2001 MERCURY COUGAR Power Train Problems

AFTER ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH MY 2001 COUGAR I WISH I WOULD HAVE MADE A BETTER CHOICE IN WHAT VEHICLE I BOUGHT. THE ONE RECALL THAT THEY HAD ON THE FUEL PUMP I HAD TO HAVE THAT REPLACED, BUT I AM NOT SURE THEY REALLY FIXED IT BECAUSE IT STILL HESITATED WHEN I ACCELERATING . THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT ON THE DASH WENT ON IN THE WINTER TIME WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR. AFTER I DRIVING A BIT THE LIGHT WILL JUST TURN OFF. SO HOW THE AM I SUPPOSE TO KNOW WHEN THERE REALLY WAS A COOLANT PROBLEM IF THE LIGHT JUST WENT ON. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 94,000 MILES WITH NO SIGNS OF IT GOING OUT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED, LIKE THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. I TRIED DIFFERENT GEARS AND NOTHING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO BRING THE CAR HOME AND COST $300.00. I HAD TO FIND A PLACE TO BRING THE CAR TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS AT A FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 3 DAYS TO HAVE IT DONE, AND TURNED OUT TAKING 2 WEEKS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PUT THE CORRECT TRANSMISSION IN THE BOX. THEY SENT TWO WRONG TRANSMISSIONS BEFORE FORD FINALLY GOT THE CORRECT TRANSMISSION FOR THE CAR TO THE SHOP. THIS COST ME $3,235.00. TRANSMISSIONS FAILING AT 94,000 MILES WAS RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING ALL PROPER MAINTENANCE WAS DONE WHEN IT WAS NEEDED. THERE WERE STILL OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, BUT I COULD NOT FIT ALL THE WORDS ON THIS FORM. I DID NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING WAS DONE AT ALL, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM FORD WAS TERRIBLE. THE NEXT VEHICLE I BUY MOST DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE A FORD AND PROBABLY NOT AN AMERICAN VEHICLE EITHER. WORD OF MOUTH IS VERY POWERFULLY AND PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO ABOUT COUGAR PROBLEMS WILL NEVER BE BUYING A FORD. IF ONLY FORD WOULD CARE A LITTLE AND NOT BE AFRAID TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO MAKE THEIR CUSTOMERS A LITTLE MORE PLEASED WITH THEIR PURCHASE THEN MAYBE PEOPLE WOULDN'T LOOK DOWN SO MUCH ON FORD PRODUCTS. *AK

MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY, SHUT DOWN THE O/D NOW WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR UNTIL CLOSE TO 5,000 RPM. THE CAR HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES. *NM

Mileage: 60,392

THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL ONE DAY I WENT TO PULL OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AND THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. DURING THAT SAME EPISODE, WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL IT WAS PUT IN 2 INSTEAD OF DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 48,000 AND THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT OF A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS $3,256 + TAX. *JB

Mileage: 48,000

BOUGHT CAR BRAND NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2001. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT 43,000 MILES (JUNE 2005). NO RECOURSE AS WARRANTY ONLY COVERED ME FOR 3 YEARS/36,000 MILES. THIS IS TOO SOON FOR A TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS AUTOMATIC, I COULD FEEL THE CAR LOSE POWER AS IT SHIFTED AUTOMATICALLY FROM 1ST GEAR INTO 2ND GEAR. TOOK THE CARD TO FORD DEALER WHO TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $3,000 TO FIX. I AM APPALLED!

Mileage: 43,000

2001 MERCURY COUGAR. SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR I HAVE REPLACE THE ENGINE AT 65,000 MILES, LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING AT 70,000 MILES, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING IS ON ITS WAY OUT AT 100,000 MILES ALONG WITH A PLUGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. A/C ALSO FAILED AT 115,000 MILES.*AK

Mileage: 67,000

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER APPLIED THE CLUTCH, AND THE CLUTCH WAS INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

AT 25,600 MILES, I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HARD & RAPID SHIFTING AND THAT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE LIGHT, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE SHIFTING ISSUES. I CONTINUED TO BELIEVE THE VEHICLE DID NOT SHIFT APPROPRIATELY. AT 38,200 MILES, WITH THE VEHICLE JUST OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE VEHICLE AGAIN HAD HARSH RAPID SHIFTING WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. OUT OF FEAR FOR MY SAFETY, I EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND WAS COMPLETING A TURN WHEN MY VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH OUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS, LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING AND NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS REQUIRED TO PAY THE $90 DIAGNOSTIC FEE FOR THE SAME ISSUE THAT HAD NOT BEEN FIXED AT 25,000 MILES WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY INFORMED ME I HAD A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND THEY WOULD FLUSH AND FILL THE TRANSMISSIONS. THEY INDICATED THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE HARD SHIFTING AND STALLING. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THESE COMPLAINTS. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LATER, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING TO WORK ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE WAS UP AND DOWN SHIFTING HARSHLY AND ONCE AGAIN STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED AGAIN. I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO STALL AND BOTH TIMES HAS STALLED WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 - 40 MPH. *LA

Mileage: 38,400

FROM 3/29 - 10/24/2001 HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER 8 TIMES, 5 OF WHICH DEALING WITH PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER. DEALER COULD NEVER FIND A PROBLEM RELATING TO COMPLAINT. ON 11/16/2001 TOOK CAR IN AND WAS TOLD BY DEALER THE COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE $1,100.00. I HAD THE CAR IN THE DEALERSHIP 22 DAYS PRIOR AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. SERVICE MANAGER ASKED IF DRIVER KNEW HOW TO DRIVE A STICKSHIFT? ALSO STATED THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN IMPROPERLY. WHY WAS THIS NEVER A QUESTION OR COMMENT BEFORE? HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND CURRENTLY OPERATE MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICHLES AT WORK AND FOR THE ARMY RESERVES. CALLED AND SPOKE WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, SHE WAS VERY POLITE UNTIL SHE CAME BACK FROM SPEAKING WITH SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WAS TOLD FORD COULD DO NOTHING TO HELP. WENT BACK TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE AT DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING ANYONE COULD DO TO HELP. FELT THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO BUT FILE A COMPLAINT. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION "HUNTS" AS IF IT DOESN'T KNOW WHICH GEAR TO GO INTO. THIS MOSTLY OCCURS DURING OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 1-2 SHIFT. IT ALSO HAS HARSH SHIFTS. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS IN LOW 30 MPH TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT OUT OF GEAR, AND VEHICLE WILL SHAKE. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, CANNOT REMEDY.*AK