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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2002 Mercury Cougar Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2002 Mercury Cougar has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 94 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mercury dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2002 Mercury Cougar, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2002 Mercury Cougar owner complaints

Owners have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercury Cougar, describing incidents dated January 31, 2002 to December 5, 2019.

Most-cited components

  • Fuel/Propulsion System 49 complaints
  • Engine 20 complaints
  • Power Train 10 complaints
  • Air Bags 7 complaints
  • Visibility/Wiper 6 complaints
  • Electrical System 4 complaints

Of the 94 complaints on file, 9 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 94 complaints, owners report 12 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11309840 · Filed

    AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. NO ACCIDENT, STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. I DO NOT SEE A RECALL REFERENCE AIRBAG? WITH THE COMPLAINTS I READ ON YOUR SITE ABOUT THE AIRBAGS, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL???????????

  • ODI #11152377 · Filed

    I AM CURRENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO FORD IN OCT 2018. FORD STATED THAT THE 10 YEAR RECALL ENDED AND PER THEIR RECORDS THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED AS FUEL MODULE WAS REPLACED BY DEALER DON KNOTT FORD, CARSON, CA. DON KNOTT FORD IS NO LONGER IN…

  • ODI #11110237 · Filed

    THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. UPON STARTING THE CAR, AT THE MOMENT I TURNED THE KEY THE DRIVER SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED.

Read all 94 complaints

Owner-reported

2002 Mercury Cougar mileage at failure

79 of the 94 complaints on file for the 2002 Mercury Cougar give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Fuel/Propulsion SystemMedian 75,000 milesMiddle half 45,000–90,000 milesBased on 41 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Complaints received before December 15, 2002 rarely give a mileage, so they aren't counted here.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES

NHTSA #08E033000 · Suspension · NHTSA notice

Reported April 14, 2008 · FEDERAL-MOGUL CHASSIS PRODUCTS

Potentially affected: 6,903 vehicles

Owners notified May 22, 2008

Defect description

FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE: K7147, K7329, K8683, AND 104353. THESE PARTS WERE MADE FOR USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.

Safety consequence

THE NUTS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGING FOR THESE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES ARE MISSING THE INTENDED PREVAILING TORQUE (SELF-LOCKING) FEATURE. IF THE INCORRECT NUT WAS TO BECOME LOOSE, THE JOINING MEMBERS MAY LOOSEN LEADING TO A SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT. THIS MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS.CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER

NHTSA #06E022000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · NHTSA notice

Reported March 13, 2006 · BRAKE PARTS, INC.

Potentially affected: 7,440 vehicles

Owners notified March 20, 2006

Defect description

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AIMCO, AC DELCO, CARQUEST, BENDIX, AND WAGNER. ONLY PRODUCTS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 27, 2005 THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2006 (DATE CODES 0529 THROUGH 0602) ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL. WHEN SUBJECT TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES, AN INTERNAL SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND MAY CAUSE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK.

Safety consequence

LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN BRAKE LINE PRESSURE AND AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-323-0354.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET NAPA, RAYBESTOS, AC DELCO, AIMCO, CARQUEST, AND BENDIX BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON DAIMLERCHRYSLER OR FORD VEHICLES.CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

FORD/FUEL DELIVERY MODULE

NHTSA #04V421000 · Fuel System, Gasoline · NHTSA notice

Reported August 30, 2004 · FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Potentially affected: 88,600 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign 04N02 · Owners notified April 16, 2004 · Vehicles built May 25, 1999 – November 30, 2001 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CONTAMINATION OF THE FILTER IN THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE (FDM) CAN REDUCE, AND EVENTUALLY BLOCK, THE FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.

Safety consequence

THIS MAY CAUSE ENGINE HESITATION, LOSS OF POWER, SURGING, AND OTHER SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. OVER TIME, THE FILTER MAY BECOME SUFFICIENTLY BLOCKED TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

THIS ACTION IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN AND IS NOT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE SAFETY ACT. ALL OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FDM WITH A NEW DESIGN AT NO CHARGE IF THE OWNER REPORTS THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS ANY OF THE IDENTIFIED SYMPTOMS. THE FREE REPLACEMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, WITH NO MILEAGE LIMIT. THE CAMPAIGN BEGAN ON APRIL 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Notes

FORD RECALL NO. 04N02.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Other Mercury Cougar model years

Check your 2002 Mercury Cougar VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mercury Cougar at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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