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1986 Mercury CougarProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 13 owner complaints about the 1986 Mercury Cougar, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints132 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem4Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 10, 2004. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1986 Mercury Cougar has problems

13 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 system41
Seat belts30
Vehicle speed control20
Seats10
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Structure10
Visibility11
Engine and engine cooling10
Fuel system, gasoline10

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

2 recalls

1986 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.

–no report yet

Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 87V-139 · Sep 4, 1987 · 3,600,000 vehicles

Risk. COUPLING COULD DISENGAGE DUE TO FUEL PRESSURE,VIBRATION, AND ENGINE MOVEMENTS; THIS WOULD CAUSE LOSS OF FUEL WHICH, INPRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, CREATES A…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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

1986 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 1986 Mercury Cougar, and the recalls they led to.

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

Own a 1986 Cougar?

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