Mazda Protege vs Mercury Cougar
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Mazda Protege
- Total complaints
- 1,074
- Avg per model year
- 77
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 4
- Most complained year
- 1995 (165)
Top problems: Seat Belts, Air Bags, Power Train
Mercury Cougar
- Total complaints
- 1,841
- Avg per model year
- 105
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 5
- Most complained year
- 1999 (454)
Top problems: Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System, Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Complaints by model year
| Year | Mazda Protege | Mercury Cougar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 98 | 95 | ||
| 2001 | 50 | 82 | ||
| 2000 | 102 | 211 | ||
| 1999 | 88 | 454 | ||
| 1997 | 66 | 76 | ||
| 1996 | 70 | 62 | ||
| 1995 | 165 | 109 | ||
| 1994 | 74 | 137 | ||
| 1993 | 44 | 195 | ||
| 1992 | 63 | 92 | ||
| 1991 | 51 | 73 | ||
| 1990 | 37 | 86 |
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.