NHTSA Complaint #755600 — 1999 MERCURY COUGAR

5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS COUGAR, THERE WAS A HUGE POWER STEERING LEAK. CALLED AROUND FOR SOMEONE TO FIX IT, BUT DEALER WAS THE ONLY CHOICE. WE WERE TOLD IT COULD BE A BAD PUMP AND THAT WOULD COST $450 TO FIX. THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID THE WHOLE GEAR WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST US $700. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT RACK AND PINION GEAR SHOULD NOT GO BAD ON A 2 YEAR OLD CAR. WE ALSO CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS, WHO DID NOTHING TO HELP US. WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK. DEALER ALSO FAILED TO NOTIFY US OF 5 OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THIS CAR. THEN, 2 DAYS AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM STEERING BEING FIXED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT AND STRANDED OUR 19 YEAR DAUGHTER AT 2 IN THE MORNING. THIS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ONE OF THE RECALLED ITEMS. THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE FIXED THIS DURING THE 3 DAYS WHEN THEY HAD THE CAR .*AK