1988 MERCURY COUGAR — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

ON FEB 12, 1994 MY WIFE AND HER FRIEND TOOK MY RED 1988 MERCURY COUGAR LS TO CHURCH AT 6:30 PM. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY FOGGY EVENING. I RECEIVED A CALL AT THE HOUSE AT 6:50 PM THAT MY WIFE HAD BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND THAT I NEEDED TO COME TO THE SITE. MY CAR WAS IN MINT CONDITION INSIDE AND OUT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I SAW THE CAR, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!! MY WIFE, WITNESSES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOODYEAR TIRE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS THE MERCURY COUGAR?S COMPUTER THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO GO FULL-THROTTLE. DIANE, MY WIFE AND PASSENGER TESTIFIED THAT WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED, SHE PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR. AFTER NO AVAIL, SHE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SPIN INTO A HEAVILY TRAVELED INTERSECTION. AS THE VEHICLE SPUN, MY WIFE TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO ?PARK?. UNFORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE CHANGED INTO ?REVERSE?, SENDING THEM THROUGH A GAS STATION, AT FULL-THROTTLE, BACKWARDS. AT THIS TIME, THE PASSENGER PANICKED. SHE UNBUCKLED HER SEATBELT AND OPENED THE DOOR WHILE TRAVELING IN REVERSE. THE DOOR MOMENTARILY PINED HER TO THE GROUND, RESULTING IN MAJOR FRACTURES OF THE HIP AND OTHER MINOR INJURIES. THE CAR FINALLY CAME TO REST IN THE WOODS ADJACENT TO THE GAS STATION WITH MAJOR FRAME DAMAGE, A SEVERED FUEL LINE AND ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE DESTROYED. MY WIFE WAS SHAKEN, BUT NO INJURIES. WITNESSES STATED THEY CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING THE GAS PUMPS. AT THE TIME, MY FATHER-IN-LAW, A RETIRED GM MECHANIC BLAMED THE EVENT ON MY WIFE. UNTIL I BECAME COMPUTER SMART AND HAVE READ SO MANY ARTICLES THIS WEEK ON FORD VEHICLES SURGING, I THOUGHT I HAD BETTER REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO HELP OTHERS WHO APPARENTLY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE. *JB

THE RIGHT SELTBELT BUCKLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FAILS OFTEN. FORD NO LONGER SUPPLIES THESE BUCKLES, AND THEY ARE VERY SCARCE IN WRECKING YARDS.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A TIRE THAT FAILED FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. FRONT LEFT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM A CHEVROLET BLAZER 1984, AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. VEHICLE HIT TWO OTHER VEHICLES, ONE BEING THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE. DURING THE CRASH CONSUMER'S WRIST WAS BROKEN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK *JB

THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT IGNITE IF THE GEAR SHIFT IS NOT COMPLETELY UP. IT APPEARS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH AND THE GEAR SHIFT.*AK

RECALL 96 V 071 000/IGNITION SWITCH: RECALL REPAIRS WAS DONE AT BAYWAY LINCOLN, MERCURY; HOUSTON, TX; PHONE# 281/ 929-6500. AT THE PRESENT TIME PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK