MercuryCougar1971Overview/mercury/cougar/1971/base/

1971 Mercury Cougar

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1971 Cougar.

The 1971 Mercury Cougar's documented complaint history from 1990 to 2002 reveals significant volatility in reported issues, with volumes swinging from a single complaint in 1998 to 521 complaints in 1999. This dramatic fluctuation indicates uneven long-term dependability patterns that researchers should weigh when assessing the model's service record. When viewed through this reliability lens, the 1971 Cougar exhibits a sporadic complaint profile characterized by a pronounced peak in 1999 rather than consistent reporting across the twelve-year tracking period.

Model year200220012000199919971996199519941971

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

70V115000Structure:Frame And MembersReported 25/09/1970

Remedy:

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Cougar. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1971 Cougar have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.