Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. While driving 30 MPH, the front passenger side crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The road conditions were normal. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed. The driver was transported via ambulance to the emergency room. She was not wearing a seat belt and sustained a head injury and received stitches to her lip. The current and failure mileages were 86,000. *updated 12/12/2007 the consumer wants to know was there a malfunction with the air bags? Updated 12/12/07
My daughter hit the back of a school bus in May of 2006 in which the air bags did not deploy. Last night she barely scraped her rim on a curb and both air bags went off and cracked the windshield. This must have been faulty air bags from the start because they should have went off in the front end collision she had, and should not of released when she hit her rim on a curb.
Driving car to class last week, recently bought it within the past year. Was pulling into a parking spot in a parking garage going maybe 5 MPH. Was creeping up into the spot and the airbags deployed out of nowhere, cracking my windshield and getting smoke and an awful smell into my car. I also will be wearing a wrist brace for the next 6 weeks due to an injury that the airbags caused.
Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle's airbags did not deploy after hitting an embankment and flipping over on its top. The vehicle was traveling 55 MPH when the vehicle was swerved to avoid hitting a deer, which caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. One person was injured and a police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled, according to the tow truck driver. The dealer has not been alerted.
My daughter was driving my 2000 Mercury Cougar on September 25 ,2006. When another vehicle went through a stop sign &they collided. She hit him with her front end & then proceeded to swerve head on into a telephone pole . So this makes two front end collisions & the air bags never deployed. In fact she had another accident in sept 2003 where a car went through a red light and hit her,but that was a side impact & again this air bag did not deploy. So this has been three incidents that this air bag did not deploy & this past one on Monday was front end collision & my daughter has damage to her chest & rib cage , which could have been avoided if the air bags worked properly!
On my drive home from work on Friday 7/12/2013 at approximately 3:30 pm the airbag on the driver side deployed for no apparent reason. This was on a 1999 Mercury Cougar that my family purchased new. The VIN is [redacted]. I called and spoke with [redacted] at Ford and he stated there was nothing Ford could do. He suggested I call my insurance company...I don't understand why my insurance company would be concerned with a flaw in a Ford product. I hope you will understand that I am scared to drive this car at this point. Will one of three remaining air bags deploy for no apparent reason? To be told to contact my insurance company is not acceptable. I am a very reasonable person but will not be taken advantage of. My expectation are simple: Ford needs to have this car towed to a dealer. The drivers side seat needs to be repaired or replaced. …
I got in my car one day after work in the parking lot and started my car and my airbag light was on. It stayed on for three days and is no longer on. It seems like no one wants to take account or provide solutions for the problem. Everytime I roll up my windows, my lights dim as if the battery is dying. My windshield wiper control doesn't shut off and im not able to change the speed.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Cougar years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (31), 2000 (17), 2002 (7) and 2001 (6) model years. Airbag complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Mercury Cougar airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for any Mercury Cougar model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercury Cougar airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles; 20% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (35 mentions), followed by the side/window (2).
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.