NHTSA Complaint #10139073 — 2001 MERCURY COUGAR

THE METAL SUNROOF ON MY 2001 MERCURY COUGAR BROKE FREE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE DRIVING. FORD APPARENTLY USED PLASTIC PARTS IN THE ASSEMBLY WHICH HOLDS THE METAL SUNROOF TO THE CAR. THESE PARTS FAILED AFTER ONLY 26,500 MILES. IF THE DRIVER SIDE ASSEMBLY HAD ALSO BROKEN, THE METAL ROOF COULD HAVE FLOWN OFF THE CAR AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. A COMPLAINT WEBSITE (WWW.COUGARSUNROOF.COM) CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 800 COMPLAINTS OF 1999-02 COUGAR METAL SUNROOF'S FAILING IN A SIMILAR FASHION. SEVERAL OF THESE COMPLAINTS NOTE THAT THE METAL SUNROOF ACTUALLY FLEW OFF THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. FORD CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DEFECT, BUT NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE INJURED OR DIE IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THESE DEFECTIVE METAL SUNROOF'S BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED? *JB