NHTSA Investigates 200,000 Ford Escape and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs for Shattering Tailgate Glass

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has opened a preliminary investigation concerning 200,000 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs from the 2010 and 2011 model years, after receiving several complaints that the window glass in the tailgate allegedly shattered without warning.

The safety agency said it received 18 complaints noting that “the liftgate window glass shattered spontaneously, while opening the liftgate or while closing the liftgate. In one alleged injury incident, the complainant and her 10 year old son were cut by glass fragments."

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Mercury Grand Marquis - Saving the Best for Last

And the Marquis stands alone. With the discontinuation of the Ford Crown Victoria in the consumer market, Mercury’s Grand Marquis is the last survivor in a family lineage that can be traced back to the Model T, and for that matter, the very beginning of the Ford Motor Company. It is also the very last of a breed of full-size, rear-drive, full-framed family sedans for which America’s Interstates

Mercury Milan - Comes with a Great Pedigree

You may have noticed that the Mercury Sable was not only a bit geriatric, but was also a staple of the nation’s rental fleets. This fact has not slipped by the product planners at Mercury. To fill in the lower-priced end of the mid-size segment, Mercury launched a MAZDA6-based sedan in the fall of 2005, the “Milan”.According to Darryl Hazel, Lincoln Mercury president, “We use the words ‘different

Mercury Mariner Hybrid — Going Green Gets Better

We were intrigued during a visit to New York City by the large number of Ford Escape Hybrid taxis plying the streets of Manhattan.Makes sense when you figure hybrids are at their best in slow stop and go traffic. The gas engine remains at rest much of the time. And a small SUV that will comfortably hold as many passengers and as much luggage as a big Crown Vic while deriving as much as 10 more

Mercury Milan Hybird - Mercury's Efficient Midsize

Three of my favorite mid-size cars are the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ that are all based on the excellent Mazda6 architecture. The same platform spawned the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers. What they lack in brute power and cavernous interiors, they make up for with refined handling, rock solid body structures, and enduring quality. You sense their Japanese heritage, no

Mercury Mariner Premier

The Ford Escape has proven over nearly a decade of production to become one of the most popular compact SUVs of all time by combining tough style, spirited on-road performance, and just enough soft-road capability to get to the mountain cabin, Boy Scout camp, or favorite fishing spot. Upscale models pass for elegant and luxurious, but there’s still a certain panache missing. That’s where Mercury

Mercury Milan Hybrid

With the industry tightening belts and nameplates being retired left and right, it comes as a bit of a surprise to see that Mercury’s still around. That’s not to say that the brand has no right to live; thousands of loyal Mercury buyers would certainly argue that it’s got a place on the automotive landscape. Still, Mercury has been high on the automotive dead pool lists for over a decade now, and

Mercury Milan Hybrid

When we get a hybrid or other high-mileage vehicle to test drive we have a different goal than perhaps most automotive reviewers. We try to get the worst mileage possible driving with all our bad habits on display.Sounds crazy huh? But we already know the EPA mileage numbers — which are fairly accurate since the government revised its criteria in 2008 — and we’ve usually already read that some

Is the Cougatti Just the Purtiest 2002 Mercury Cougar you ever did see?

Sure, most people would love to have a Bugatti Veyron; sadly, at over a million bucks a pop we're talking a vehicle that's slightly out of reach for most consumers. Thankfully, one man and eBay have rectified this issue with something we'll call a Cougatti (or Bougar).

Based on a 112,000-mile 2002 Mercury Cougar with a V6 and automatic transmission, this one-of-one Cougatti has a starting bid of $89,000 and no takers as of this writing. Potential buyers get all the body work, 20-inch wheels, angel eye HID headlights, LED tails, two gas caps (one functional), and power windows/mirrors.

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Mercury Marauder Convertible Concept, 2002

Mercury Marauder Convertible Concept, 2002

 

From 2003 to 2004, Ford produced the Marauder as a "high-performance" version of the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan.

The 2003 Mercury Marauder was based on the Ford Panther platform which utilizes a hydroformed steel frame, front rack and pinion steering, in addition to totally revised front and rear suspension with monotube shock absorbers, the Marauder also had a naturally aspirated 4.6 L DOHC V8 with 302 hp and 318 ft·lbf torque. 2004 was the last year for this Marauder mostly due to lackluster sales, blamed by some on bland styling and an incorrect target audience. Originally, they were produced in "any color the customer desired, so long as it was black." Eventually, the Marauder was offered in silver, blue, and red but in limited quantities.

After the Marauder was discontinued, the Ford Crown Victoria LX Sport remains and bears a similar appearance to the Marauder but is powered by the lesser 4.6 L 2-valve SOHC V8 engine rated at 239 hp. The LX Sport still offers the same exterior and interior colors of the Marauder, however it uses wood grain trim on the dashboard and doors, unlike the Marauder, which used aluminum.

Mercury Marauder Concept, 2002

Mercury Marauder Concept, 2002

 

 

From 2003 to 2004, Ford produced the Marauder as a "high-performance" version of the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan.
The 2003 Mercury Marauder was based on the Ford Panther platform which utilizes a hydroformed steel frame, front rack and pinion steering, in addition to totally revised front and rear suspension with monotube shock absorbers, the Marauder also had a naturally aspirated 4.6 L DOHC V8 with 302 hp and 318 ft·lbf torque. 2004 was the last year for this Marauder mostly due to lackluster sales, blamed by some on bland styling and an incorrect target audience. Originally, they were produced in "any color the customer desired, so long as it was black." Eventually, the Marauder was offered in silver, blue, and red but in limited quantities.

After the Marauder was discontinued, the Ford Crown Victoria LX Sport remains and bears a similar appearance to the Marauder but is powered by the lesser 4.6 L 2-valve SOHC V8 engine rated at 239 hp. The LX Sport still offers the same exterior and interior colors of the Marauder, however it uses wood grain trim on the dashboard and doors, unlike the Marauder, which used aluminum.

Total production for the 2003 - 2004 Mercury Marauder was 11,052:
    * 2003 - Total: 7839 (328 Blue, 417 Silver, 7094 Black)
    * 2004 - Total: 3213 (980 Dark Toreador Red, 997 Silver, 1236 Black)

Mercury Cougar Zn, 2001

 Mercury Cougar Zn, 2001

 

 

The decline of personal luxury cars downsized the Cougar to return as a sports car after 25 years as a personal luxury car. Of the three names that had constituted Ford's personal luxury lineup, Mark, Thunderbird, and Cougar, the Cougar returned first. This time, it is based on the CDW-27 platform, the same platform that serves as the basis for the Ford Mondeo (Ford Contour & Mercury Mystique in the United States and Canada).

This generation of Cougar had a far more contemporary package, with modern DOHC 4-valve engines, a fully independent multilink suspension, and front-wheel drive. This was also the first hatchback Cougar, and the first to have its own body, unshared by any Ford. The body design used a philosophy Ford dubbed "New Edge" design: a combination of organic upper body lines with sharp, concave creases in the lower areas. The Cougar's body, and the New Edge idea in general, was introduced as a concept called the Mercury MC2 in 1997.

The 1999–2002 Cougars were available with two engine options, the 2.0 L Zetec 4-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower, and the 2.5 L Duratec V6 with 170 horsepower. Also, two transaxle options were available: the manual Ford MTX-75 transmission (the only available option with the 4-cylinder Zetec engine), or the automatic Ford CD4E transmission (available in the U.S. with either engine, although the I4/Automatic combo was extremely rare; supposedly only 500 Cougars were built with the I4/Auto combination). "Sport Package" models with the V6 featured 4-wheel vented disc brakes (from the Contour SVT), and had no speed governor installed.

Interestingly, Ford also sold this generation of Cougar in Europe and Australia as the Ford Cougar, but was not a sales success—surprising given that the Mondeo sold well in many countries outside North America.

This generation never sold well. Admittedly, demand for all coupes continued to dwindle, but the sedan versions also languished in North America, suggesting that the Mondeo platform was simply not well suited there—though there is a theory that Ford did not market the Contour and its Mercury Mystique twin properly while the market for the similarly sized BMW 3 Series grew. A high-performance Cougar S (not to be confused with the concept) was discussed in the press, which was essentially a Contour SVT with a Cougar body; however, this version never made it into production. In order to help create excitement for the Cougar, Mercury created several paint and trim packages:
    * C2 (2001-2002 model years) available in either French Blue, Silver Frost, or Vibrant White, along with special blue interior accents
    * Zn (2000-2001 model years) available with special Zinc Yellow paint, special Visteon hood scoop and spoiler
    * XR (2002 model year) available in either Black or Laser Red, with special black and red seats and interior trim

Mercury Cougar C2, 2001

Mercury Cougar C2, 2001

 

The decline of personal luxury cars downsized the Cougar to return as a sports car after 25 years as a personal luxury car. Of the three names that had constituted Ford's personal luxury lineup, Mark, Thunderbird, and Cougar, the Cougar returned first. This time, it is based on the CDW-27 platform, the same platform that serves as the basis for the Ford Mondeo (Ford Contour & Mercury Mystique in the United States and Canada).

This generation of Cougar had a far more contemporary package, with modern DOHC 4-valve engines, a fully independent multilink suspension, and front-wheel drive. This was also the first hatchback Cougar, and the first to have its own body, unshared by any Ford. The body design used a philosophy Ford dubbed "New Edge" design: a combination of organic upper body lines with sharp, concave creases in the lower areas. The Cougar's body, and the New Edge idea in general, was introduced as a concept called the Mercury MC2 in 1997.

The 1999–2002 Cougars were available with two engine options, the 2.0 L Zetec 4-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower, and the 2.5 L Duratec V6 with 170 horsepower. Also, two transaxle options were available: the manual Ford MTX-75 transmission (the only available option with the 4-cylinder Zetec engine), or the automatic Ford CD4E transmission (available in the U.S. with either engine, although the I4/Automatic combo was extremely rare; supposedly only 500 Cougars were built with the I4/Auto combination). "Sport Package" models with the V6 featured 4-wheel vented disc brakes (from the Contour SVT), and had no speed governor installed.

Ford also prepared two high performance concept-only versions dubbed the "Eliminator", which was a supercharged version built with aftermarket available parts, and the "Cougar S", which featured new body work, all-wheel drive and a 3.0 L Duratec engine.

Interestingly, Ford also sold this generation of Cougar in Europe and Australia as the Ford Cougar, but was not a sales success—surprising given that the Mondeo sold well in many countries outside North America.

This generation never sold well. Admittedly, demand for all coupes continued to dwindle, but the sedan versions also languished in North America, suggesting that the Mondeo platform was simply not well suited there—though there is a theory that Ford did not market the Contour and its Mercury Mystique twin properly while the market for the similarly sized BMW 3 Series grew. A high-performance Cougar S (not to be confused with the concept) was discussed in the press, which was essentially a Contour SVT with a Cougar body; however, this version never made it into production. In order to help create excitement for the Cougar, Mercury created several paint and trim packages:

• C2 (2001-2002 model years) available in either French Blue, Silver Frost, or Vibrant White, along with special blue interior accents
• Zn (2000-2001 model years) available with special Zinc Yellow paint, special Visteon hood scoop and spoiler
• XR (2002 model year) available in either Black or Laser Red, with special black and red seats and interior trim

For the 2001 model year, the Cougar was "updated" with new headlights, front and rear facsias, and updated interior trim.