AI Damage1997 Mercury Cougar: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mercury Cougar filed 76 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 76
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 39% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 5% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 30 complaints (39% of all).
- Service brakes: 11 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 10 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 8 complaints (11% of all).
- Suspension: 6 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 cyl
- 4.6 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 4 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 76 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Brake line corroded by battery acid and broke, resulting in a sudden loss of brake function and subsequent collision with vehicle that stopped ahead. Brake combination valve located in front of battery.
Both air bags failed to deploy. Can nhtsa help in this matter or provide further infomation.
On 5/19/2004 I had to have towed and replace defective cracked plastic intake manifold on a 1997 mercury xr7 cougar and hadn't been previously informed of any recalls then recently I had to replace yet another defective manifold (2nd car ) this shop informed me of a class action that I should have been informed of…
Fuel was noted leaking from fuel lines just aft of the passenger side door. Upon further investigation, fuel was seem running down the fuel lines and side of fuel tank. Leak was caused by fuel lines chaffing through on top of tank. Car had 51,000 miles on it.
Ignition failed to turn with key. Put lubricant (wd-40) in hole and tapped with hammer until key turned.
Ford headlights: cloudy lenses: ford made autos have plastic lenses/headlights that cloud up over time, within 5 years to 10 years, that limit effectiveness of the headlights at night. I personally have hit curbs and narrowly missed pedestrians etc due to inability to see them at night due to low headlight brightness.
Around july 1, 2001, the intake manifold on the car cracked causing it to overheat. I had the car fixed, not knowing there was a recall on these intake manifolds. In march of 2004, I found the recall letter sent to me by lincoln mercury.
Car overheating and risk of burning up the engine. 3. Replaced "plastic" manifold,coolant,thermostat and gasket. This manifold was a class action lawsuit against ford motor company that I contacted after the incident and was told my vin did not fall into the category. I now looked it up and it certainly does.
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 4,234 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cougar has 73 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 76, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system 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 199292 sources
- Cougar 1993195 sources
- Cougar 1994137 sources
- Cougar 1995109 sources
- Cougar 199662 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 1997 Mercury Cougar?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, service brakes, powertrain. Total complaints: 76. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (9%), overheating, coolant loss (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.