Menu

1985 Mercury CougarProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 10 owner complaints about the 1985 Mercury Cougar, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

–
CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints102 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem6Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 12, 2001. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1985 Mercury Cougar has problems

10 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 system61
Vehicle speed control20
Latches/locks/linkages10
Structure10
Tires10
Seat belts10
Engine and engine cooling10

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

1 recall

1985 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

1985 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 1985 Mercury Cougar, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SEATBACK FAILUREEA86010 · closed Jul 28, 1989
    Led to recall 86V-082
In owners' words

What Cougar owners report

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

WHEN SHE PUT THE KEY INTO IGNITION, THE CAR STRETED TO GET FILLED WITH SMOKE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Complaint 983688 · Apr 29, 1996
BASICALLY THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, WHEN SWITCH WAS REMOVED BY OWNER THE SWITCH WAS CHARGED AND BURNED. ALSO SOME WIRING WAS BURNED. *AK
Complaint 803324 · Oct 8, 1996

Own a 1985 Cougar?

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