RecallMyCar

1990 Mercury Cougar Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 1990 Mercury Cougar, and owners have filed 86 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

3
safety recalls
86
owner complaints to NHTSA
8 / 9
complaints citing a crash / fire
18–20
MPG combined (EPA)

3 safety recalls for the 1990 Mercury Cougar

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Ignition (electrical system)

    NHTSA 96V071000 Reported 7,900,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the ignition switch.

  2. Motor (visibility)

    NHTSA 91V076000 Reported 125,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    The nuts which hold windshield wiper motor to the wiper module may not have been sufficiently tightened and may loosen or come off. This causes changed wiper patterns, or the wipers may jam if two of the three nuts come off.

    Remedy: Apply torque retention material to wiper motor studs and nuts and retorque.

  3. Cables (electrical system)

    NHTSA 90V026000 Reported 72 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

    Battery to starter cables are longer than specified; excessive cable length could contact engine damper pulley.

    Remedy: Replace battery to starter cable with correct length cable.

86 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1990 Mercury Cougar have filed 86 complaints with NHTSA; 8 describe a crash and 9 describe a fire. Reports cite 4 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 111,450 miles. Complaints peaked in 1997 with 15 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“Seat belt doesn't stay locked and latch broke, automatic head lights don't work the digital instrument cluster don't work and as soon as is gets so hot it vaper locks a lot”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 19, 2018 · Electrical system

“After starting vehicle flickering on off of dash lights,panel completely out and now will not come back on,creating an issue driving,unable to see speed,milage gas usage,when checking under hood i was”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 19, 2017 · Electrical system

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1990 Mercury Cougar. Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined18–20 mpg
City / Highway15–17 / 21–24
FuelPremium, Regular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine6 cyl, 3.8 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd

Compare Mercury Cougar model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Mercury Cougar model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1962 Mercury Cougar01
1967 Mercury Cougar20
1968 Mercury Cougar10
1969 Mercury Cougar40
1970 Mercury Cougar10
1971 Mercury Cougar10
1972 Mercury Cougar10
1973 Mercury Cougar02
1974 Mercury Cougar20
1975 Mercury Cougar20
1976 Mercury Cougar10
1977 Mercury Cougar30
1978 Mercury Cougar12
1979 Mercury Cougar20
1980 Mercury Cougar12
1982 Mercury Cougar32
1983 Mercury Cougar22
1984 Mercury Cougar117
1985 Mercury Cougar110
1986 Mercury Cougar213
1987 Mercury Cougar133
1988 Mercury Cougar155
1989 Mercury Cougar481
1990 Mercury Cougar386
1991 Mercury Cougar373
1992 Mercury Cougar392
1993 Mercury Cougar3195
1994 Mercury Cougar0137
1995 Mercury Cougar0109
1996 Mercury Cougar262
1997 Mercury Cougar076
1998 Mercury Cougar01
1999 Mercury Cougar7454
2000 Mercury Cougar3211
2001 Mercury Cougar182
2002 Mercury Cougar195

Checking a specific 1990 Mercury Cougar

How do I know if my 1990 Mercury Cougar has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 1990 Mercury Cougar; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercury dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 90V026000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Mercury models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.