1997 Mercury Cougar engine and engine cooling problems
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1997 Mercury Cougar — 39% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My vehicles became totally disabled on a very busy highway with heavy after hours rush hour traffic. The manifold which is made of plastic broke were the coolant temperature sensor was built in, I also noticed that a few sparkplugs were flooded with coolant. I found out that there was a lawsuit on…”
filed Jun 23, 2013
“I understand there was a class action suit due to a faulty intake manifold on many ford cars with a 4.6 liter engine. I or my kids have owned a 1997 mercury cougar since new. Recently this car which had been in storage for several years was given to my son who is laid off and attempting to complete…”
filed Jan 30, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. This program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. The terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the…
05N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2005Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj
02221 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 11, 2002Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt
870197 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2002
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other Cougar years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Cougar | 11 | 12% |
| 2001 Cougar | 11 | 13% |
| 2000 Cougar | 26 | 12% |
| 1999 Cougar | 67 | 15% |
| 1996 Cougar | 21 | 34% |
| 1995 Cougar | 19 | 17% |
| 1994 Cougar | 32 | 23% |
| 1993 Cougar | 105 | 54% |
| 1992 Cougar | 18 | 20% |
| 1991 Cougar | 17 | 23% |
| 1990 Cougar | 9 | 10% |
| 1989 Cougar | 9 | 11% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1997 Mercury Cougar
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.