Manual For 99 Mercury Cougar
4 out of 5 stars by Kris from PA on Thu Sep 10 2009 My parents bought me this car 7 years ago I am now 25 and I still love this car. Good mileage, handles great, very few problems. Had problem with emissions system car was skipping when at a stop, took to Ford Dealership once they repaired and has worked great ever since!
I have put over 50,000 miles on this car now has 99,000 miles & it still runs as good as new.looking for a new car starting family and need 4 door vehicle, but would absolutely recommend this car!!!!! 4 out of 5 stars by SpanishCougar from Benidorm, Spain on Sun Sep 29 2013 I've bought this car second hand aout a year ago.
So far it has only brought me joy. It's fun to drive, very comfortable, has plenty of power once you go above 3000rpm and looks good. Mechanically it is very reliable if you take care of it (I work at a garage).
It's a nice car for long distance and more of a cruiser than an outright sportscar. You should always overfill oil slightly on the V6 to avoid engine problems. Check the rear axle when buying one, many seem to rust away. 5 out of 5 stars by Tom Cat from Miami, FL on Thu Sep 27 2007 I purchased my Cougar in 1999. (4 cylinder - 5 speed) It has treated me well.
I have put very little money into the car for other than normal maintenance. It has given me many years of excellence. The most expensive issue was the A/C when it gave out a year or so ago. (In south Florida A/C is used year round.) It also had an annoying fuel problem. It caused it to misfire when accelerating around a turn. Every couple of years it would reappear and require a warrantee repair.
They finally fixed the faulty part and so it is no longer an issue. (A recall went out later.) I have not had the problem in over 4 years. I have spent considerable time in the car over the years. It now has over 170,000 miles on it and it still runs great. I would buy another one if I had they still made it. 5 out of 5 stars by Cat from Ann Arbor, MI on Fri Jan 18 2013 I love this car. I own a 1999, and it's been in the family since it was new.
First off-the exterior. The design is pretty sleek, and the front is completely unique.
It's a fairly compact car, and it looks like it wouldn't hold much. However, the back seats fold down, and it's spacious enough to hold several bikes. The car drives very tight, much like more expensive cars. It sits low to the ground, so you really 'feel' the road, which some don't like.
The one recurring issue I've had is the alternator. I believe that its location causes it to get wet, and, well, I'm on my third.
As far as repairs go, though, that's pretty reasonable for 14 years. All in all, I want to drive this car forever. If it dies, though, I may just have to buy another one. 4 out of 5 stars by Rigel from Winnipeg, MB, Canada on Wed Jul 18 2007 I've had this Cougar since Dec. 1, 1998 when it was a brand-new version based on a combination of the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique/Ford Probe plus the Mazda 626 and MX-6.
I selected it because the Probe&Mystique were rated highly by several publications, so I figured since the Cougar would have the same mechanicals, I'd go for it. In addition, I liked the hatchback feature which the other vehicles I was considering, like the Pontiac Grand Am and Olds Alero didn't offer. The Cougar's styling was more futuristic as well; in fact, I still get favorable comments about it. For the most part, the car has been pretty good. The only major repair I've had to make was the replacement of the alternator after 5 1/2 years; otherwise, the rest have been expected ones like brakes, tires, ball joints, struts, etc. The ride is a little hard because of the firm suspension, but the handling compensates for it, while the braking has been pretty good also.
Anyone experiencing the type of winter conditions encountered in the northern US or Canada would be wise to change over to winter tires between November and March because the standard B.F. Goodrich or Firestone all-seasons become too hard to provide proper handling and braking on snow and ice. As V-6s go, the 2.5 liter job isn't especially powerful though it provides all the sap I need and I average 26 mpg year-around with the 5-speed manual gearbox. Seating is OK in the front but pretty cramped in back, but I rarely carry more than one passenger, so it's no concern to me.
1999 Mercury Cougar Specs
The car now has 84,000 mi. On it, and I intend to keep it at least two more years because it meets my needs, and I have been satisfied with most of its features and performance. It's too bad Ford discontinued this car after only a 4-year run, but 2-door hatchbacks don't sell that well in N. Yet the last generation of Cougars was quite unique, and any long-term reliability assessments of it rated it above average in almost all categories except for a tendency for either fuel or water pumps failing prematurely. I also don't like the fact that the oxygen sensors have to be replaced after about four years though this is common on many cars dues to the emission controls. So it's been a fairly good car that I regard as part of the family.
3 out of 5 stars by Duke Girl Forever from Raleigh NC on Sat Sep 21 2013 I, like another reveiwer, am on my 3rd alternator in 6 years. There is an electrical issue somewhere that no one seems to be able to pinpoint. The car belonged to my son, and he hated it from the beginning because the headlights (and dash lights) would 'pulse' and it can be annoying. I drive it now and it doesn't bother me BUT the underlying cause does. No one can figure out why but having gone through 3 alternators I'm sorry to say it's time to move on. The car is stylish and comfortable but obviously has major issues.
99 Mercury Cougar Engine
It also has some slippage in the transmission but so far, knock on wood, it's doing ok. I really wanted to keep it for a few more years but that last alternater was the breaking point for me. Our Take on the 1999 Mercury Cougar When I say Mercury, what do you think of? Some may think of the '49 Merc, a car that's immortalized in celluloid. Others think of chrome-encrusted land yachts.
Parts For 99 Mercury Cougar
A member of my family said that they're just like Fords, only a little uglier. But, in the era of brand management, where companies want their brands to conjure up specific images in people's heads, this just won't do. And so, there's the 1999 Mercury Cougar, a fast-forward look at the new styling direction for the division. Say goodbye to the jellybean. Say hello to 'new edge.`' Ford already has employed this look on such European models as the Ka, Puma and Focus. So it's no surprise that, since the Cougar was designed by Ford's.