Is the Ford Cougar reliable?

The Ford Cougar has an average MOT pass rate of 69% across 4 years, based on 1,087 tests in 2026. That's 13 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2001 with a 76% pass rate.

Which year Ford Cougar is best?

The 2001 Ford Cougar has the highest MOT pass rate at 76%, while the 1998 model has the lowest at 58%. There's a 18 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Ford Cougar

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 4 years from 1,087 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

69%

Total Tests

1,087

Best Year

2001 (76%)

Years Covered

About the Ford Cougar

The Ford Cougar has been tested 1,087 times in 2026 MOT data across 4 model years (1998 to 2001), with an average pass rate of 69%. That's 13 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as petrol.

Best and Worst Years

The 2001 model is the most reliable with a 76% pass rate from 263 tests. The 1998 model has the lowest at 58%. With a 18 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Newer FORD COUGARs show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 9 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1998) averages 101,624 miles, while the newest (2001) averages 94,678 miles. Older models have covered serious mileage, so suspension and drivetrain wear are worth checking.

Compared to the Ford brand average of 85%, the Cougar is 16 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Ford models.