Faults:

I have replaced the alternator two or three times now, half due to manufacturer default and stereo overload.

The timing belt MUST be done on this car at the recommended miles, or you will be stranded somewhere.

The brakes have only been done once since I got the car - amazing!

The suspension is just shot, but I think I got used to it when I found out it is over a $100 a corner to fix...

Now after so many miles, the clutch is starting to slip bad, won't go much further. I think I will find another less used Cougar for the price of repairs.

General Comments:

I have really loved this car.

It has been extremely reliable and fun.

No one ever knows what kind of car it is, and that is amusing.

Faults:

When I first got the car, I brought it into my mechanic for an oil change, and he looked at it and told me that I needed to replace my belt tensioner ($130).

When I bought the car, I knew I was going to have to put new tires on, but had no idea they would be as expensive as they were. For a fairly low end set of tires, I paid $270 for only 2 front tires, I'm dreading the next 2 come winter.

I've noticed that when I accelerate hard to pass someone, my battery light turns on and I'm a little concerned about that, but right now I have other issues.

At 100950 my transmission went. I soon found out from about three different transmission shops that the transmissions on Cougars were just bad and they see tons of them each year. Couldn't afford to put a new one in, so I had to get mine rebuilt. $2,030.00 later I've got a car that runs, but is bound to have more problems.

General Comments:

The handling on this car is AMAZING for lack of a better word. I live in a back-road windy area and have yet to find a car that can beat me through a fairly bendy 5 mile stretch of road, and I mean I've raced some fast cars (1999 Ford Mustang, 2000 Monte Carlo, and the one I'm most impressed about was a 2003 Monte Carlo SS). None of those are slow cars, and I had them all by hundreds of feet. There just isn't a car out there that the average person can afford, that can handle half as well as the Cougar. Cudos to Mercury for that one.

After reading all these reviews, I wish I would have seen them sooner before I bought my car, but what can I do, I can't afford to buy a new car, so I'm stuck praying my Cougar is the strongest in the pack.

Faults:

Something happened w/the air conditioner/belt that caused the car to not start at all, had to get towed to dealer at a price tag over $900 only 3 months after "new/used" purchase.

Brakes completely rusted and had to be replaced after about 60,000 miles.

Sunroof stopped working after about 45,000 miles which pissed me off since it's one of the main reasons I bought the car : (

Wheel alignment went (don't know if was my fault or not) But caused those 4 very expensive tires to be replaced AGAIN.

Passenger side window will go down, but will not go back up.

Check engine light sporadically on.

Wrench at the top on since 40,000 miles.

Shocks/struts/suspension out of whack.

Something in the back causes a great noise whenever I go over a bump.

And my turn signal stopped working, had to get the computer replaced because it was "Corroded" and the mechanic said it was bound to happen again...ugh.

General Comments:

I love the look, it's comfortable and very cute. I have the whole package on my car, 6 cd changer, leather seats, bucket seats, power sunroof, spoiler, power everything, I love it. But really...I'm ready for a brand new car that might not be as cute. It doesn't run so softly anymore and Really I've had problems since I bought it at 3 years old.