The 2002 Mercury Cougar has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 88,600 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. Last updated July 5, 2026.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CONTAMINATION OF THE FILTER IN THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE (FDM) CAN REDUCE, AND EVENTUALLY BLOCK, THE FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.
Consequence
THIS MAY CAUSE ENGINE HESITATION, LOSS OF POWER, SURGING, AND OTHER SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. OVER TIME, THE FILTER MAY BECOME SUFFICIENTLY BLOCKED TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy
THIS ACTION IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN AND IS NOT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE SAFETY ACT. ALL OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FDM WITH A NEW DESIGN AT NO CHARGE IF THE OWNER REPORTS THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS ANY OF THE IDENTIFIED SYMPTOMS. THE FREE REPLACEMENT WILL BE…
Complaints by component
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
22
1fires
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
16
1injuries
ENGINE
9
1crashes
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
5
AIR BAGS
4
2crashes2injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
4
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
3
3crashes3injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
3
Total complaints127
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Airbag warning light comes on. No accident, stationary and in motion. I do not see a recall reference airbag? With the complaints I read on your site about the airbags, there should be a recall???????????”
“The car was parked in my driveway. Upon starting the car, at the moment I turned the key the driver seat airbag deployed.”
“I am currently having problems with the fuel pump driver module. I reported the problem to ford in oct 2018. Ford stated that the 10 year recall ended and per their records the issue was resolved as fuel module was replaced by dealer don knott ford, carson, ca. Don knott ford is no longer in…”
“My car was stolen”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury cougar. While driving unknown speeds, the headlights dimmed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the protected wiring cover was deteriorating. The manufacturer was not…”
“Nhtsa campaign number:04v421000 manufacturer ford motor company was driving on a main city st. My auto stopped with no power in the left lane of busy 4 lane st. Would not start in neutral or park, man pushed it into the ctr. Lane out of traffic area. Policeman came after I called 911, after a few…”
“Nhtsa campaign number:04v421000 manufacturer ford motor company was driving on a main city st. My auto stopped with no power in the left lane of busy 4 lane st. Would not start in neutral or park, man pushed it into the ctr. Lane out of traffic area. Policeman came after I called 911, after a few…”
“Nhtsa campaign number:04v421000 manufacturer ford motor company was driving on a main city st. My auto stopped with no power in the left lane of busy 4 lane st. Would not start in neutral or park, man pushed it into the ctr. Lane out of traffic area. Policeman came after I called 911, after a few…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Mercury Cougar as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.