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1979 Mercury Cougar

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1979 Cougar.

The 1979 Mercury Cougar is the subject of this reference overview. The model's documented complaint history spans the years 1990 to 2002, reaching a high of 521 complaints in 1999. With a low of one complaint recorded in 1998, the 1979 model year sits outside this specific reliability dataset.

Model year200220012000199919971996199519941979

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length215.4 in
Overall width76 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase114.2 in

Reliability & federal safety record

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

3
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
’90’91’92’93’94’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E019000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 06/03/2008

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… Remedy: INTERCONTINENTAL WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING MARCH 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT INTERCONTINENTAL AT 800-451-2593.

79V117000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And LinkagesReported 15/05/1979

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH BRAKE PUSH-ROD TO BRAKE PEDAL RETAINING PINS WHICH WERE NOT HEAT-TREATED AS SPECIFIED. THIS COULD ALLOW THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BECOME DISENGAGED FROM THE PUSH-ROD. Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT BRAKE RETAINING PIN.

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.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codes

Frequently asked

Does the 1979 Cougar have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.