Ford Thunderbird vs Mercury Cougar
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Ford Thunderbird
- Total complaints
- 2,335
- Avg per model year
- 112
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 3
- Most complained year
- 1993 (423)
Top problems: Engine and Engine Cooling, Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical System
Mercury Cougar
- Total complaints
- 1,841
- Avg per model year
- 105
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 5
- Most complained year
- 1999 (454)
Top problems: Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System, Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Complaints by model year
| Year | Ford Thunderbird | Mercury Cougar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 93 | 95 | ||
| 1997 | 169 | 76 | ||
| 1996 | 233 | 62 | ||
| 1995 | 261 | 109 | ||
| 1994 | 300 | 137 | ||
| 1993 | 423 | 195 | ||
| 1992 | 184 | 92 | ||
| 1991 | 112 | 73 | ||
| 1990 | 140 | 86 | ||
| 1989 | 124 | 81 | ||
| 1988 | 92 | 55 | ||
| 1987 | 61 | 33 | ||
| 1986 | 23 | 13 | ||
| 1985 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 1984 | 26 | 17 |
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.