Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
NHTSA campaign number:04V421000 manufacturer Ford motor company was driving on a main city st. My auto stopped with no power in the left lane of busy 4 lane st. Would not start in neutral or park, man pushed it into the ctr. Lane out of traffic area. Policeman came after I called 911, after a few minutes he suggested taking key out stepping on brake then inserting key back in ignition, did that and it started right up, and he followed me to my st. And I got safely home. Prior to this shut down incident it had stalled going down a hill however put it in neutral and it started up again. This incident could have caused a serious accident, prior to this incident it had been cutting out for a couple of months which I thought was cheap gas, so changed to tectron. …
I'm having the same issue with my 2002 Mercury Cougar as everyone else, but when I put my VIN number into the search, there are no recalls listed for it. I don't think that its right that my life be put in serious danger because of an apparent design issue. This car is losing all power and shutting down. It doesn't matter how fast you are going, it happens at all speeds. We thought the alternator was bad, had it replaced and the battery at the same time. The same day, the car lost all power again and died out going 60 MPH on the highway. All the gauges start going crazy and the lights dim and eventually everything including the car just quits. Mercury/Ford, needs to be responsible for this coffin that I'm trying to drive and fix the problem for me and everyone else for free. …
I am not sure who to contact with this, but I have already gone through my insurance company, and I am still a little upset about what happened. I owned a Mercury Cougar 2dr coupe 2001. One night I was alerted by a neighbor that my car was on fire. My father started putting water on the car, and I used a fire extinguisher to put the fire out. My insurance company had a claims representative come out and check the vehicle. They already sent me a check for what they say the vehicle was worth, and I am just not happy about it. I know that Ford had issues with cars catching on fire. I just don't see how the insurance company can cut me a check for the vehicle, and determine a cause, with only pictures. My car still sits in my driveway 2 weeks after the accident. The car was sitting parked in the driveway for roughly 8 hours before it caught on fire. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mercury Cougar. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. In addition, while driving, the vehicle stalled, the battery warning indicator illuminated, and the instrument panel gauges flickered. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The lights on the interior and exterior of my car have been flickering since I purchased the car from an individual a few years ago. Last week I smelled burning wires while driving and me and my husband pulled off the road and he investigated the problem as to where the smell was coming from. He noticed the battery cables were hot and melted insulation on them at the battery posts. Now instead of a flickering alternator light,headlights,and dash lights, I have an alternator light that stays on and everything else is still flickering. We took the car to a mechanic because the car quit running,apparently because the battery went dead. They replaced the battery and the alternator which cost me 320.00. I still have flickering lights and the alternator light is still on. …
My car stalled while in the middle of a busy intersection while in motion. Later find out that I need a new fuel pump. Was not aware it was under recall. Paid to have it fixed in July of 2009. Repair shop failed to put my VIN, mileage, and correct year of vehicle on invoice resulting in not being able to get my money back from Ford. Recall was good through January 31, 2010. My car once again stalled while at a stop light sparks and small flames when attempting to start after stalling. Electrical problem, and Ford is doing nothing about it. I replaced the battery and still no crank or clicking. Also listed as a recall. Spend $651.02 to have fuel pump fixed and now can't get my money back because repair shop did not fill out invoice correctly. Now will have to possibly pay over a $1,000.00 to fix the electrical issue... …
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. …
Related recalls (2)
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…
NHTSA investigations
Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness
There is no summary currently available
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Cougar years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (99), 2000 (63), 2001 (12) and 1995 (5) model years. Electrical complaints make up 22% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Mercury Cougar electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 01V-230 (electrical system, Jul 9, 2001); 01V-031 (cables, Feb 6, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Cougar electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles; 27% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the alternator/generator/regulator (33 mentions), followed by the 12v/24v/48v battery › cables (23).
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.