking for traffic.

Still...can't afford to replace it right now. Just finished paying off the bank and still owe a friend money for the down payment. Can't believe how much money I've spent on this car, especially since I do most of the work myself!!

I just had the tranny re-built on my 99 Cougar. The check engine light is out for the moment but that will probably change soon (it always does).

I had the Bank running lean issue, but it went away for the most part when I replaced the mass air flow sensor.

She keeps slipping gears as soon as she gets warmed up. The only way I have found that the car seems to go reliably is in the five minutes before it is fully warm. After that it just bucks a lot.

She's at 127k at the moment. I've only had her about a year, but I've taken care of her as best I could. I use tecktron every 4 tanks or so, and I get the oil changed every 3,000 on the dot.

Every time I try to drive above 40mph (80kph) she starts to either fall out of gear or over rev. I wonder if the problem is (and no I'm not a mechanic) that when the car gets it's infamous oil leaks, it messes with the alternator, which stops delivering enough power to the computer and causing all the sensor problems?

If any one has any thoughts, please respond, and good luck.

I have owned my 99 Cougar 5sp for 4 years now.

I've replaced the alternator 5 times, tires 5 times, my check engine light has been on since 2004 when I bought it, but it seems the light goes off every once in awhile for like 30 minutes at a time.

My moon roof broke in one corner, so it won't completely shut, the suspension set up eats tires like mad.

I have had to replace the throw out bearing; it had been going out since I purchased it.

I have replaced the whole motor due to an oil leak; what happened is that the oil filter blew off its housing because of too much pressure... I had a shop run tests and the couldn't figure it out, they told me I could rebuild it from the ground up, so I just found an 02 motor and swapped it out. Still the check engine light is on, but seems to run better and stronger.

Also the passenger window barely goes up and down.

I had to replace all the wheel bearings also.

My suggestions are; if you have a 99 with a ton of problems like I did, and trust me I didn't write all of them down, swap the motor for an 02, it will eliminate a lot of problems, but I did everything myself cause it was a lot cheaper.

Other than that, the body is perfect, the paint still looks brand new, and every time I clean her she looks showroom ready.

Anyone else ever have a problem with your brake lights not working? My brake lights didn't work so I took it into a shop and they said that the wires were coroded. So they cut and spliced them but then like 6 months later, they stopped working again. I didn't have the money to take the car back to the shop so I just didn't fix them, dangerous I know but there was nothing I could do. Then out of the blue, like a couple moths later, they started working again for a few months. Now just recently, they once again do not work. Anyone else have this problem before?

I have a '99 Mercury Cougar and it is THE BEST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN! It is a gorgeous car with a 2.5L V6 that runs like it's brand new even though it has almost 100,000 miles on it. I have not yet had to replace anything on the car. It has a 5spd manual transmission that lets me shift smoothly and the clutch feels firm. I think Ford motor company did a very good job on the Cougar because it truly is a very nice vehicle.

Agreed.

Agreed.

OK, I have a 99 Cougar and I'm pretty much fed up with it at this point. I've replaced 2 motor mounts, a/c pump, LF wheel bearing, and LF control arm. The problem I'm having is when I turn the car slightly to the left it starts humming/vibrating through out the car, but once I get about 60MPH it goes away, or if I turn to the right. I have one person that says its the wheel bearing, and another person that says its the half shaft. Anyone have an idea or have had this problem themselves??

I have a 99 cougar with 139k miles and I like it a lot. Ever since I got it this past year once in a while when I go to start it, it makes a loud screeching noise. Then when I turn the key and go to start it up again it will start right up. And within the first minute or so of it running it will start making a ticking noise for like 4 minutes. I'm not really sure why it does this, my guess would be the timing belt, but for the starter I have no clue. it seems to be worse when the check engine light is on, but when it goes off it won't do it for a while.. I'm not sure if I need a new starter of alternator or what. any ideas on either of these concerns would be greatly appreciated.

Email - cougar_108@yahoo.com.

I have had my 99 cougar sine june of last year. I have had nothing but problems with this piece. I have had to replace both rotors twice and both calipers.

I have also had the problems with the sensors and running too lean; I have had to replace the entire steering assembly "rack and pinion, power steering pump twice, hoses"

my sunroof hasn't worked ever... my rear struts were out when I bought the car but you can't tell till you get on a bumpy road where you sound like death coming down the road.

Tires are horrible to replace 500 is the cheapest road I have found

and to top it all off my tranny just started slipping and I was told the only good choice there is to have mine rebuilt and updated because finding a used one would be ignorant as notorious as these things are for being junk... all in all you can still look pretty cool driving down the road no matter how embarrassing as you sound.

I bought my 1999 Cougar in 2000 with 10k miles. Now with 100k+.

Normal problems except for the consistently annoying one that seems like it can't be fixed because no one knows how: the engine light has been on for years. Is it the cat converter? Is it the O2 sensor? Do I just need to get a good piece of electrical tape to put over the engine light?

This problem has cost me over $3000 as I try to pass the emissions tests in each new state I move to (so far, CT and MD). Fortunately, MD has a cap on how much I have to spend before I receive a waiver, and it is only going to cost $450 every 2 years.

Would love to know how to fix that engine light problem -- been to three shops including Firestone and two competent independent shops. Firestone told me they didn't know what else they could do, so do not to come back.

Otherwise, I enjoy my Cougar.

After reading all these comments I feel like I am joining an AA meeting..

I too have a 1999 Mercury Cougar, red, V6, 2.5L, 5 speed. It has 171,000 miles on it and it is still kicking. My check engine light has been on since a few days after I purchased it in January 2006 with 98,000 miles on it. I didn't have a clue how to drive it and I had drove Chevy Cavaliers before it. I absolutely love my Cougar! I have had issues with tires, and wheel bearings, and I just replaced the rear struts. I haven't done anything more than once and everything I have done has come with regular maintenance.

It was a lot of power going from a 4 cylinder car to a 6 cylinder stick. I paid for it too. I had my first speeding ticket withing the second week of owning this car and two more within the first six months.

This car has been worth every penny of the $3,900 I paid for it. I love driving it and I love learning to work on it.

I also have a 99 Cougar White / 5 speed / dual exhaust / tinted windows / Rockfer Fosgate system. 135,000 miles.

I have two problems. One it is really hard to put into first or reverse, and when over 1k RPMs, all the lights dim and come back up, then dim and come back up, almost like a strobe light. Anyone know a way to fix these problems? I'd love to know.

I bought my Cougar in 04' with 50k. Now, it has about 100k. Honestly, I have had many of the same problems listed above. I don't mind putting money into a USED car. That is to be expected. However, what bugs me are the problems that noone seems to be able to find OR fix. The Engine Light and the Coolant Light have been on in my vehicle pretty much since I have owned it. It was never really a problem until last year when my car started idling funny. It started out as a small problem, but the colder it got, the worse it got (I live in Ohio). Below freezing, and you may as well forget having a safe ride, because it will sputter and jolt and act crazy. I have actually been thrown out into traffic several times. Or, worse, I turn into traffic and then all of a sudden, the car no longer wants to go. WTH??? Anyone know what this is? I always say that my car has a mind of it's own! ha!

I have loved my car, but it definitely has its problems. I will say the drive is usually pretty good, and the interior is immaculate (Mercury did a good job with this).

Well, needless to say, the car is soon to be paid off and that is when I intend to slap a for sale sign right in the window so that someone else can try to figure out what the heck is wrong with it :(

PS: When my car idles funny, I often lose many of my power options like brakes and steering. I am a small girl and it takes all the force I have to stomp on those brakes and get them to work when it's cold.

I'm a mechanic and have had my cougar for awhile and I bought it cheap because it had the check engine light on and I only had to spend around 100 on it because it needed a mass air-flow sensor and an oxygen sensor. now the car runs great. on thing wrong is the sunroof don't work...suprise..suprise!!!