The 1993 Mercury Cougar has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 8,189,731 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING.
DRIVER'S COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH INCORPORATES A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN, AND INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, IF NEEDED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND,…
THIS FUEL LEAKAGE RESULTS IN DAMPNESS AND FUEL ODOR, AND IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WAS PRESENT, A FIRE COULD RESULT.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PLASTIC CONVOLUTE COVERING AROUND THE FUEL LINES. IF THE LINES SHOW A LEAK, THE LINES WILL BE REPLACED FIRST.
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Head light switch hard to apply head light flicker on and off.sometime will not come on at all.car was in motion,and stationary”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 mercury cougar. The contact stated that while at a stop, the headlights began to flicker without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure would recur sporadically. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1993 mercury cougar. While driving approximately 45 mph, the contact noticed that the headlights began to flicker. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 99v275000 (exterior lighting:headlights:switch) but…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1993 mercury cougar. A month after purchasing the vehicle in june of 2008, the electronic seat belt shoulder strap would not retract after the driver's side door was closed. The vehicle was driven to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the tracking was off and…”
“Tl*- the contact stated that on march 14, 2007 she began to smell fumes in the 1993 mercury cougar. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who discovered that there was recall 97v159000 concerning the fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings on this particular year, make and…”
“Lights periodically stopped working eliminating visibility. *jb”
“I was driving home going down a country road and my headlights quit working. I almost wrecked,and I almost lost control of my vehicle. I ended up driving it home with nothing but parking lights on which was a good half hour journey. *nm”
“Dt: the contact stated there was nhtsa recall 97v159000 concerning the fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. The contact had recall repairs performed in december 1997. The vehicle started experiencing the same problems as indicated in the recall. She had the vehicle…”
SUBJECT VEHICLES HAVE A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WITH AN INTERNAL, BIMETAL CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT CAN OPEN DUE TO OVERHEATING DURING HEADLING OPERATION.
TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE ALLEGED FUEL LINE FAILURES OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL GEOGRAPHIC REGION AND IF THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED NATIONALLY
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1993 Mercury Cougar as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.