1999 Mazda Protege vs 1999 Mercury Cougar
Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
| Metric | 1999 Mazda Protege | 1999 Mercury Cougar |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA complaints | 88 | 454 |
| Recall campaigns | 1 | 5 |
| Service bulletins (TSBs) | 95 | 229 |
| Investigations | 0 | 1 |
| Crash reports | 21 | 23 |
| Fire reports | 1 | 3 |
| NCAP overall rating | — | — |
| EPA MPG (combined) | 23–27 | 20–25 |
| Median reported incident mileage | 65,033 mi | 68,717 mi |
Reported problems side by side
| Component | Mazda Protege | Mercury Cougar |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 6 | 99 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 72 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 67 |
| Power Train | 22 | 50 |
| Visibility | 1 | 52 |
| Air Bags | 21 | 31 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 39 |
| Tires | 12 | 27 |
Symptoms owners describe
| Stalling | 6 | 48 |
| Hesitation / surging | 0 | 25 |
| Vibration / shaking | 0 | 16 |
| Check engine light | 0 | 12 |
| Brake problems | 0 | 12 |
| Loss of power | 0 | 11 |
| Won’t start | 0 | 10 |
| Clunking / rattling | 0 | 10 |
1999 Mazda Protege
1999 Mercury Cougar
Compare all Mazda Protege 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.