1997 Mercury Cougar Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 1about this part
- Share
- 1%of 76 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 1 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 1997 Mercury Cougar, 1% of the 76 complaints for this model year.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Ford headlights: cloudy lenses: ford made autos have plastic lenses/headlights that cloud up over time, within 5 years to 10 years, that limit effectiveness of the headlights at night. I personally have hit curbs and narrowly missed pedestrians etc due to inability to see them at night due to low headlight brightness. The ford/Mercury dealer informs me that to replace the fogged lenses, I will have to pay him $350.00 per headlight for a whole new assembly. Lenses are not sold separately, he says. Cannot be cleaned, he says. …”
NHTSA complaint #10183370, filed 2007-02Exterior lighting: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2 | 2% |
| 2001 | 2 | 2% |
| 2000 | 8 | 4% |
| 1999 | 34 | 7% |
| 1997 | 1 | 1% |
| 1996 | 1 | 2% |
| 1995 | 1 | 1% |
| 1994 | 3 | 2% |
| 1993 | 24 | 12% |
| 1992 | 27 | 29% |
| 1991 | 8 | 11% |
| 1990 | 5 | 6% |
| 1989 | 3 | 4% |
| 1988 | 3 | 5% |
Other parts of the 1997 Mercury Cougar
30 complaintsBrakes
12 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsSuspension
6 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsTires
4 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsSteering
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Mercury Cougar
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology