Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Mercury Cougar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The vehicle, 2000 Mercury Cougar, begins jerking as it is being driven at any speed, and results in complete shut down of engine. Sometimes the engine will restart after waiting several minutes, and will not restart at times; requiring towing. I took the vehicle to the local dealer, and an employee stated that it was known by the manufacturer to be a design flaw in that year vehicle. Another employee took him to the side and scoulded him for the disclosure. They would not discuss it further, even though I continued to question what they were doing to correct this known defect in workmanship. To this day the vehicle continued to repeat the same failure. I had the fuel filter replaced twice. Finally a mechanic replaced the cam shaft sensor (he stated that he had seen this problem with the car many times) and knew that was the problem. …
I have a 2000 Mercury Cougar that once warmed up accelerates 3000 to 3500 RPM and will not slow down until I come to a dead stop. I had it in for this problem at least 6 times and they can't fix it. I called the Ford/Mercury service hot line to see if something could be done about this. When I called about this I thought that a Mercury rep. Would get a hold of the car dealership were I got the car (johnson Ford Lincoln/ Mercury in pittsfield, ma) and then get a hold of me. I called in jan. Thats not what happened, when I called I found out that johnson Ford told them, they did not experience the problem. That's an out right lie. Dom kellog head of johnson service drove it and experienced it and on another time one of the mechanics riding with me also experienced it. What can I do about this. …
Sickly sweet smell when air conditioner on. Initially checked for possible fluid leakage from air conditioner. That was not it. Later traced to toxic mold in a trapped area of the air conditioning path. Dealer sprayed in fungicide which worked for a short while. On one occasion I got out of the car and into the house and could smell this sickly sweet smell on my breath. The day after I started coughing and it took 3 months of intensive medical to get it cleaned up. Then I got another whiff and started coughing again. I discover this is a known problem, but not admitted. Volvo runs a special drying cycle in their air conditioning to avoid this mold problem. I also hear Mercedes has a similar problem.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that the fuel pump failed on her vehicle. Ford informed her that a recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The contact went to the corporate Ford office and was informed that the repair had not been performed. She also stated that the engine occasionally stalled and one of the struts failed during a test drive at 60 MPH. The vehicle was eventually towed. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 110,125 and failure mileage was 110,000.
This car has intermittently shut down in traffic at 70 MPH, also will not start from time to time. Very unreliable transportation. Incredibly poor choice of vehicle. Key has electronic chip in it which malfunctions. Key replaced once under warranty; went bad again. Costs $400 to replace.
While driving 55 MPH driver heard a loud knocking noise coming from the front. Driver noticed fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. Driver took vehicle to a garage for inspection, and mechanic determined that intake manifold needed to be replaced.
Vehicle will stall and then lose power while driving or hesitating. Then jerk forward while idling. There is no warning when either of these failures occur. The fuel pump/massive flow sensor were replaced twice, but failures recurred.
The vehicle would stall during driving at various speeds. Within two days that I received the vehicle it stalled. Electricals intact. Mileage 102. Dealer said most likely bad gas, call if happens again. At just over 7000 miles sometime in March it started bucking and then stalled at highway speed. After fifteen minutes it restarted. I was very dangerous situation as I was stuck on the span of a major bridge with no place to go.. For three weeks the dealership attempted to find the problem and finally blamed a fuel pump. One week later, at 55 MPH, the car engine shut off with no warning, electricals appeared to work. Car restarted about one minute later on first try. Dealership blamed air conditioner, except I had not used air conditioner in the previous six months. They never figured it out and could not duplicate. …
Dt: 2000 Mercury Cougar. The consumer found recall 01V031000 for the electric battery and alternator. The battery has been replaced three times in the last week, and the alternator has been replaced once. However, problem recurred. . When she contacted Mercury they stated this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN. The vehicle will start. But when she turned on the air conditioner or radio the vehicle stalled. Both the battery and alternator have been checked to see if they were the problem. Two mechanics stated the battery and alternator were fine. It was an electrical problem. The emission system light on the vehicle kept coming on. Ford stated they knew of this problem and that could be checked.
Problems with odometer, gas gauge, turn signals,windows, radio, hazard lights, air bag lights, speedometer. The mileage and clock were no longer visible. A new battery and alternator were installed prior to the incident. The sun roof leaked constantly and was also fixed prior to the incident. The battery and wrench light were constantly illuminated. This vehicle had been repaired over and over again. Consumer had to exit and barely made it home when she entered the driveway, the vehicle completely died. The air condition was not cold enough, the cigarette lighter was broke, the brakes made a grinding noise, the door locks/latches were inoperative, and the vehicle had a transmission leak.
Engine complaints in other Cougar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2000 Mercury Cougar?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2000 Mercury Cougar, 12% of the model year's 211 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Mercury Cougar engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2000 Mercury Cougar, though it has 3 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 2000 Mercury Cougar engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.