Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury cougar. The contact stated that once the fuel level reached a half tank of gasoline, the vehicle hesitated and loss motive power with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact stated that the trans axle and check engine warning lights were illuminated. Columbia ford lincoln hyundai (700 7th ave, longview, wa 98632) was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not subjected to a recall. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Mercury Cougar fuel gauge problems
12 of the 1,673 owner complaints about the Mercury Cougar describe wrong fuel gauge reading, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 12
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical mileage
- 67,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20023
- 20011
- 20004
- 19994
Often reported together
Stalling 4Fuel pump 4Hesitation 3Check engine light 2Grinding brakes 2Engine failure 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercury cougar. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle became hesitant to acceleration attempts before stalling. The check engine light illuminated after the failure occurred. The contact was able to restart the vehicle as it returned to normal function. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic and located the failure at the fuel pump. The mechanic advised that the fuel pump was not receiving the correct fuel level. The failure mileage was 88,700 and the current mileage was 88,800.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercury cougar. The contact stated that his extended warranty was cancelled on his fuel pump because the vehicle was reconstructed. When he placed a full tank of gasoline in the vehicle, the fuel gauge dial would not go past the halfway mark. The dealer stated that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. They further stated that the title was reconstructed because the vehicle was previously destroyed. Due to this, they would not perform any repairs on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 133,650.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the engine stalls causing all the lights on the dash to illuminate. Additionally the speedometer, gas gauge and odometer become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealership but because it was purchased as is they will not inspect it.
6 months after I bought the car I noticed that after fueling that the fuel gauge still stayed on empty after a while it corrected itself but after that now everytime that I put fuel in the car it registers either empty or only half full. The dealership told me that cougars are known for theri fuel pump problems. Upon further inspection of the car they stated that they could find nothing wrong and to watch and not overfill the tank. To this day the fuel gauge is still wrong. After that the paint on the hood of the car started peeling. I took it to the dealership and after some harsh words and weeks of waiting they took it in and repainted the hood which now is a slightly different color that the rest of the car. Then 6 months after that the car started hesitating on acceleration and would spit and splutter and quit in the middle of the road. I took it to the dealership and they put it on the machine and found that a component in the computer was out so they replaced it. Then one day as I was driving it my break pedal went almost all the way to the floor. I almost hit several cars trying to get it stopped I had it taken to a nearby garage and I had no break pads on the front or the back of the car also I had to have my rotors replaced( which is not covered by a warranty) however, there was no grinding no warning, nothing to indicate that a car with only 20,000 miles on it would have brake problems. After those were fixed I was driving to class one evening in heavy rush hour traffic and turned to into a parking lot my steering wheel immediately made this loud popping noise and locked to the left and sent me into a 360 degree spin into a crowded parking lot. I had the car towed to the dealership where it now sits unable to drive because the steering wheel and front wheels are locked to the left with no explanation of why it happened.
Gas gauge has erratic operation (sometimes sticks on e or f and never accurate). Car has hesitation. Dealer indicated it was the fuel delivery module. Ford/mercury issued recall in may 2004 on fuel delivery module for this reason. My car was not in the recall and ford will not offer any assistance to have it repaired (approx $480 repair).
While driving at any speed, when fuel level was at 1/4 full vehicle stalled. Currently, when the fuel tank level is at 1/2 full the vehicle still stalls. A technical service bulletin was issued concerning this problem. *ak the vehicle would run out of gas when there was 1/4-1/2 tank of gas. *sc
While driving at any speed and when the fuel level was at 1/4 full, the vehicle stalled. Currently when the fuel level is 1/2 full, the vehicle continued to stall. A technical service bulletin was issued concerning this problem. *ak the vehicle would not restart until it was filled with gas. This problem occurred at any speed on all road types. (this problem also applied to the consumers second vehicle which the same make/model/year, VIN# [xxx], with the odometer reading of 60k miles) *sc *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
With the vehicle running fuel gauge failed. Consumer did not know how much fuel the vehicle had. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Problems with odometer, gas gauge, turn signals,windows, radio, hazard lights, air bag lights, speedometer.*mr. The mileage and clock were no longer visible. A new battery and alternator were installed prior to the incident. The sun roof leaked constantly and was also fixed prior to the incident. The battery and wrench light were constantly illuminated. This vehicle had been repaired over and over again. Consumer had to exit and barely made it home when she entered the driveway, the vehicle completely died. *ph. The air condition was not cold enough, the cigarette lighter was broke, the brakes made a grinding noise, the door locks/latches were inoperative, and the vehicle had a transmission leak.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, contamination of the filter in the fuel delivery module (fdm) can reduce, and eventually block, the flow of fuel to the engine.
- Risk
- This may cause engine hesitation, loss of power, surging, and other similar symptoms. Over time, the filter may become sufficiently blocked to cause the engine to stall, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. All owners will be notified of the problem, and dealers will replace the fdm with a new design at no charge if the owner reports that the vehicle exhibits any of the identified symptoms. The free replacement will be available for a period of 10 years following the original purchase of the vehicle, with no mileage limit. The campaign began on april 16, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 04V421000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, district of columbia, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, maryland, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, wisconsin, and west virginia. Movement of the fuel lines causes the nylon fuel line jumper to chafe against the floor pan. This wear can cause a pin hole in the fuel line resulting in fuel leakage.
- Risk
- This fuel leakage results in dampness and fuel odor, and if an ignition source was present, a fire could result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a plastic convolute covering around the fuel lines. If the lines show a leak, the lines will be replaced first.
Recall number 97V159000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mercury Cougar fuel gauge
Which Mercury Cougar years have wrong fuel gauge reading problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (4 complaints), 2000 (4 complaints) and 2002 (3 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Mercury Cougar?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history