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1978 Mercury CougarProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 2 owner complaints about the 1978 Mercury Cougar, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints22 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage42kSeat belts, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 29, 2008. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1978 Mercury Cougar has problems

2 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts21

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1978 Mercury Cougar recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercury.

Best & worst years

1978 vs. every other Cougar year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cougar median. How we score

'67'68'69'70'71'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1978 Mercury Cougar, and the recalls they led to.

  1. WHEELSDP79004 · closed Jan 8, 1979
    No recall
In owners' words

What Cougar owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1978 MERCURY COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 78V108000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR) BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD. THE VIN WAS INACCURATE AND THE ENGINE…
Complaint 10216421 · Jan 29, 2008 · 42,267 miles

Own a 1978 Cougar?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.