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#BS-1978-MERCOU-51DE

1978 Mercury Cougar

Based on reports from 2 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Recalls

TSBs

✅

Preliminary Verdict

Green Light

Based on 2 complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Seat Belts:front:retractorHIGH

1 owners reported seat belts:front:retractor issues — failures commonly reported around 42K miles.

!Inspect the Seat Belts:front:webbingMED

Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure

+ 3 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Seat Belts:front:retractor (1 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Seat Belts:front:retractor1 (50%)

Seat Belts:front:webbing1 (50%)

1978 Mercury Cougar: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Seat Belts:front:retractor Issues

Seat Belts:front:retractor complaints account for 50% of all reports filed for the 1978 Mercury Cougar, with 1 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 42,267 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 42K-mile mark.

Seat Belts:front:webbing Issues

Seat Belts:front:webbing complaints account for 50% of all reports filed for the 1978 Mercury Cougar, with 1 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to seat belts:front:webbing-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

08E019000Mar 2008

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

INTERCONTINENTAL AUTO PARTS IS RECALLING 1,937 FUEL FILTERS, P/NOS ALG 44/1 AND PUROLATOR F10024, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 14 AND FEBRUARY 13, 2008, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE FILTER'S OUTLET CAP MAY NOT BE SECURELY CRIMPED TO THE HOUSING. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SEPARATION OF FILTER'S OUTLET CAP FROM THE HOUSING.

78V108000Sep 1978

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH SHOULDER HARNESS RETRACTORS THAT MAY NOT LOCK. SHOULD THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN DECELERATION OR IMPACT, THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE RESTRAINED BY THE SHOULDER HARNESS PORTION OF THE THREE-POINT SEAT BELT SYSTEM. FURTHERMORE, THE SHOULDER HARNESS RETRACTORS MAY NOT ALLOW EXTRACTION OF THE SHOULDER BELT WEBBING DUE TO A PRE-LOCKED CONDITION. THIS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE TO THE EMERGENCY LOCKING RETRACTOR PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES".

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Mercury Cougar is the 2000 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 2 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mercury Cougar Model Years

2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962

View all Mercury Cougar years →

1978 Mercury Cougar: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1978 Mercury Cougar?

The most commonly reported issue with the 1978 Mercury Cougar is related to the seat belts:front:retractor, with 1 complaints filed with NHTSA.

Is the 1978 Mercury Cougar reliable?

The 1978 Mercury Cougar has 2 complaints, 1 crash reports, and 0 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.

How much does it cost to fix 1978 Mercury Cougar problems?

Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.

Does the 1978 Mercury Cougar have any recalls?

Yes, the 1978 Mercury Cougar has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

What mileage do Mercury Cougar problems start?

Based on 1 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 42,267 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.

What’s in the full report?

10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.

How is this different from free NHTSA data?

NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.

How is this different from Carfax?

Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.

What if the report isn’t useful?

100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.

Get the Full 1978 Mercury Cougar Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 2 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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