1992 MERCURY COUGAR Exterior Lighting Problems

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, SOMETIMES WILL BLINK BACK ON AND SOMETIMES NOT. VERY DANGEROUS WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. MUST PULL OVER AND WAIT EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME TO CONTINUE DRIVING.

Mileage: 92,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, FLASHING ON AND OFF. THE CONTACT HAD NOT YET SPOKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCURY COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED AT NIGHT, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WILL SPORADICALLY FAIL AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V275000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH) AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 139,000.

Mileage: 139,000

THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE CONSUMER'S 1992 MERCURY COUGAR WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF. *CC EVENTUALLY THE LIGHTS REMAINED OFF MORE THAN THEY REMAINED ON. THE CONSUMER DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND A RECALL WHICH WAS RELATED TO THE PROBLEM HE WAS HAVING WITH HIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE RECALL. THE DEALER CHECKED THE VEHICLE'S VIN AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT HIS VEHICLE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THE CONSUMER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO REPLACE THE PART HIMSELF. THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH WAS A MOTORCRAFT, E6EB-11654-AA.*NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATES THAT HER 1992 MERCURY COUGAR'S HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OFF AND ON. THE CONTACT STATES THAT SHE COULD BE SITTING, PARKED OR DRIVING, AND LIGHTS ALWAYS TURN OF BUT IF SHE TURNS THE SWITCH OFF AND ON THE LIGHTS TURN ON AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THIS STARTED HAPPENING BACK IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED LAST YEAR. THE CONTACT SAID THAT SHE DID FIND THE RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH WAS ISSUED 10/08/99 FOR EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HEADLIGHTS: SWITCH.

RECALL 99V275000 CONCERNING HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON /OFF WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AT NIGHT, AND/OR INTERMITTENTLY WOULD GO OFF AND COME BACK ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. CONSUMER FOUND THIS RECALL NUMBER ON NHTSA WEBSITE, CALLED THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

Mileage: 100,000

RECALL 99 V275 000/HEADLIGHTS: VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT AND COMING BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 99V275 DUE TO VIN. *LA

Mileage: 155,000

HEADLIGHTS EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AS STATED IN RECALL 99V275000; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN.*AK

Mileage: 98,000

THE HEAD LIGHTS TURNED OFF BY THEMSELVES. *JB

HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FLICKER OR GO OUT, THERE IS A RECALL, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED DUE TO VIN. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO HEADLIGHTS.*SLC

WHILE DRIVING, HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED ON AND OFF, CONSUMER HAD TO WIGGLE SWITCH TO MAKE LIGHTS COME BACK ON, AND SOMETIMES THAT DID NOT WORK, LOST ALL LIGHTS, AND SMELLED WIRE BURNING. CONSUMER HAD LIGHT SWITCH REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER STATED EVEN THOUGH THE SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE FLICKERING HAS STOPPED, THERE IS STILL A BURNING SMELL WHEN LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON FOR AWHILE, CONSUMER ALSO HAD TROUBLE GETTING LIGHTS TO REMAIN ON DUE TO VIBRATION.*SLC

HEADLIGHTS WILL FAIL AS CONSUMER IS DRIVING , SAME DEFECT AS IN RECALL 99V275000. BUT, THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ON, THEY COULD GO OUT FOR A COUPLE SECONDS JUST LIKE MENTIONED IN RECALL 99 V 275 000/HEADLIGHTS. *AK

AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HEADLIGHTS GO OFF. I AM FORCED TO PULL BACK ON THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER AND DRIVE WITH HIGH BEAMS.*AK

LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE, LOST HEADLIGHTS, RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM DIDN'T COVER MY CAR. WHY?*AK

THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM (NHTSA 99V275/FORD NO. 99S30) BUT WHEN CONTACTED THEY SAID THE RECALL WAS VEHICLE SPECIFIC AND MINE WASN'T COVERED ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM HAD ONLY OCCURRED IN MODELS EQUIPPED WITH FOG LAMPS. I SPENT THE LAST FIVE MILES ON MY WAY HOME LAST NIGHT WITH MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF, AND CAN TESTIFY THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY ON MODELS WITH FOG LAMPS. THE REP. AT THE FORD MOTOR CO. AS MUCH AS ADMITTED THAT ALL THE COUGARS IN THAT YR. AND MODEL ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME HEADLAMP SWITCH, BUT HE "COULD NOT HELP ME" BECAUSE MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T LISTED. IF I HADN'T SEEN THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS OR MY CAR WASN'T WELL MAINTAINED, I WOULD JUST REPAIR IT, BUT WHEN THEY ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM ON CERTIAN CARS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH, EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME SWITCH, I FEEL I'M GETTING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OFF. *AK

HEADLIGHT SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 99V-275, CONSUMER WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT. NLM

HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS VERY HOT, AND HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER SAID CONSUMER NEEDED TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH OVERHEATED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

RECALL 99 V275 000/HEADLIGHTS: VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT AND COMING BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 99V275 DUE TO VIN. *AK *YH

HEAD LIGHT IS SWITCHING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY, RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER VEHICLE DENIED DUE TO VIN #. YH

EA99005, WHILE IN USE, THE HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF WHICH MAY AFFECT VISIBILITY AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. ALSO SAME PROBLEM ON 1991 MERCURY COUGAR VIN# [XXX], WHICH HAPPENED ON APR. 26, 1999, AT 69,000 MILES. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 1993 COUGARS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS, BUT NOT FOR 1991 AND 1992 WHICH HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

HEADLIGHTS WILL COME ON/ OFF. ALSO TURN SIGNALS AND HEATER INTERMITTENTLY OPERATE. ALSO, SHOCK ABSORBERS THAT HOLD THE HOOD UP FAILED, CAUSING THE HOOD TO FALL UNEXPECTEDELY. *AK

HEADLIGHTS WILL COME ON/ OFF. ALSO TURN SIGNALS AND HEATER INTERMITTENTLY OPERATE. ALSO, SHOCK ABSORBERS THAT HOLD THE HOOD UP FAILED, CAUSING THE HOOD TO FALL UNEXPECTEDELY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF AND WOULD SOMETIMES BE OFF FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. OCCASSIONALLY WOULD HAVE TO STOP AT SIDE OF ROAD AND WAIT FOR THEM TO COME BACK ON. UPON MY OWN INSPECTION I NOTICED THE SWITCH WAS QUITE HOT. I ORDERED NEW AND REPLACED THE SWITCH. THE LIGHTS HAVE WORKED NORMALLY NOW FOR THREE YEARS. IN CHECKING NHTSA FILES, HAVE NOTICED OTHER PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO THIS.

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY TO THE DRIVER. CONTACTED THE DEALER TO HAVE PROBLEM CORRECTED. *AK

HEADLIGHTS FLICKER/RECALL DONE ON OTHER MODEL YEARS, HOWEVER CONSUMERS VEHICLE DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINES FOR RECALL.

AN ELECTRICALSHORT IN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, CAUSED WIRES IN THE DASH AREA TO BURN AND LIGHT TO GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. *AK

DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, CAUSING LIGHTS TO FLICKER ON AND OFF/POOR VISIBILITY.