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1980 Mercury CougarProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 2 owner complaints about the 1980 Mercury Cougar, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints20 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 30, 1999. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1980 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
Electrical system10
Visibility10

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

1 recall

1980 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

1980 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
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1980 Mercury Cougar, and the recalls they led to.

  1. POWER BRAKE BOOSTEREA86005 · closed Jul 23, 1987
    No recall
  2. PARKING BRAKE FAILUREPE89039 · closed Jun 13, 1989
    No recall
In owners' words

What Cougar owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WHILE USING HEADLIGHTS THEY WOULD FLASH INTERMITTENLY AT THE SAME TIME. ALSO, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK
Complaint 854565 · Dec 30, 1999

Own a 1980 Cougar?

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