l do not have brake lights, l have checked the bulbs,and checked any fuses in the ckt.Next step is check wires.Is there any other component involved, a relay or circuit board?
l do have tail lights, and back up lights, just no brake light.From a previous response most shops wo not work on Cougars.l need to learn as much as l can about keeping this car running right on my own.Any help will be appreciated.

first off get a test light & there is a brake light switch at the top of the brake pedal is if cruse control its going to have vacuum lines there as well that is so if cruse is engaged & u hit the brakes its shut of the trans deucer anyway , there r wires doing to the switch with pedal depressed both sides or wires must be hot, only one hot with peddle in the off position, if this is out of adjustment its the problem, or if only one side is hot when brake is depressed, but an out of adjustment will do this as well, & may not need a switch, OK if all is good u need to verify some things, next get a Friend to push the brake peddle or a stick or block put on the brake pedal, then remove the a brake light bulb with th test light grounded take the pointed end & poke the wire before is goes into the bulb holder must be hot test light will light up, then check the holder right were the bulb plugs in & check there as well must be hot is wire is holder not need new holders, , if the vehicle has a sentinel brake controller its the problem, u could have power back their but u need to verify the switch & then can make a diagnosis, some one could have pinched a wire when putting something back there & it could be a grounding problem, but from my chair l go with the brake switch first OK good luck

Do u have the third brake light working?

If yes, check the turn signal switch for problems

If no, check for a burnt connector near the brake pedal as I've seen a few of those. On the brake switch, one wire is hot at all times, the other when probed with a test light will only work when the brake pedal is depressed. But my guess is to look for a burnt wire going to the brake pedal... (outside chance the break is in the fuse box or a bad switch. but my guess is the pedal switch connectors)

and the most shops that wo not work on them is independants that do not use manuals. These cars scare the hell out of them cause it is more like a Contour/Mystique/Mondero than anything else Ford has, & a lot of people wo not do work on a contour because it is confusing (depends on what it is but usually electrical like this l find only dealers r even willing to crack at)