NHTSA — Air Bags: Frontal Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
11 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,167 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1999 Mercury Cougar seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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1999 Mercury Cougar Owner Comments

problem #18

Sep 262003

(reported on)

Cougar

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Consumer stated while traveling 20 mph vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy.

- South Burlington, VT, USA

problem #17

May 312003

Cougar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,000 miles
Passenger side air bad deploys in a parked car causing injury and damage worth $3,500 and Ford refuses to pay for it. On 31st May 2003, we went to the library to drop off our books. We parked our car, and I got down to drop the books. My wife, who was sitting on the passenger side turned around to pick more of the books from the back seat and her side air bag blew out. She brought her hand forward to cover her face and was hit by the blown air bag. Airbag deployed when the car was parked. The car is a 1999 Mercury Cougar smoke started coming out and we had to call the fire department. Per, fire department captain, they have never seen this case before. Luckily, the smoke was just the air bag powder. Side air bag deployed. Air bag cover hit the windshield, which cracked the whole windshield. The force of deployment also popped out air vent and the dashboard. When we called up Ford, they asked us to claim it through our insurance. But when we told them that it did not make sense they told us send the vehicle to a Ford dealer where they can run diagnostics. Current mileage is around 64,000. Ford says that one of the modules was faulty and also this module has warranty of 5 years or 50,000 miles. But this was not mentioned in any of their service manuals. Also nobody pointed this out when the car had the Ford recommended 60,000-mile maintenance and check we also made repeated calls to Ford, to give us in writing that the air bags deployed due to faulty unit. But they are refusing to do so. Progressive, our insurance agent has said they cannot cover it and that we have to talk to Ford (they did say that if this incident caused a collision, they would have paid for it). Ford says this is out of warranty. How do we come to know which part is going to cost us in future because it has run out of warranty, if nobody points out the problem during routine maintenance.

- Newcastle, WA, USA

problem #16

May 312003

Cougar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles
The consumer parked vehicle, took the key out from the ignition switch, and at that moment, the passenger's air bag deployed.

- Newcastle, WA, USA

problem #15

Dec 022002

Cougar

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While traveling on the highway without physical contact with another vehicle. The driver side airbag went off and crack the windshield. Please fill in additional information dealer is aware of the problem.

- Greendale, IN, USA

problem #14

Oct 282002

Cougar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Consumer was traveling approximately 45-50 mph and was hit on driver's side which caused vehicle to crash head-on into a pole. Both driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. Ts

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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problem #13

Nov 012002

Cougar

  • miles
Consumer states that when hit at 45mph in the front center of the vehicle the air bag did not deploy causing minor injuries to the consumer. Dealer notified

- Los Angles, CA, USA

problem #12

Aug 022002

Cougar

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I hit the car in front of me traveling at 40mph, my seatbelt did not restrain me, my lip hit the steering wheel which made my teeth go all the way through. The air bags did not deploy either, so my head broke the windsheild. The lap portion of the seatbelt kept me from going all the way out, I had bruises on my abdoman from it.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #11

Nov 282001

Cougar

  • miles
Driver swerved to miss deer and impacted a light pole head on at 75 mph, car rolled - air bags did not deploy - will notify Ford in the morning.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #10

Nov 272001

Cougar

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving 45 mph consumer's vehicle hit another vehicle on passenger's side, total front crash. Upon impact, driver's airbag did not deploy, no injuries. Damage to vehicle unknown at this time.

- Williamsville, NY, USA

problem #9

Nov 302000

(reported on)

Cougar

  • miles
The PCRV failed prior to recall notice 00V-075 resulting in 2 accidents, the air bags failed to deploy during both accidents. Nlm

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #8

Jan 102001

Cougar

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Oil filter combusted due to pressure. Engine has been destroyed!!! car is a year and a half old with 24,500 miles. I have a number of problems that have occurred with this car. I have ignored due to they come and go. Such as rattling noises from the trunk, cigarrette lighter is dead, gas gauge doesn't read properly all the time, lights illuminate for rear light out, airbags, coolant, next time start up car they are out"?" I had a Saturn for 5 years never had a problem. I have this Cougar for a year and a half and look at all these problems. I am sorry a car that is a year and a half should not be getting a new engine!!!! I am extremely disappointed with Mercury. I will never get another one again.

- Hoboken, NJ, USA

problem #7

Nov 302000

(reported on)

Cougar

  • miles
The PCRV failed prior to recall notice 00V-075 resulting in 2 accidents, the air bags failed to deploy during both accidents. Nlm

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #6

Apr 141999

Cougar

  • miles
The air bags did not deploy and the seat belts failed to restrain consumer during a head on collision causing her to hit her head on the upper windshield, two months later while driving the airbags deployed falsely when there was no impact. Nlm

- Colts Neck, NJ, USA

problem #5

Jul 032000

Cougar

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
While driving on a 4-lane highway, lights on the dashboard lit up and engine died. Then, consumer lost control of the vehicle. With no brakes or steering vehicle started to spin out of control and hit a guardrail at about 55mph. Consumer said it was a engine problem. Airbags did not deploy.

- Weston, FL, USA

problem #4

Apr 112000

Cougar

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Vehicle was involved in frontal crash. Upon impact, driver's seatbelt did not lock up, causing driver to hit windshield. Also, driver's airbag deployed after driver hit windshield and was thrown back into seat, causing a major concussion. Vehicle was a total loss.

- Romulus, MI, USA

problem #3

Jan 122000

(reported on)

Cougar

  • miles
Vehicle was traveling at 35mph and hit a pothole a tire blew out, and driver's side and passenger's side airbags deployed. Dealer says the pothole messed up the airbag sensor.

- Chimayo, NM, USA

problem #2

Dec 121999

Cougar

  • miles
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision at 44mph and the airbags did not deploy, resulting in injuries. Dealer has been notified.

- Inverness, FL, USA

problem #1

Aug 291999

Cougar

  • miles
While driving about 25mph something hit the windshield, causing both airbags to deploy. Then, vehicle swerved and hit the curb.

- Carterville, IL, USA

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