2002 Mercury Cougar Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 2%of 95 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 172,112miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2002 Mercury Cougar, 2% of the 95 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 172,112 miles.
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.
“I'm having the same issue with my 2002 Mercury Cougar as everyone else, but when I put my VIN number into the search, there are no recalls listed for it. I don't think that its right that my life be put in serious danger because of an apparent design issue. This car is losing all power and shutting down. It doesn't matter how fast you are going, it happens at all speeds. We thought the alternator was bad, had it replaced and the battery at the same time. The same day, the car lost all power again and died out going 60 MPH on the highway. …”
NHTSA complaint #10668046, filed 2014-12, 179,225 miles“The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Cougar. While driving unknown speeds, the headlights dimmed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the protected wiring cover was deteriorating. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10994500, filed 2017-06, 165,000 milesExterior 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 2002 Mercury Cougar
49 complaintsEngine cooling
11 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaintsEngine
9 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 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