MercuryCougar1976Overview/mercury/cougar/1976/base/

1976 Mercury Cougar

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1976 Cougar.

The 1976 Mercury Cougar Overview anchors this reference entry, though the model complaint history on file covers model years 1990 through 2002 rather than the 1976 model year itself. That dataset peaks at 521 complaints for 1999 and falls to a low of just 1 in 1998, offering the only quantitative reliability markers available here. Because these figures apply to years outside the 1976 model year, that specific model sits apart from this particular complaint trajectory, meaning its standing in the broader Cougar reliability history must be drawn from sources beyond this record.

Model year200220012000199919971996199519941976

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length214.6 in
Overall width76 in
Overall height52.8 in
Wheelbase114.2 in
Curb weight4374 lb

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.

76V067000Vehicle Speed Control:CablesReported 29/04/1976

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 1976 Cougar have open recalls?

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