Vehicle recall 01V031000 · February 6, 2001
1999-2000 Mercury Cougar
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5L V6 engines.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5L V6 engines. The battery cable was misrouted and its attachment to the alternator cable was under-torqued. If misrouted, the cable could contact the power steering line and the insulation could wear, resulting in an electrical short.
- Consequence
- The short could potentially result in a fire, stalling, or a no-start condition.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the battery cable to the alternator for damage and, if it is damaged, will replace the cable. Additionally, the routing of the cable will be corrected, as necessary, and a routing clip will be added. Also the torque on the alternator attachment of the cable will be checked and, as required, will be tightened to specification. Owner notification began March 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
- Notes
- Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 01V031000
- Reported to NHTSA
- February 6, 2001
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Manufacturer campaign
- 01S02
- Owner notification
- March 22, 2001
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 120,000
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Mercury Cougar (1999-2000): 2000, 1999
Has your Mercury been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Mercury dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.