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Comments
burnsmr4
More news later after I take the cat over the hills a few times.
Hope you all are having a great holiday!
smedcougar aka Deb
smedcougar
But, I have recently heard a low groaning noise from the power steering when the temperature is 20F or lower. Goes away as the cars warms up, so am inclined to think it's just old age (4th winter for us), although I did have a similar problem with a previous car.
That one turned out to be a fluid leak.
When I get a warmer day, I'll check the fluid level, but I havn't dseen any indications of fluid leaks on the ground where I consistently park.
Anyone had a similar situation?
If so, what was your diagnosis?
Skip G.
Imigliore, interesting comment on the Michelin tires. I suspect the softer ride is because of the H-rating would could mean softer sidewalls versus the V-rating on the BFGs. I may stick with V-rated tires (or higher) when time comes to replace mine.
My 99 continues to run fine. I have 48,000 miles on it and only real problem was a bad front wheel bearing. Had front brakes done this past summer and other than routine maintenance, that's it! I'm wondering about new plugs this coming summer despite the 100K tuneup interval. Also might change the extended life coolant. Anyone out there done either of those?
Jim H.
Haven't posted in a while...right now my Cougar is sitting around...idle waiting for me to get home...again.
Only spent six months home from Korea...and now I am here...any guesses where I might be after I return...if I even get back to the states first.
However I think God things are going well over here for me, it seems we have more to worry about from our own guys than from the enemy, even though they have been getting a little nasty lately.
When I return home my Cougar has an appointment with the body shop. I also plan on getting it detailed afterwards, and I need to get a tune-up and probably get the radiator flushed.
Well, gotta go, happy Cougaring. I am still trusting that God will allow my Cougar to go at least 10 years!
Later,
The first time, the car would 'act' like it was out of gas when the gauge read 1/4 of a tank. The first time I 'ran out gas' I was on the freeway - the gauge read just below 1/4 but the car wouldn't run. When AAA towed me to the gas station and we filled the tank, it only took 10 gallons. Took it to the dealer and they replaced the gauge & pump (told me that it's all one unit).
The second time I filled up my tank and then noticed that the gauge read only 1/2 a tank. Took it to the dealer and they replaced the gauge & pump again.
I've also had battery, sunroof, and brake problems that the dealer has covered under warranty.
I LOVE my kitty, but I'm getting really tired of visiting the dealer. My original dealer has closed, so I've had to find a new dealer too. Thinking of getting rid of my car...it's a bummer to be scared to drive it.
Sorry I haven't posted much lately...I've been sick two different times in the last two months. The flu and most recently a rather irritating cold that is finally going away.
School just started last week so posts will definitely be sparatic.
Have a great week.
smedcougar
Can anyone tell me if they experienced this problem and perhaps found the cause? The heater will only work on High on my 1999 Cougar. Any help or idea how to fix it would be appreciated. I'm assuming it's a resistor, and if someone can tell me where to look for it or if it would be dicfficult for me to replace it... I'd appreciate it :-)
Take care
Jim H.
Now, the good stuff: nothing bad has happened lately. Perhaps the car's diseases have run their course. I average 20 MPG but my commute is only 7 miles. It appears that on longer trips the mileage is 25 MPG or better.
My car has the sport package, which gives you 16" wheels and either of 2 bad tire types: Firestone something or others and BF Goodrich comp T/A's. I had the comp T/A's, which are reputed to be better than the Firestones but they lose traction early and squeal and lasted only 15,000 miles. After going through my second set of comp T/A's I bought a set of Michelin Pilot XGT's. These have far better traction and handling. They're supposed to last longer (50,000 mile guarantee) but I don't know if it's true. They cost like hell so they had better last.
I find the car pleasant to drive. It steers and stops very well. I like the ride and the solid chassis. I like the driver's seat (many folks don't). For $6300, it's probably a good commuter car.
Jim H.
Skip G.
smedcougar
burnsmr4
Smed: sorry about your lay off. I was also laid off in Oct of 2001 and it took about 3 1/2 months to find something. Things will work out.....
Subaru is still great. Put about 17K miles on her in the first year -- about 7K more than I did on my Cougar. Longer commute -- maybe? Cougar spent more time in the shop -- much more likely? ;-)
Later folks!
burnsmr4
My father in-law is a mechanic...is this something he could fix or is it still covered under warranty at the dealer? Thanks.
Angela
Jim H.
Have a great week folks!
Deb
Man, 6,300.00 for a 99 Cougar.... with 40,000 miles...mine has close to 80,000 miles I wonder how much mine is worth....
I plan on driving my Cougar until it falls to pieces...I know I will never get my money's worth out of it if I try to sell it. Hopefully with a little maintenance it will run forever.
Just over 2 months left in Afghanistan....
Take car all
I'm interested in buying either 00 or 01 mercury cougar. I really havent much about this vehicle. Basically I'm trying to find out if anyone has had any major probs with the vehicle. Also good feedback about the vehicle is great to hear also.
Thanks,
Amy
The tires are no good. The cars come from the factory with either Firestone or B.F. Goodrich tires that don't grip and don't last. I just put Michelin Pilots on. They may not last but they sure do grip.
Once it has good tires and it runs, the Cougar is a splendid GT. It goes far and fast. It's smooth and steers wonderfully. The brakes (I have the 4 -wheel discs) are amazing. As far as power goes, it's fast enough to get out of its own way.
I like my Cougar. I wish it were rear-wheel drive, weighed 500 pounds less and had the torque peak at 3000 RPM. But then I couldn't have bought it for $18,000.
My 2000 Cougar warranty just expired four months ago, and I have 51,000Kl. This morning my car would not start, the car would crank. Had auto club come and try to start it, no luck, had to have it towed in. Of course it was Sunday and Dealer was closed, so took it in to Canadian Tire. They said it was my ignition pick up coil, so they replaced it, as well as changing oil, and spark plugs due to excessive gas from trying to start car. My total bill was $480.00 Canadian. Ouch! My question is should the ignition coil have failed considering not warning light has never come on, and low mileage, and only 3 years old. Does anyone think I have any recourse with the dealer. My Second question is when its cold outside and I start my car, I hear a sound like a hydraulic pump noise, which goes away after the car gets some gas. I have mentioned this to dealer a few times, but they have never solved this problem?
However, lack of advertising AND the competition coming out with similar looking sports coupes that DID get good advertising (Celica, Eclipse) really hurt its sales.
Then the abandonment of an upgraded Cougar since you could make a lot more money using it's technology in the X-type Jaguar sealed it's fate.
Like I said earlier, I hope to drive my Cougar till it falls apart. Look forward to getting home, getting it a new exhaust AND some body work...when I finally get out of Afghanistan.
It's probably good business for Ford to upgrade the Cougar to the Jaguar X; I also suspect that you need four wheel drive to handle the 3 liter engine in this chassis.
I have been absolutely thrilled with the Michelin Pilots I put on my Cougar. Traction is great both wet and dry. I drive Highway 17 between Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz a lot. This must be the nastiest road in creation but it feels absolutely pleasant with the Pilots. Today there were 3 accidents going (in the rain) and one coming back (mostly dry). Cat never made a false move.
I loved my cougar when I bought it, but I think it has to rank as the worst car purchase I ever made based on the quality of the car and the rapid depreciation.
If I sound bitter, it is because I am. I wonder if Mercury really appreciates all the damage they did to themselves with the way they handled the cougar? I had never even considered a Mercury before the cougar, and I certainly never will again. They had the makings of a great car, but they never came through in any way: performance, build quality or marketing.
I traded my Cougar back in January for a Nissan Altima 3.5SE. I love the Altima but still miss my cat on occasion. The Cougar was a lot of fun to drive and remains one of the best looking vehicles ever to come out of the FMC in my opinion. For these reasons I was sad to see it go, however I needed something that was a little more family friendly with the arrival of my son last summer. I was also growing tired of my too frequent visits to the service department.
I must say that this group, from the early days back in 1998, truly enhanced the enjoyment of my Cougar ownership experience. The group included some really nice people and my wife and I enjoyed meeting some members at the Lake Placid get together in 2000. Although I don't still have my Cougar, I saved my CSG decal that I picked up at the Lake Placid event.
So if you're still reading this post, drop a line before Edmunds axes this thread. I'd love to hear how everyone is doing.
Cheers,
Krnch
It still amazes me how poorly Mercury promoted the Cougar; I guess they were happy that Jaguar took the chassis and put a different cat on it.
I guess Cougar owners, whoever you are, don't need support any more.
I expect to keep mine for at least a couple more years, so the depreciation is not a major concern. And if you check the used car ads, you'll see the rebates offered on new cars in recent years have driven down the prices of most used cars. I don't think the Cougar is any worse than most.
I also don't agree with those who think that if Mercury had advertised more, the car would have sold much better. It sold well in 99, but then didn't keep up with the competition in terms of performance. Mercury had obviously decided that the Cougar was not worth investing development money in and let it die a natural death. Advertising a second tier product would not have helped. They needed to stay competitive and didn't.
All in all I am happy with my Cougar. It's fun to drive and also very practical. It's surprising how much stuff you can haul with the back seats folded down. And I routinely get 30+ MPG on a trip. Not bad.
Jim H.
Today's NY Times "Escapes" section has an article about Pontiac Aztek (UGGGGLYYYYY) owners who have similar complaints. The following is an excerpt:
"Should the calamity come to pass, Aztek owners will at least find themselves in good company. Just in the last few years, carmakers have discontinued several models after embarrassingly short life spans — the Lincoln Blackwood, the Cadillac Catera and the briefly revived Mercury Cougar all come to mind. And at each announcement of a demise, thousands of owners have suddenly found themselves driving cars acknowledged as failures and virtually certain to lose a fair percentage of their resale value.
In 1998, the Ford Motor Company introduced a new version of its Mercury Cougar, which had been a popular and slightly upscale version of the Mustang in its first incarnation in the 60's and 70's and then morphed into a rather bland midsize coupe. The new Cougar was presented as a sleek, sporty front-drive model. In November 1999, John Scullin, a freelance graphic designer from Brockton, Mass., picked up a sapphire-blue 2000 Cougar. "I wanted an older, classic-style car," Mr. Scullin said. "As soon as I saw it, I was sold."
Mr. Scullin's Cougar quickly became his avocation. He spent hours customizing it and chatting online with fellow Cougar owners, many of whom became friends. In 2001, he brought together a six-car caravan that drove 900 miles to attend a CougarFest, an event in Detroit, supported by Ford, in which the car's enthusiasts were invited to tour the plant and hold a cookout.
But the market for a coupe like the Cougar was unhealthy, and the Cougar did not provide a cure. Plans were made to close out the Cougar and it was pulled from the market in 2002. The year the Cougar was discontinued, Mr. Scullin said, Ford stopped supporting the CougarFests for owners of the redesigned, late-model Cougars. "Ford has treated the Cougar as the relative nobody wants around," he said."
I, too, tend to keep a car for 8-9 years as I don't pile up a lot of mileage. 4 1/2 years, and only 42Kmi on the clock.
Still running OK, but in the body shop today for a front bumper cover, a victim of a frozen snobank in a parking lot. My fault, and it'll cost me $600 out the door. At least I got a free rental for the day ;-)
Thanks for asking after us old-timers KRNCH, and congratulations on the family. My kid is going to be 38 this year, so I don't have to worry about car seats in the back.
Skip G.
As far as I can recall, no one has ever been in my back seat.
I am still around and still driving my cougar.
The Altima is a good buy. It is simply one of the best performance values out there...AND it's a family sedan!
The only drawback is that the Cougar will still handle better. However for straight line performance...the Altima's are simply awesome.
Still plan on keeping my Cougar. Especially since my ex wife messed up my credit by running up a cell phone bill and not paying it. I refuse to buy another car and have a high interest rate.
Hopefully the Cougar will last another five years while I try to rebuild my credit...again.
I am praying that this car hangs int there. Plus, it is still such a good looking car it will still be a beauty 10 years down the road.
I agree with you regarding the Cougar's good looks, Dgemini. I wish I could have hung onto my Cougar. With it's relative rareness and great combination of styling, performance and value, I think a well-kept new edge Cougar could be a sought after collector's item some day, despite its disappointing resale value today. And they're a lot of fun on twisty roads!
SO get out there all you bargain-hunting budding car collectors and snatch up those Cougars while you can!
I, also, drop by this thread once in awhile. I traded in my '99 Cougar a little over a year ago due to my son being born. The Cougar just didn't cut it with a growing family. He was born in the summer of "01 and by the spring of '02 we traded the Cougar for a Tahoe for my Wife. I do occasionally miss the Cougar. I now drive a '02 VW Jetta and am enjoying it.
When was the last time badulah posted on this thread?
Allot has happened since the heyday of the '99 Cougar for me.......new son, lost a job, got another job and am building a new house and plan to move in less than a month.
I hope everyone is doing well!!
When I was car shopping back in 99 the Jetta with a VR6 was the car I REALLY wanted. But the Cougar offered close to what a wanted out of the Jetta as far as performance, it looked better, AND it cost significantly less.
For my next car I plan on getting a VW, however I plan to have it parked alongside my Cougar.
Hopefully I will be able to leave Afghanistan and drive my Cougar in the next 30 days or so. They keep changing when we will be able to go home.
God bless all you guys!