NHTSA Complaint #10091110 — 1999 MERCURY COUGAR

CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI CASE NUMBER: 10070550 COMPONENT: OTHER DETAILS: EXHIBITING A STARTER GRINDING NOISE AND / OR LACK OF STARTER DRIVE ENGAGEMENT (FROM TSB). THE FLYWHEEL DEFECT FIRST APPEARED IN JUNE 2001 WHEN THE COUGAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY IN YEARS AND MILEAGE. WHEN THE DEFECT SURFACED, THE COUGAR WOULD NOT KICK-OVER IMMEDIATELY, HOWEVER THIS OCCURRED VERY INFREQUENTLY. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO CONSISTENT PROBLEM TO RECOGNIZE AND RECTIFY. OVER THE ENSUING MONTHS THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. AT THIS POINT, I RECOGNIZED THERE WAS A POSSIBLE MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM I WAS EXPERIENCING WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE FLYWHEEL. ITS TEETH WERE SOFT AND THE DEFECT HAD WORN AWAY THE STARTER. THE FLYWHEEL HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE STARTER MOTOR AND IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO FIRST BE REMOVED. CAUSE: RESULT: OCCURENCES: 1INJURIES: 0 FAIL DATE: 10/15/2002DEATHS: 0 MCS CHECK DATE: 4/25/2004 I INQUIRED ON THE COST FOR THE FLY WHEEL, WHICH HAS JUST BEEN RELAYED TO ME BY MY MECHANIC, THAT IT IS NOT THE STARTER. THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST SAID THE COST WOULD BE $1,030.00 OR SO. I HAVE A 1999 MERCURY COUGAR. *JB