MercuryCougar1987Overview/mercury/cougar/1987/base/

1987 Mercury Cougar

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Cougar.

The 1987 Mercury Cougar, riding on the Fox platform and available with a range of engines, requires 4.0 quarts of 5W-30, 10W-30, or 10W-40 oil. With 39 total owner complaints and a single recall, its most frequently cited issue is the electrical system. This model year falls outside the 1990–2002 complaint history, where the 1999 model recorded the highest number of complaints (521) and the 1998 model the fewest (1), meaning the 1987 Cougar’s reliability data is not directly comparable to those later years.

Model year200220012000199919971996199519941987

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 10W-30 / 10W-40OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Serpentine beltE4DZ8620D
ThermostatRT1053 discontinued · alt RT1052

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length200.8 in
Overall width71.3 in
Overall height53.9 in
Wheelbase104.3 in
Curb weight3133 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)56/44

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 / 10W-30 / 10W-40 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50
Engine Oil Capacity4.0 qt

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 30,000 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 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 60,000 miEGR Vacuum Control Solenoid 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 1987 Mercury Cougar’s federal profile is defined by 11 Electrical System complaints and 10 Seat Belts complaints, accompanied by 9 fire-related and 4 crash-related reports, though the provided year-by-year record commences in 1990 and contains no data for 1987 or immediately adjacent model years. Because the target year sits entirely outside the 1990–2002 dataset, it cannot be mapped onto the generational trend visible in those later years, which sees complaints climb from 90 in 1990 to a peak of 521 in 1999 before tapering. Without contiguous earlier figures, the 1987 model’s elevated fire and electrical complaint counts stand as isolated risk indicators rather than part of a documented year-over-year escalation. Prospective buyers should treat this absence of comparative data cautiously: the 1987 Cougar is not shown to be safer or more problematic than its successors in this record, but its specific concentration of electrical and fire complaints means thorough pre-purchase inspection of the wiring and seat-belt systems is essential, making it a conditionally acceptable buy only after those areas are vetted.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
22
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
39
Owner complaints
4 involved a crash · 9 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 39 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System11
Seat Belts10
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Engine & Engine Cooling,Electrical System2
Fuel System, Gasoline2
Vehicle Speed Control2
Power Train,Electrical System,Service Brakes1
Visibility1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

87V139000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 04/09/1987

SPRING LOCK FUEL LINE COUPLING MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ENGAGED. Remedy: INSTALL RETAINER CLIPS OVER THE COUPLINGS TO PREVENT COUPLING SEPARATION AND FUEL LEAKAGE.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 22 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
011562001-08-06VisibilitySOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC
011572001-08-06Unknown Or OtherINFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC
0023102000-11-13Power TrainSUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE…
00152000-01-10Power TrainINFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS
992221999-10-18Electrical SystemSUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING…

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 1987 Cougar take?

4.0 qt of 30W. MULTI-VISCOSITY: BELOW 100 degrees F 5W-30. ABOVE 0 degrees F 10W-30 OR 10W-40. ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40. ABOVE 20 degrees F 20W-40 OR 20W-50, per the factory manual.

Does the 1987 Cougar have open recalls?

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