MercuryCougar2002Overview/mercury/cougar/2002/base/

2002 Mercury Cougar

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Cougar.

Body PASSENGER CAR

Defined as a passenger car, the 2002 Mercury Cougar requires 4.5 quarts of 5W-20 API engine oil. This specific model year generated 111 total owner complaints primarily centered on the Fuel System, Gasoline, alongside three recorded recalls. When viewed against the model's complaint history covering 1990-2002, which ranges from a low of 1 in 1998 to a peak of 521 in 1999, the 2002 iteration represents a moderated reliability profile rather than an extreme outlier.

Model year200220012000199919971996199519941993

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque85-105 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 40R · 590 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 40R · 590 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-60R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6 inOEM · verified

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 85-105 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5.8 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts12.0-15.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts13.0-16.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0-22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts85-105 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub214 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub214 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)845 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)55 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)MT: 772.5, AT: 730 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)MT: 42.5, AT: 30 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.0.043 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.63 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.76 oz
Standard BCI Group Number40R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number40R

Service checks

Pressure Test13-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature187-194 °F
Pressure Test13-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature183-190 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)35-65
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)35.0-60.0

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket30 ft-lbs / 89 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle89 ft-lbs / 85-105 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.125; Rear: 0.125 in
Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.79 in / 0.95 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 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.

Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
At 45,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miPCV Valve (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miTiming Belt (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

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 2002 Mercury Cougar sits in the mature phase of its second generation (1999–2002), trailing the launch-year turbulence of 1999 — which posted a peak 521 complaints, 9 recalls, and 229 TSBs — and the still-elevated 2000 (213 complaints, 5 recalls). Compared to the cleaner 2001 model (82 complaints, 3 recalls, 61 TSBs), the 2002 edges upward to 111 complaints and 42 TSBs, suggesting mild regression rather than a new defect wave, with fuel-system issues (34 complaints) leading the category breakdown ahead of power train (12) and engine cooling (10). Safety-relevant counts are modest at 9 crash-related and 1 fire-related complaint, and no federal investigations were opened, which is consistent with the post-2000 cooling-off pattern. Taken together, the 2002 falls in the lower-complaint tail of the generation's arc and benefits from most launch-year bugs having been addressed by then. For a used buy, 2002 is a defensible choice within this generation — not the cleanest year, but markedly better than 1999–2000 and worth prioritizing over them.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
42
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
111
Owner complaints
9 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 111 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline34
Power Train12
Engine & Engine Cooling10
Visibility7
Air Bags6
Engine4
Fuel System, Other4
Tires4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E033000SuspensionReported 14/04/2008

FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS… Remedy: FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.

06E022000Service Brakes, HydraulicReported 13/03/2006

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA… Remedy: AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 42 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
0421072004-12-13Power TrainGENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT
042172004-11-01Power TrainGENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT
041742004-09-06Electrical SystemMALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES…
0415142004-08-09VisibilityREAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR…
0315012004-07-12VisibilityINOPERATIVE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER (HEATED BACKLITE) GRID LINES, INTEGRAL ANTENNA…

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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 Cougar take?

4.5 qt of 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 Cougar have open recalls?

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