Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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 only owned this vehicle for about 4 months and have had many problems including brake lights not working and back wheel locking up. It was raining, I was driving down the freeway about 55 MPH and suddenly the power steering went out completely, the heat/defrost stopped working and my battery light came on. I just installed a brand new battery just 6 days before incident, although this isn't the first time the power steering went out while raining. This time it was extremely scary due to the high speed I was driving and because the heat stopped working my windows started to fog up quickly causing my visibility to be reduced dramatically while trying to use all my strength to steer the car around a curve without hitting another vehicle. As soon as I was able to see an exit I got off freeway and car died completely driving up the off ramp. …
Purchased car new, in 57000 miles we have had to replace, 2 alternators, 1 starter, 2 batteries, entire rack and pinion, power steering pump, transmission torque converter, 4 set of brakes, 4 sets of tires plus two individual tires all with sidewall blow outs except one puncture and 2 headlight switches, 2 cig lighters. The entire upper engine gasket set had to be replaced to get to an intake leak. The head lights and foglights work itermittantly, engine warning lights are constantly going on and off. Currently one headlight is out (lamp is good) fog lights are not working (today) and an engine warning light is indicating a problem again.
My car is a lemon. Have had a new engine put in it 2 times because the rods spun. I have had the brake lights "fixed" 3 times, the alternator replaced 3 times, new catalytic converters twice. New power steering. Transmission done 3 times. Theres definantly more I just cant think of alllllll my repairs on this 1999 Cougar. I bought it used and it has now 98000 miles cause I drive out of state.
Power rack and pinion leakage occurred and rack needed to be replaced. The warranty 3 yrs. Or 36,000 mi. Had expired according to dealer. $800.00 and 15 months later a "clunking" noise is coming from the steering wheel during parking maneuvers. Apparently, they only warranty the part for 12 months.
The engine will kill without any indications at high speeds of 50+ MPH. When attempt is made to hit the brakes or steer, they both lock up and that is when I discover that the car is dead. Luckily, I never needed to use my brakes or steering when it happened, I coasted through traffic while having to turn the ignition off and then on again. The dealership has had it for two weeks, they have had the vehicle fail for them, yet it still reads as if there is nothing wrong with it on all of their diagnostics. It is under warranty and Ford is not offering to replace or reimburse me for the automobile. They actually told me to come pick it up and drive it till it happened again. Should traffic had been slightly different when this happened to me, I could be dead, my baby could be dead and whomever I hit could be dead. Yet Ford is taking little responsibility for it.
5 months after purchasing this Cougar, there was a huge power steering leak. Called around for someone to fix it, but dealer was the only choice. We were told it could be a bad pump and that would cost $450 to fix. They called back and said the whole gear was bad and had to be replaced and would cost us $700. We had no choice but complained to the dealer that rack and pinion gear should not go bad on a 2 year old car. We also contacted Ford customer relations, who did nothing to help us. We want our money back. Dealer also failed to notify us of 5 outstanding recalls on this car. Then, 2 days after picking it up from steering being fixed electrical system shorted out and stranded our 19 year daughter at 2 in the morning. This is directly related to one of the recalled items. The dealer should have fixed this during the 3 days when they had the car .
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.
While still under warranty, power steering would fail after driving through any water, even very small puddles. Would hear screeching noise, power steering failed for 20 second or so, nearly crashed several times. Local dealer could not find a problem when I took in for repair. Recently, warranty expired, experienced complete failure of power steering. Power steering gear replaced for $1000. Still lost power steering in puddles after repair. Needs splash guard similar to Mercury mystique, see Mercury TSB 97-11-2 tech service bulletin. Severe safety hazzard! Should be recalled!!
Vehicle experiencing a momentary loss of steering when driving over a water puddle, and intermittently causing malfunction to instrument panel lights. Dealer / manufacturer notified, and unable to locate cause. Both side mirrors fell off. The cd and the radio are not operational. The radiator hose broke after 2 months of purchasing the vehicle. The back window wiper failed. The sun roof failed. This vehicle had numerous mechanical problems.
Steering complaints in other Cougar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1999 Mercury Cougar?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the steering of the 1999 Mercury Cougar, 4% of the model year's 454 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Mercury Cougar steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 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.