Most common 1999 Mercury Cougar problems
Share of the 454 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Cougar complaints by model year
Best Cougar years: 1996, 2001, 1997. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 1995. Compare all years →
1999 Mercury Cougar recalls (7)
Fuel system, gasoline
On certain passenger vehicles, contamination of the filter in the fuel delivery module (fdm) can reduce, and eventually block, the flow of fuel to the engine.
Remedy: This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. All owners will be notified of the problem, and dealers will replace the fdm with a new design at no charge if the…
Electrical system
On certain my 1996-1998 passenger vehicles built at the kansas city, cuautitlan assembly plants or on my 1999 passenger vehcles built at the automotive alliance international assembly plants, the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness. Owner notification began August 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l v6 engines. The battery cable was misrouted and its attachment to the alternator cable was under-torqued. If misrouted, the cable could contact the power steering line and the insulation could wear, resulting in an electrical short.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the battery cable to the alternator for damage and, if it is damaged, will replace the cable. Additionally, the routing of the cable will be corrected, as necessary, and a routing clip will be…
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake lamp switch terminals could overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new stop lamp extension harness with bronze terminals at the brake lamp switch connector, and also inspect the brake lamp switch for signs of overheating and replace, as required.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles not equipped with the anti-lock braking system (ABS). A pressure conscious reducing valve (pcrv) in the rear brakes May be subject to corrosion and result in malfunction, when operated in areas that use salt compounds on the roadway for de-icing or dust control.
Remedy: Dealers will install improved pcrv's in the rear brake system. This recall was expanded in September 2000 to include 1999 and 2000 Ford contour, Mercury mystique and cougar vehicles.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The door latch May have been manufactured with a latch pawl that has a coating which will swell in high humidity conditions. The latch pawl May then stick in the open or unlatched position.
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised side door latch.
Show 1 more recall
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The accelerator cable May have been manufactured with a burr on or near the end of the cable sleeve interior. This burr could fray the core wire resulting in the accelerator not returning to idle when the accelerator is released.
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised accelerator cable that has a flared conduit sleeve end and molded on end fitting.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1999 Mercury Cougar:
Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness
There is no summary currently available
What 1999 Mercury Cougar owners say
Electrical system all 99 →
To whom it May concern: (management) I was driving on a residential street and was honked at by another driver who told me that my brakes lights were not working. I had a friend of mine that is a certified repair person look at it and he said it wasn't the light or the fuse or the brake switch under the pedal and that he was 95% sure it was the stop lamp extension harness that has bronze terminals at the brake lamp switch connector. I bought this car in 2004 and under a recall had the blower switch resistor repaired under the recall. The reason the recalls for this car are not showing up is because the recalls are more than 15 years old & they don't keep track after that. I have never had this problem with this car before but I have had over $9,000 worth of repairs on it since I've owned it not including the normal oil changes and tune up. …
1999 Cougar battery connection problems or something faulty. Sometimes while I'm driving my car just goes dead. It's done that a lot lately. I now have a new battery but the same thing happens and I'm scared when it happens on the freeway . Tonight I was driving on the freeway and it went dead! I had no lights , I had no tail lights,no head lights ,no blinkers and no emergency lights and the car close behind me had to slam on breaks cause there was no emergency lane, no side of the road just a guard rail! I was in the middle of the road . Brand new battery just goes dead like it did many times on the older battery it's not the alternator either...something is not making a connection. …
Brakes all 77 →
To whom it May concern: (management) I was driving on a residential street and was honked at by another driver who told me that my brakes lights were not working. I had a friend of mine that is a certified repair person look at it and he said it wasn't the light or the fuse or the brake switch under the pedal and that he was 95% sure it was the stop lamp extension harness that has bronze terminals at the brake lamp switch connector. I bought this car in 2004 and under a recall had the blower switch resistor repaired under the recall. The reason the recalls for this car are not showing up is because the recalls are more than 15 years old & they don't keep track after that. I have never had this problem with this car before but I have had over $9,000 worth of repairs on it since I've owned it not including the normal oil changes and tune up. …
This is the second time I filed a complaint, I have heard nothing back ! I started having problems with the braking system its bumping the gas pedal up and down when trying to stop which in turn caused me to be in a car crash in December 2006 in clinton county, ohio. There is a recall and it needs to be fixed asap~! I also feel that someone should contact my home phone listed on contact form and let me know what's going on with this mess~! You can drive the dumb car and see what I am talking about for all I care, just please contact me either by phone or by email at least . Thank you very much for your time.
Engine & cooling all 70 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Mercury Cougar. While driving approximately 5 MPH approaching a stop, the vehicle idled and stalled without warning. In addition, the speedometer fluctuated. The failure recurred, especially when the heater was activated. The contact would have to turn the ignition key in order for the vehicle to turn back on and be able to be driven again. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
1999 Mercury Cougar seat back failure during rear-end collision. Cougar stalled on busy freeway ending in rear totaled car collision. The driver's seat went completely down and upon seats in the backseat. This was two defects. Injuries were neck and back pains, three bumps to the head resulting in two black eyes. My advice to all 1999 Cougar owners-get rid of the car, by way of junkyard-this is an extremely dangerous vehicle and one will not know until an accident happens.
1999 Mercury Cougar engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 31 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Mercury Cougar a good car?
Based on 454 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Cougar rates avoid: 5.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cougar at the same age. It is one of the Cougar years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mercury Cougar?
The electrical system — 99 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about 12v/24v/48v battery › cables. Next are the brakes (77) and engine & cooling (70).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mercury Cougar have?
There are 7 recalls for the 1999 Mercury Cougar, the most recent from August 30, 2004 (fuel system, gasoline). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercury Cougar?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1996, 2001 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000 and 1995. See the full Mercury Cougar years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Mercury Cougar problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 28% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.