Faults:

The trunk won't stay open when you try to remove items; you have to have someone hold it up for you.

The windshield wiper motor won't work, and then when repaired, won't stop working, you have to shut the engine off for them to stop! I was told they cost $750 to replace and must be purchased through the dealership.

The brakes needed to be replaced, but at 143,000 miles that is not bad. Normal wear and tear stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary for any vehicle really.

The paint faded a bit, and my seat got a hole in it, but that was my fault for parking it outside and wearing jeans with buttons on them! This has nothing to do with any fault of the car!

General Comments:

The car got great mileage, little maintenance actually, just keeping up with what is recommended and regular oil changes.

I bought this lovely little sporty car in 1998, it is 1999, and I loved driving it!

There is virtually no room to sit in the backseat, although my husband could get in and he is six foot 3 inches, but not a comfortable ride in the back seat!

It is a cute car, I loved the way it looked, I like the interior, it handled GREAT on the road, took corners easily and quickly, and best of all, was so easy to park.

A nice car to drive. I would still own it if it hadn't been totaled by a drunk driver!

Faults:

My brake drums were cracked and had to be replaced.

I've had to do a routine tune up, changed the spark plug wires, and get a new battery.

It is a bit rusty on the bottom by the doors and underside. But it also came from Oregon, so it is a bit understandable.

My check coolant light comes on and off as it pleases, as well as my check engine light. But, being that it is a Mercury, same makers as Ford, they are all known for having sensor problems.

General Comments:

This car has been on the go! From continuous trips to Seattle, and just my daily driving of 70+ miles from school to work.

I got the car when I was 15 years old, for my first car. It had 60,000 miles when I bought it, and it now currently has 118,000 miles. I haven't had really any problems with it except for one, and it is a big one! It does not like to stay running when it is 20 degrees or below.

Yes, the back seats are bucket seats and very uncomfortable to some, but what can you expect for a sports car?

I'm really surprised on the comments I've read about all the problems people seem to have. I have not had really any problems except for it not liking the cold. That is 20 degrees. It starts fine, but it idles really low to the point that it dies. And it does not stay started unless my foot is on the gas pedal. I don't understand why this is, and if anyone has the same problem or knows why it does this, please fill me in!

renee_lilmodel@hotmail.com

Faults:

I have owned my 1999 Mercury Cougar for 3 years. I still own it.

I bought it in September of 2007. I have put 53000 miles on it. It had 143000 miles on it when I bought it, and now has 196000 miles.

Prior work to me owning it included, a used 75k miles replacement engine, and a clutch. Possibly more.

Parts I have replaced include AC compressor and AC clutch, 2 heater blower motors, exhaust mufflers and tubing, alternator, 2 batteries, 16 tires, several power window switches, 1 serpentine drive belt, 1 serpentine belt tensioner, radiator hoses that have 2 t sections needed replacement. I built a metal pipe / tube system for better reliability.

Problems the car has had and still has.

1. Service engine light on with many codes.

2. AC small leak that cannot be found so far.

3. Electric drain that stays on when car is turned off.

4. Driver's seat will not recline forward.

5. Rear sway bar rubber bushings tear and fall out.

6. Ignition locked up and needed to be broken open.

7. Performance varies from great to fair for ??? reasons.

8. Engine has a small oil leak that drips over the pan and exhaust etc. I cannot isolate the leak.

9. Rear seat is uncomfortable for everyone; children and adults.

10. The car needs an alignment, and wears the front tires very unevenly.

11. The car had a Viper car alarm installed. I took it out. The car flashes the passenger lights and honks through the passenger rear speaker sporadically. Very strange???

12. Trunk electric opening switch works but trunk does not unlatch.

13. Front spoiler cracked and fell off, although the bolts still remained in the fenders.

14. The transaxle has a grind going into 3rd gear, therefore I rarely use third gear. It was like this when I bought it.

And lots of other small things as well.

I have added many things to the car, including:

1. Regular oil changes using synthetic oil 5-30.

2. The transmission gets dextron 4, a complete change every 15,000 miles.

3. Aftermarket air intake with a K&N filter.

4. Complete custom built exhaust with a flex pie and twin Hyabusa rear motor cycle mufflers.

5. Water piping steel piece going to the radiator and the engine.

6. Lots of Freon 134, due to an AC leak that no one has found so far.

Despite the problems, the car has not let me stranded anywhere. No major breakdowns for 53000 miles.

I really like the car. It has got me to and from work, and out of town regularly. 53000 miles in around 3 years. It looks great and rides smooth still. I have had a lot of cars, and this has been one of the better ones. I owned a lot of higher mileage garbage that was always breaking down and leaving me stranded.

This car has been a blessing, though many may think that with my problems with it, make it a bad car.

It has been the second best car I have owned out of around 30 cars so far.

I would recommend a car like this for only a mechanically skillful person though. It is not a good car for your mom, most girlfriends, wives or young people who do not know about basic car mechanics and troubleshooting problems.

To own and enjoy these cars, you need to be mechanically inclined or have enough money to pay someone who is to fix them.

A lot of the smaller problems; I just let them be. The car still runs, and gets me and my family around safe and reliably for now. Likely though, in a year or two, I will need another new used car, or maybe a new new one.

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to list their experiences with their Cougars here. I hope my experience may help someone, or be enjoyable for someone to read.