Your vehicle report
1990 Mercury Cougar
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 86
- Received Feb 1995 to Jul 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract11 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking8 complaints · 9.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring7 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #96V071000The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
- Recall #91V076000The nuts which hold windshield wiper motor to the wiper module may not have been sufficiently tightened and may loosen or come off. This causes changed wiper patterns, or the wipers may jam if two of the three nuts come off.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 8 crashes, 9 fires, 4 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 13 |
| 1996 | 14 |
| 1997 | 15 |
| 1998 | 7 |
| 1999 | 12 |
| 2000 | 15 |
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 86 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 11 | 13% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 9.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 8.1% | – | NHTSA recall #96V071000 |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 5 | 5.8% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 4.7% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 4.7% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 4.7% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 3.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #96V071000April 25, 19967,900,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
NHTSA recall #91V076000May 6, 1991125,000 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
The nuts which hold windshield wiper motor to the wiper module may not have been sufficiently tightened and may loosen or come off. This causes changed wiper patterns, or the wipers may jam if two of the three nuts come off.
Changes in the wiper pattern or jamming of the wiperswould result in reduced driver visibilty in inclement weather conditions.
Remedy
Apply torque retention material to wiper motor studs and nuts and retorque.
NHTSA recall #90V026000February 12, 199072 vehicles affected
electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
Battery to starter cables are longer than specified; excessive cable length could contact engine damper pulley.
Cable protective covering and insulation could wear through and cause a direct short to ground, resulting in overheating of the cable insulation and possibly a underhood fire.
Remedy
Replace battery to starter cable with correct length cable.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1990 Mercury Cougar.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN