The Lemon IndexMercury Cougar reliability.
Is it reliable? Not really. 1.8× the average car's complaints.
Worse than average · 2000–2001
What owners say on YouTube: we haven't studied Mercury Cougar videos yet. When that study runs, the most-watched owner reviews and buyer guides for each generation, and what owners praise and complain about, show up here.
Fewest complaints
2001.
Only 2 Mercury Cougar years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2001 drew a bit more than the average car's complaints.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score.
Embed this chart
Put this chart on your site, blog or forum. Free, with the credit line built in.
<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/mercury-cougar/" title="Mercury Cougar reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="261" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/mercury-cougar/">Lemon Index</a> (Mercury Cougar reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
Compare the Mercury Cougar.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Mercury Cougar reliable?
Not really. It draws 1.8× the average car's complaints. No year beat the average car. The year with the fewest complaints, 2001, still drew 1.3× the average.
Is the Mercury Cougar a good car?
Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2001: Lemon Index 182; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2001 drew the fewest complaints and 2000 the most.
What are the best Mercury Cougar years to buy?
Only 2 Mercury Cougar years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2001 drew the fewest complaints (a bit more than the average car's complaints).
What Mercury Cougar years should you stay away from?
Only 2 Mercury Cougar years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Mercury Cougar have?
11 safety recalls across the 3 model years we track. Most: 2000 (5), 2001 (3), 2002 (3). Each year's page lists them.
What are the most common Mercury Cougar problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, fuel system, gasoline and engine most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 218 | about twice the average car's complaints | 97 | electrical (32%) | 5 | — | 21–25 |
| 2001 | 131 | a bit more than the average car's complaints | 41 | fuel system, gasoline (20%) | 3 | — | 21–24 |
| 2002 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 35 | fuel system, gasoline (31%) | 3 | — | 21–24 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: theautochannel.com. How it works
Know someone shopping for a used car?
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data