1993 MERCURY COUGAR Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

1993 3.8 L BLEW A HEAD GASKET AT 97K. $1200 OUT OF MY POCKET. I DON'T EVEN MAKE THAT MUCH A MONTH. I WILL NEVER BY A FORD AGAIN. *JB

MY 1993 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 HAS BLOWN A HEAD GASKET TWICE (ONE AT 80,000 MILES AND ANOTHER AT 120,000 MILES.) AND AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET ENDLESSLY I HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE TO MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO TRY AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *LA

HEAD GASKET BLEW @ 114,000 MILES ON 93 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8 V-6 ENGINE. TWO REPAIR SHOPS HAVE STATED "EVERYBODY" IN VEHICLE REPAIR BUSINESS KNOWS THE 3.8 ENGINE HAS GASKET PROBLEM TO THE POINT THE GASKETS BLOW IN ONE OF TWO PLACES. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF CAR AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED. UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME 3.8 FORD ENGINES, BUT NOT THE '93 ENGINE. *NLM

CONSUMER STATES IT IS HARD TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT TAKES NUMEROUS TRIES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING, SMOKE /STEAM CAME FROM THE TAIL PIPE.HAD VEHICLE TOWED. HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN OUT. *AK

THIS IS A WRITTEN COMPLAIN REGARDING A COMPANY RECALL ON REPLACING HEAD GASKET FOR ALL MERCURY COUGAR (3.8V ENGINE) 1994 AND UP. I OWN A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 3.8V ENGINE WHO HAS THE SAME ENGINE PROBLEM AS THE 1994, BUT THE MERCURY COMPANY DECIDED TO HAVE A RECALL ON ALL 1994 MODELS ONLY. WELL, I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE RECONSIDER SINCE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM APPEARED TO MY CAR AND HAD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE HAS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. HOWEVER, THEY COULDNT DO IT UNDER THE MANUFACTURE RECALL DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE CAR BEGIN 1993 AND NOT 1994. I HAD TO PAY $1000.00 OUT OF MY BUCKET TO HAVE IT DONE BY A MERCURY/LINCOLN DEALER, WHICH I FELT IT WAS UNFAIR TO BE GETTING PENALIZED FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OF. I TOOK...

CONSUMER STATED FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WAS SMOKING EXCESSIVELY. TOOK TO DEALER AND DEALER INDICATED HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. NLM

WHILE DRIVING 30-50MPH, VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING. ANTIFREEZE STARTED COMING OUT OF TAILPIPE AND MIXED WITH OIL IN THE ENGINE. TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INDICATED HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN.*AK *SLC

PAID 3,200.00 FOR A USED CAR FOLLOWED MY GIRLFRIEND HOME AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MUFFLER AND IT HAD A SWEET SMELL.THE DEALER TOLD ME THE MACHANIC SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR WHEN WE BAUGHT IT AND THE NEXT DAY AFTER WE BAUGHT THE CAR IT WAS OVERHEATING SO WE CALLED THE DEALER (LARRY)BUT HE WASNT THERE AND THE GUY I TALKED TO SAID NOT TO WORRY THEY'LL FIX IT OR REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER CAR BUT TO CALL BACK AND TALK TO LARRY FIRST SO WE CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND HE SAID HE COULDNT HELP US BUT OFFERED TO FIX IT BUT WE HAD TO PAY FOR IT.FEELING WE ALREADY GOT SCREWED BY THEESE PEOPLE WE WERENT GOING TO RISK IT. SO WE FINALY TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MACHANIC AND HE SAID THE CAR HAD A BROKEN HEAD GASKET, AND THAT THE ENGINE HAD...

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY, WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK *YD

LEFT HUB IS STARTING TO GO OUT..THE LOCK IS STUCK ON MY IGNITION SWITCH SO I CANN'T CRANK MY CAR..MOTOR MOUNT BROKE.*AK

HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT NOT THE FIRST TIME I OWEND FORDS & THIS HAPPEND!!NO MORE FORDS FOR MEEEE!!! ALL JUNK BOXES.*AK

DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND SHUT DOWN- BROUGHT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED. ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 3.8 LTR ENGINES. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET ON A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8 LITER V6 FAILED AT 66999 MILES ON 8/20/97 PAST THE WARRENTY PERIOD. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE HEADS ALSO OCCURRED REQUIRING MACHINING AND REPAIR TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $1,548.65 WHICH INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: HEAD REPAIR, HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT, COOLANT REPLACEMENT, SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT, THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT, VARIOUS GASKET REPLACEMENT, DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT, O2 SENSOR REPLACEMENT, AND OTHER MINOR REPAIRS. REPAIRS TOOK 7 DAYS TO COMPLETE. DEALER WOULD NOT COVER COST OF REPAIR UNDER WARRENTY. FORD WAS ALSO CONTACTED AT THAT TIME BUT SAID THERE WAS NOT A GENERIC PROBLEM AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGES WENT UP, AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM EXHAUST PIPE THAT SMELLED LIKE FIRE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, MECHANIC STATED TWO HEAD GASKETS WERE BAD. MECHANIC REPLACED TWO HEAD GASKETS. *AK MECHANIC STATED THAT HEADS WERE WARPED VERY BADLY DUE TO THEM BEING MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. *SLC

FORD EXTENDED WARRANTIES FOR 1994 & 1995 3.8L ENGINE BECAUSE ADMITTEDLY, FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. THIS WAS OFFERED TO OWNERS OF MUSTANGS, THUNDERBIRDS AND THUNDERBIRD SUPERCOUPS FOR 100,000 MILES. I'VE CONTACTED FORD FOR THE SAME OFFER AS I PAID OUT-OF-POCKET FOR MY BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, ALSO TOWING. *AK

ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID LEAK GOING INTO GASKET, CONSUMER HAD GASKETS AND COVERS REPLACED. *AK *SLC

TEMPERATURE GOES UP AND DOWN, THERE'S WATER IN OIL, AND CAR SPUTTERS. IT IS HEAD GASKET. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT CERTAIN MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR HEAD ENGINE, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK *JB

WITHIN 81,000 MILES ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING BECAUS ETHEY HAVE PREMATURELY BLOWNOUT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH LOSS OF COOLANT, AND 3.8L V6 ENGINE OVERHEATED. VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE,. ALSO MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK *JB

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS BLEWOUT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.*AK *JB

THERE WAS NO HEAT IN VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE A HEAD GASKET THAT WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. HAD TO REPLACE HEAD GASKET AT OWNERS EXPENSE FOR $1200.00. *AK *SLC

HEAD GASKET BLEW AT 67,000 MILES , ANTI FREEZE WAS GETTING INTO ENGINE. REPORTED TO DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND A TWO TO THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR REPAIR. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE AND HAD THE HEADS REWORKED AND HEAD GASKET REPLACED. IT COST ME $1000.00 OUT OF MY POCKET. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH ENGINE STARTED OVERHEATING. THEN, HAD TO PARK VEHICLE AND REFILL WATER. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC SAID THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWNOUT. *AK

KNOWN PROBLEM WITH 3.8 ENGINE.. RECALL ON 94'S AND 95'S BUT NONE ON 93'S. I'VE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE RECALL FORD SENT OUT CONCERNING THE 3.8 LITER ENGINE WITH FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. BOTH OF MINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A SIGNIFICANT COST.*AK

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SIEZE UP AND BE DESTROYED, AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS PROVIDED FOR THE 1994 MODEL WITH THE SAME EXACT ENGINE AND SAME PROBLEM. NLM

THE HEAD GASKET BLEW DAMAGING THE ENTIRE ENGINE, THE MANUFACTURER EXTENED THE WARRANTY FOR 1994-1995 MODEL VEHICLES BUT NOT THE 1994 COUGAR ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE SAME V6 3.8 ENGINE. NLM

LOOK AT ALL THE 3.8L HEAD GASKET COMPLAINTS - WHY NO RECALL OR ACTION FROM YOU? *AK

HEAD GASKET BLOWN DUE TO MANUFACTOR DEFECT. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET REPLACED, 2/7/01 TIMING COVER GASKET REPLACED, VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT SAME PROBLEM, ENGINE SMELLING HOT AND SWEET, COOLANT RESERVE TANK NOT HOLDING ANTIFREEZE, IDLE ROUGH AND HESITATION OCCURRING WHEN ACCLERATING/DECELERATING, VEHICLE ONLY DRIVEN 4,000 MILES SINCE HEAD GASKET REPAIR, SERVICE PROGRAM 99B29 DOES NOT INCLUDE 1993 COUGARS. CJ

TRAVELING 35MPH WHEN TEMPERATURE LIGHT WOULD GO TO HOT. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL OUT. HAVE TAKEN TO MECHANIC, AND WAS INFORMED THAT HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT HEAD GASKETS. *AK

ON FEBRUARY 5, 2001 AFTER PREVIOUSLY PAYING CROSSROADS LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER IN INDIANAPOLIS IN JANUARY OF 2000 $1140.82 FOR HEAD GASKET REPAIR AT 59039 MILES, NOW MY CAR WITH 62913 MILES IS BACK AT THE SAME DEALER FOR ANOTHER COOLANT LEAK. THE DEALER HAS CONFIRMED IT IS THE ENGINE FRONT COVER GASKET LEAKING. I DISCOVERED FORD HAS RECALLED 1996 AND 1997 COUGARS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT 1993 COUGARS. SAME STORY WITH THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR NOT BEING COVERED BY FORD'S EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE 3.8L V-6 ENGINES FOR 1993 OWNERS. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF SENDING A LETTER TO WILLIAM FORD AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY ALONG WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF INDIANA. I WILL BE SENDING COPIES TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY.*AK

IN FALL OF 1999, TOOK CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT LOCAL MECHANICS WITH TEMPTERATURE GAUGE GETTING HOT, LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, ROUGH IDLING, WHITE SMOKE. SPENT OVER $800 FOR TUNE UP, NEW PARTS, WINTERIZING AND SO FORTH. IN JANUARY, 2000 SYMPTONS REOCCURED UNTIL ENGINE LOCKED UP - TOOK TO CROSSROADS LINCOLN MERCURY - CHARGED $1200 FOR HEAD GASKET REPAIR. DEALER INFORMED ME MANY COUGARS HAVE BEEN COMING IN WITH SAME PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I WAS GIVEN A 12 MONTH, 12,000 MILE WARRANTY (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST) AND NOW ON JANUARY 30TH, 2001 NOTICED THE SAME SYMPTONS AGAIN. HAVE ONLY DRIVEN CAR APPROX 5,000 MILES SINCE FIRST REPAIR BUT MY 12 MONTHS EXPIRED BY A WEEK. NOW CAR HAS SAME SYMTPONS AND AGAIN WILL COST ME $1200 TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM REMEDIED. HAVE TRIED TO SEE IF RECALL IS IN EFFECT BUT CAN NOT FIND ANY INFO ON IT. I FEEL...

I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE MY HEAD GASKETS. AFTER SPEAKING TO SEVERAL SERVICE STATIONS AND LOOKING THIS UP ON THE WEB, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH COUGARS AS WELL AS WINDSTARS, MUSTANGS, TAURUS', SABLES, ETC. FORD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE 94/95 COUGARS TO COVER THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT REPAIR MINE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFFECTIVE PART AND A MAJOR PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT OPTIONS I HAVE. THANK YOU. *AK

VEHICLE STALLED AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ON H, DEALER STATED ANTI-FREEZE WAS LOW AND REPLACED IGNITION, HOWEVER PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND THIS TIME BOTH HEAD GASKETS WERE FOUND LEAKING INTERNALLY, DEALER REPLACED BOTH HEAD GASKETS, THERE IS A RECALL, HOWEVER CONSUMER'S VIN IS NOT INCLUDED, CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED FOR SECOND TIME.*AK

HEAD GASKET BLEW ON ENGINE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN A BIG PROBLEM IN THE 3.8L V-6 BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL. IT IS ADMITTEDLY A FACTORY DEFECT. I THINK FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR.

HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS EVERY 25,000 MILES.*AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE/COMMON PROBLEM WITH 93 COURGAR/ALUM HEAD. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 25MPH ON SIDE STREET, AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS HESITATING, AND THEN VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK

3 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS ALL CONFIRM THAT THE 3.8L ALUMINUM ENGINE IS PRONE TO BLOW A HEADGASKET DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 69,000 MILE ON 3.8L ENGINE. TAKEN VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. ALSO, MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

OWNER EXPERIENCED ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, VEHICLE MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 77,445. *CJ

3.8L ENGINE; THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW . THE HEAT INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD GO OVER TO HOT. THE THERMOSTAT WAS CHANGED. THE FORD DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.THE MANUFACTURER HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE 1994-1995 VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME ENGINE.*AK *SLC

MY ENGINE DEVELOPED A HEAD GASKET LEAK, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. I ASKED THE AUTO MECHANIC, WHY THIS HAPPENED, AND HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE ALUMINUM HEADS, IT IS A COMMON OCCURENCE, AROUND 75,000 MILES. *AK

FAILURE OF HEAD GASKETS. *AK

OWNER EXPERIENCED ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, VEHICLE MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 77,445. *CJ

ENIGINE HEAD GASKETS WENT OUT AT 62,000 MILES, CAUSING A MAJOR OIL LEAK AND ENGINE DAMAGE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE OVER HEATED INTERMITTENTLY. REPLACED MANY PARTS, BUT STILL IS HAVING A PROBLEM. DEALER STATED HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AFTER VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE MISSING/WHITE SMOKE AND COOLANT LEAKAGES. INFORMED OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK