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1992 Mercury Cougar

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 Cougar.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1992 Mercury Cougar is a passenger car requiring 4.0 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. This model year recorded 123 total owner complaints, primarily in the area of exterior lighting, along with three recalls. Within the model's history from 1990 to 2002, the 1992 version's reliability record sits between the high of 521 complaints in 1999 and the low of one complaint in 1998.

Model year2002 2001 2000 1999 1997 1996 1995 1994 1992

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Thermostat

RT1053 discontinued · alt RT1052

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	198.8 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	52.8 in
Wheelbase	113 in
Curb weight	3616 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)	57/43

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.0 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.0 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.0 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 mi	PCV Valve (replace) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

The 1992 Mercury Cougar sits at the beginning of an upward complaint arc, with 123 federal complaints, 3 recalls, 4 investigations, and 48 TSBs — up from 90 complaints in 1990 and 93 in 1991, but well below the 210 complaints recorded in 1993 and the generation's peak of 521 complaints and 9 recalls in 1999. Across the 1990–2002 record, complaints trend modestly higher through the early 1990s, escalate sharply into 1993, remain elevated through 1995, dip in 1996, then spike dramatically in 1999 before tapering off through 2002. Because 1992 predates the larger complaint volumes of 1993–1995 and the 1999 peak, it sits in a comparatively quieter pre-escalation window. The leading 1992 complaint categories are Exterior Lighting (27), Engine & Engine Cooling (19), Fuel System, Gasoline (11), and Vehicle Speed Control (9), though the data does not specify root causes; crash and fire complaints are low at 6 and 2 respectively. Given its lower complaint count and position before the generation's most troubled years, the 1992 Cougar is one of the more favorable years to consider in this generation.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

123

Owner complaints

6 involved a crash · 2 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

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

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 123 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Exterior Lighting27

Engine & Engine Cooling19

Fuel System, Gasoline11

Vehicle Speed Control9

Service Brakes, Hydraulic9

Seat Belts5

Power Train5

Structure5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

99V275000Exterior Lighting:Headlights:SwitchReported 12/10/1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS, IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS MAY GO OUT FOR VARIOUS INTERVALS AND WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY FLICKERING OR BLINKING AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH WHICH INCORPORATES A CIRCUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN, AND INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, IF NEEDED.

97V159000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 22/09/1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MAINE, MICHIGAN… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PLASTIC CONVOLUTE COVERING AROUND THE FUEL LINES. IF THE LINES SHOW A LEAK, THE LINES WILL BE REPLACED FIRST.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 48 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
03148	2003-07-21	Power Train	NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER - SERVICE TIPS. 2003 ESCORT AND SUPER DUTY F SERIES…
02208	2002-10-14	Equipment	CLIMATE CONTROL A/C SERVICE TECH TIPS. *EH
02176	2002-09-02	Exterior Lighting	LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ
0214	2002-01-21	Engine And Engine Cooling	SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO…
01181	2001-09-17	Power Train	BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB

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.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 4.0 qt Thermostat RT1053

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1992 Cougar take?

4.0 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1992 Cougar have open recalls?

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