Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

1988 Mercury Cougar vs 1990 Mercury Cougar

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric1988 Mercury Cougar1990 Mercury Cougar
NHTSA complaints5586
Recall campaigns00
Service bulletins (TSBs)2233
Investigations55
Crash reports78
Fire reports69
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)18–2118–20
Median reported incident mileage

Reported problems side by side

ComponentMercury CougarMercury Cougar
Seat Belts1615
Electrical System1219
Vehicle Speed Control1018
Engine and Engine Cooling69
Service Brakes, Hydraulic39
Visibility44
Exterior Lighting35
Steering24

Compare all Mercury Cougar vs Mercury Cougar years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.