Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Mercury Cougar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have always had my car washed and rust proofed during the winter ever 2 weeks. Last December the paint under the bottom of both the drivers and passenger doors started having the paint bubble up on both rocker panels. It started bubbling up then curling and the pain started coming off. Ive seen many other cougars with this same problem and feel it is due to a defect in the paint that was used or something missing from the paint job that was done
I own a 1999 Mercury Cougar. I just bought the car in January of 2003 with 32,000 miles on the car. Two weeks after purchasing the car the alternator died, which is a common problem with this car, and the dealership replaced the alternator. But two or three weeks after that, my power sunroof broke, which is also a very common problem, and because the car was not under warranty anymore it cost me over $1200.00 with labor to fix. I have since learned that there are many Cougar owners that have had the sunroof break because the 1999 and 2000 cougars were made with plastic rails that easily break. The 2001 and 2002 cougars were made with metal rails and work fine. …
When car was purchased was not told that the uinbody rail was cut away over suspension/mtr.crossmember mount. Found this info out when we had a minor accident with damange to the right front .have been trying to get this resolved sence 1/02 and jack garrett refuses to do anything just kept giving me a run around.this car should of never been sold it is unsafe and illiegal to sell with the frame being cut and a piece welded to make it fit,the rail is rusting. We have had several problems with this car it has been a lie from date of purchase ex. Was told had great breaks got it to fl. Had no brakes 343.00 I have several receipts for one repair after another.have pictures of the unibody,certfied letter to jack garrett,phone bills where I have called him letting him know of all the problems and lies he told us.
1999 Mercury Cougar leaks water into hatch area directly onto the interior exposed electrical wiring and connections for tail lights and hatch release. Dealership cannot determine source of leak and therefore cannot repair. Mercury will not release blueprints of sheet metal layout to help in determining where water leak might be originating. Neither did Mercury cover diagnosis and will not cover repair even if problem source was identified. Significant water inside the vehicle and directly on exposed electrical components could easily result in a catastrophic fire hazard and loss of life.
Sunroofs on the 1999 to 2001 Mercury cougars seem to break with alot of frequency. One day they seem to work and then for no reason they break. Included is a website with other owners that have had the same problem. Ford/Mercury says it's not their problem even when it seems to be a design flaw of using plastic tracks for the sunroof. Here's a link to the site with complaints http://www.cougarsunroof.com/
I am the original owner of a 1999 Mercury Cougar automatic v6. I have never been in an accident with the vehicle, but continue to have mechanical problems. Like other 1999 ' 2000 Mercury Cougar owners I worry about the safety of driving a vehicle with more problems than can cost effectively be fixed. My list of broken items include the radio, power window regulator, o2 sensors, transmission at 59,000 miles, dashboard lights (low coolant and check engine), door/window leaky seal issues, engine misfire (decreased acceleration) and now my cruise control and turn signals do not work. Upon researching the recall for cruise control fires dealing with Ford products I found that I am among other disgruntled Cougar owners. Ford/Mercury or Ford technicians have not done a satisfactory job letting owners know of recalls that need attention. …
Passenger's seat will not lock in place unless seat is positioned all way to the back closely to rear seat . Consumer states the seat if unlocked and moved foward will only relock when pushed all the way to the rear, then seat can be adjusted and locked from any position, the problem is that you can not lock the seat if anything is placed behind the seat, in trying to lock the seat consumer states she has the crush her grandchild's feet in the car seat, consumer states there is a strong to light gasoline odor, also gas pedal will stick in up position and need strong push to release, door locks automaticcalylock and unlock at any time, the locks were finally replaced and consumer was given an extended warranty, consumer states radio goes out and the display disappears when it is hot.
The plastic sunroof transport mechanism has broken for the second time during the life of this car (I am the only owner). The first incident occurred early in my ownership and was covered under warranty. Dealership that fixed it the first time has refused to fix it again citing a 12 month warranty. This problem is a well known design defect in the 1999 and 2000 model year Mercury cougars and was addressed in the 2001 model year design. The cost for replacement parts is unconscionable considering the facts regarding this well known problem. I believe that clear knowledge of these issues of the Ford motor company and the industry as a whole should have necessitated a recall long prior to this and because there isn't a recall I am filing this complaint.
Mechanical problems with 1999 Mercury Cougar. The vehicle died in the middle of traffic on three occasions. There were alternator and fuel problems. The consumer requested a credited amount of funds and reimbursement for the battery, brakes and additional expenses. Other problem are as followed: the new wheels were defective (corroded and frozen), the brake sensor snapped off of the wheel, the cd player was skipping, the hatch would not release properly, the steering wheel would shake, the keyless entry with anti-theft was inoperative, there was rough idle, the transmission shifter would stick, the cup holder did not shut, the hood would not open, and the lights would dim and or brighten while the vehicle was in motion.
While standing outside of vehicle with windows rolled down when door closed and automatically locked. Consumer noted this was not a feature of vehicle. Key failed to unlock the door, consumer reached inside vehicle to manually unlock door. Dealer stated if a new alarm system was put in to replace the old one, problem might be corrected. Air conditioner turns on and off. Radio will not come on at times. Motor will die out. Alarm went off, door lock by themselves. Key will not crank vehicle at times. Vehicle jumped and jerked almost hitting consumers sister who was standing in front of the vehicle.
Body complaints in other Cougar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1999 Mercury Cougar?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the body & structure of the 1999 Mercury Cougar, 7% of the model year's 454 complaints. The component named most often is body › trunk lid (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Mercury Cougar body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1999 Mercury Cougar, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Mercury Cougar body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.