1986 Mercury Cougar: common problems

Owners of the 1986 Mercury Cougar filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 13

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 31% of all complaints
2 Seat belts 23% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 15% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
5 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
6 Seats 8% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
8 Structure 8% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 4 complaints (31% of all).
Seat belts: 3 complaints (23% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (15% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.3 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 3-speed
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 23%
seat belts2 · 15%
brake failure1 · 8%
A/C or heater1 · 8%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 8%
rust, corrosion1 · 8%
stalls while driving1 · 8%
windows, sunroof1 · 8%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Electrical system	4	0	0
Seat belts	3	0	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0	0
Engine and cooling	1	0	0
Fuel system	1	0	0
Seats	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Structure	1	0	0
Visibility	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Car overheats and has oil in radiator. Heater does not work. And very dim lighting on speedometer.
Vehicle speed control · 2004-11-10 · NHTSA complaint #10098640
The hood is held up with a thin metal rod and placed into a hole in the hood. There are several holes to put the rod into but only one is proper size and fit. If you are under the hood and you or someone else accidentally bumps the rod, then you will have your head or hands literally chopped off since the weight of…
Vehicle speed control · 2004-03-06 · NHTSA complaint #10060600
The bracket that hold the straps for the fuel tank rusted very badly, broke and the feul tank dropped while the car was moving/dragged and ripped a hole in the gas tank the sparks could have lit the gas on fire and potentaily could have killed my wife and son in the car.the rest of the car is in good shape very little…
Fuel system · 1999-06-12 · NHTSA complaint #707485
Vehicle does not contain safety glass on side windows, vehicle collision resulting in cuts to face due to glass.
Visibility · 1998-10-14 · NHTSA complaint #510891
Driver side seat track and anchors make clicking noise when in incline postion and falls back.
Seats · 1997-01-08 · NHTSA complaint #807320
Ignition switch has burning smell coming from under dash; kills battery.
Electrical system · 1996-05-16 · NHTSA complaint #984561
The vehicle caught on fire from the ignition area while driving. Please describe.
Electrical system · 1996-04-29 · NHTSA complaint #983740
The light for speedometer is out, cannot read speed day or night, creates potential for accident. Tt
Electrical system · 1995-07-26 · NHTSA complaint #969454

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19954
19964
19971
19981
19991
20042

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Cougar has 73 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1986 Mercury Cougar?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, seat belts, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (23%), seat belts (15%), brake failure (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 Mercury Cougar?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1986 Mercury Cougar from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1986 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.