AI Damage1992 Mercury Cougar: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Mercury Cougar filed 92 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 92
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 29% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 27 complaints (29% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 18 complaints (20% of all).
- Fuel system: 9 complaints (10% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 8 complaints (9% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 7 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.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 92 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 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.
The force of the cross bars snapping, knocked the backseat completely out of place. If a child had been in the car, they would not have stood a chance of survival because of all the items in the trunk slamming into the passenger area.
While traveling gas pedal became stuck, causing consumer to run into another vehicle. Please provide further information.
While traveling gas pedal stuck, causing consumer to run into another vehicle. Please provide further information.
Vehicle was involved in a collision and the passenger was thrown to the front of the vehicle before the seat belt retacted and pulled her back which caused the belt to twist her neck. The seat belt never fit correctly it, always came across the neck.
Twice the gas petal has gotten stuck and the car accelerated to high speed which caused an accident. Please describe details. Tt
Headlights go out unexpectedly while driving at night, sometimes will blink back on and sometimes not. Very dangerous with oncoming traffic. Must pull over and wait extended periods of time to continue driving.
The contact stated that the driver side seat belt retractor would remain stuck and the seat belt warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned that in the event of a crash, the seat belt would fail to secure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
Faulty ignition switch causing shorts and sparks. Effecting turn signals, blower motor and other elc. Ford advised me that my vehicle was involved with a 1996 recall for the switch and that it was serviced and replaced. Yea - replaced with a faulty one! Ford rep. Said the replacement switch is out of warranty.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,758 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cougar has 73 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 92, above average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Cougar 198417 sources
- Cougar 198510 sources
- Cougar 198613 sources
- Cougar 198733 sources
- Cougar 198855 sources
- Cougar 198981 sources
- Cougar 199086 sources
- Cougar 199173 sources
- Cougar 1993195 sources
- Cougar 1994137 sources
- Cougar 1995109 sources
- Cougar 199662 sources
- Cougar 199776 sources
- Cougar 1999454 sources
- Cougar 2000211 sources
- Cougar 200182 sources
- Cougar 200295 sources
- Cougar 99994 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Mercury Cougar?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 92. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (29%), seat belts (5%), smoke, burning smell, fire (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 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 1992 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 1992 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.