2001 MERCURY Sable

my tranny was serviced regularly with filters and flushes some time later after purchasing the car i started experiencing tranny issues particularly in the form of delayed or no up shift 1-2 from stop lights at this time i was unaware of the issues/campaigns against the ax4n transmission as well as many other style trannys i did what any person would do i had the tranny completely rebuilt to the tune of 3,000 dollars shortly after that rebuild the tranny failed again in the same manner as before i am now aware of the campaigns/ongoing issues with this tranny i contacted ford and explained the situation and they said they didn’t know what i was talking about and couldn’t do anything for me despite there is a complete section in all data talking about the same exact issues i have been having and that the solution is to replace the trans axle i didn’t get a free replacement i ask that this be investigated to see if something can be done for me in the form of a refund or even replacement for free or at a reduced rate its time someone hold ford responsible i cannot begin to describe the number of close calls i have had when the tranny decides to screw up its sheer luck nothing has happened

while driving home from a vacation to Canada. The right rear wheel started making noise, approximately 15 to 20 minutes later at 70 mph the tire was flat. Upon further inspection, while attempting to change the tire, I noticed the spring broken and protruding towards the tire. This had caused the tire to go flat. I have since noticed numerous complaints about similar problems, however Ford only recalled the front springs. I now not only do I have to get the springs replaced but I will need a new tire as it is beyond repair as well.

Transmission failed at 44000 miles without any notice at all. This car is two years old and just out of the warranty. Ford would not do anything about it.There is something very wrong about this!!!

There was a recall notice on my 2001 Mecury Sable that I never received. I wound up having to struts replaced on my car because they sheared off while I was driving the car. Had Ford sent me the recall notice on time – this work could have been prevented. In November after unsuccessfully trying to resolve this through the Ford Customer Service department, I sent a certified letter to Ford as well as the CT Attorney General. Ford has since responded that they stand by their decision not to reimburse any portion of the bill that I had to pay.Below is the letter to Ford that I have copied and pasted into this e-mail.November 27, 2006Ford Motor CompanyAttn: Rochelle16800 Executive Plaza DriveP.O. Box 6248Dearborn, MI 48121Dear Rochelle:Over the last few months I have attempted to obtain resolution to an issue around a recall notice that I never received for my 2001 Mercury Sable. Here are the details of what has occurred:On Tuesday August 8, 2006 the day after I returned from vacation with my family, I heard a strange noise as I was driving my son, Jack, to his day-care facility. As I pulled into Jack

The cowl breached seal on the front passenger floor board and would flood the carpet when it rained.The vinyl door upholstery panels have an epoxy foam backing which deteriorates on ALL Tauruses and Sables of the 2000-2005 design after two years or less due to a design flaw in which the panel is adhered with a foam adhesive but not wrapped or stapled as is the standard design practice.

SPRING AND STRUT BROKE CAUSING DEEP GROOVE IN SIDEWALL OF RIGHT REAR TIRE. COST OF REPLACING:SPRING,STRUT,TIRE, AND BOTH FRONT ROTORS $960.00

See failures

I went Fry’s Electronics store, I was only in the store for 45 minutes came out and my car was unfire above the steering wheel. Date Sunday Aug. 28,2005. Each time my car was repaired it was defect like a month before this happen I had to put the car in the shop a Lincoln Mercury on Mission street in Hayward California because of the ABS light had come. My car only 70,000 mile on it. My insurance company total my car and I was not give anything for what I paid for car and now the Citi financial want me to pay them a balance of $4938.82 and I don’t have any money to pay them

I own a 2001 Mercury Sable. The transmission went at 2500 miles and it is acting up agin at 22,000 miles. I brought it to the dealer and they can not detect the problem at this time since it is an intermitent problem. I also had a problem with brakes and rotors. At 11,000 miles my rotors had to be replaced, now the dealer claims they meerly cut the rotors. Now at 22,000 miles, my rotors had to replaced because they were completely shot. This car is a complete nightmare and Ford needs to correct these problems or stop making these vehicles.

Planetary gear failure

2001 ford sable gs with broken rear coil springs customer states that this is a design defect**nar**cc the consumer stated while getting a routine oil change it was discovered both rear springs were broken and the springs and struts had to be replaced. the consumer stated he would like an investigation to be done and reimbursed for out of pocket expenses for the defect. *tr

2001 mercury sable wiper cowl and pollen air filter was full of water. *ts ***nar*** the blower and defroster were inoperable.

Consumer 2001 mercury sable brake system caused 3 accidents. *ts the consumer had already had the accidents by the time the recall was issued. the consumer requested a full report relating to the recall. *jb

2001 mercury sable left rear coil spring had broke and cut the tire.*mr *jb

The consumer received a recall for the vehicle's coil springs. the repairs can not be made until december 2004 because the parts are not available. *nm *nm

Rear driver's side coil spring fractured completely while driving puncturing the driver's side rear tire.*mr the manufacturer has issued a recall on the front coil springs but not the rear. *nm

My car has a defect which has been repaired under warranty 3 times and now it looks like a 4th that could be at my expense. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the airbag light illuminated briefly, and the vehicle was taken to the dealership. the dealership performed a diagnostic test and determined the airbag sensors were inoperative.

My 17 year old was driving the 2001 mercury sable and came to a complete stop at a light on a busy intersection however, the car automatically accelerated even with his foot on the brake. the acceleration stuck and fortunately he was able to control the vehicle without hitting anyone and causing an accident but immediately managed to get it to an open lot to shut the car off. had someone look at it, and it was the throttle cable that snapped. it is only temporarily fixed at this time. also, when driving in areas where there is any type of small bump, such as the end of our driveway, the front end suspension just isn't there. it hits extremely hard. *tr

I haven't had this car vary lone and i was driving close to my home in witch i live in the tn. smoky mountains. the roads are curvy i had just pulled out from a tee intersection and a car came fast up behind me so i stepped on it and that is when the throttle stuck so i kicked it fast and hard and it freed up. if this had been in a different situation i may have wrecked the car. so i started to do some research on this and found recalls so i did a vin# check and found out the recalls for this car were done and all this happened on 11-19-2016 so on 11-21-2016 i had to go out and i stopped by a dealer to check on my findings and i was told the same thing and at that point i went to check on a new throttle cable and maybe the part that was put on to fix the problem and that the parts would need to be ordered and thats when i found out that it wasn't the cable that was the problem that later ford had found that it was the throttle body that was causing the problem and of course that was never reveled because that part is a 400.00 part and the cable was a 100.00 part. so this needs to be recalled again. my car has 154500 miles. nhtsa — vehicle speed control problems 2001 mercury sable nhtsa — vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal problems 2001 mercury sable close investigation subject : speed control cable damage date investigation opened: oct 24, 2012 date investigation closed: jun 26, 2013 nhtsa action number: pe12033 component(s): vehicle speed control all products associated with this investigation expand details close 10 associated documents expand manufacturer: ford motor company

I got in my car started to drive and heard something snap then smoke came from the hood and the car pulled hard right. i immediately stopped and parked the car. the coil spring broke and dug into my front passenger tire and it pulled the axle out of the cv joint.i was in allentown,pa. on a main road in the city. feb.8,2020.

Sudden acceleration and continued high rpms. accelerates without depressing accelerator pedal. this is a known issue for mercury sable / ford taurus 2000-2003 and i just discovered a recall was done in 2013 by ford. the cause is a malfunctioning of the throttle body and/crusie control cables.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 40 mph, the brake warning indicator illuminated. also, while approaching a red light with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle failed to stop. the contact had to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. the contact powered off and restarted the engine while at a red light and was able to drive home. the vehicle was later towed to helfman ford (located at 12220 southwest fwy, stafford, tx 77477, (281) 240-3673) where it was diagnosed that there was a faulty brake sensor that needed a brake master cylinder replacement. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. the approximate failure mileage was 40,200. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle accelerated when the brake pedal was depressed. the failure occurred without warning. the contact had to depress the brake pedal with full force to get the vehicle to eventually stop. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 02v266000 (service brakes). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 113,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 50 mph on the highway, the accelerator pedal suddenly dropped down and the vehicle accelerated to 120 mph. the contact shifted into neutral, but the rpms continued revving at maximum capacity. when the vehicle started to slow down, the contact turned off the engine. the vehicle eventually came to a rolling stop on the side of the road. the contact waited ten minutes and attempted to restart the vehicle, but the engine revved up again; therefore, the contact quickly turned the vehicle back off. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. future ford of sacramento (4625 madison ave, sacramento, ca 95841, (916) 473-1047) stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 180,000.

Transmission issues included a near death experience when faulty cruise control wiring / functionality caused automatic transmission to rev to to high rpms. was unable to shift to neutral gear and was forced to jump from vehicle to avoid potentially fatal wreck. brake pads burned through to the calipers when trying to brake.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 5 mph, the vehicle brushed against a curb and the side impact air bag deployed. the contact was not injured. the vehicle was taken to terry's ford of peotone (363 s harlem ave, peotone, il 60468, 708-258-9200) and was not diagnosed, but it was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the vin was not available.

Throttle got stuck forcing car to accelerate even when not touching the gas pedal. thankfully the brakes worked and i was able to stop the car and put it into park, at which point the engine revved to 4000 rpm. once the car was turned off, it let off some white smoke with a burning oil smell. according to my mechanic, the speed control cable collar fractured. i was on the highway when this happened, doing 65 miles per hour.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. the contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to slow the vehicle. the contact placed the vehicle in neutral to slow it down, but the engine continued to rev at a high rpm. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the failure was intermittent. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Front coil springs both broken and replaced. rear coil spring brole and punctured tire causing the vehicle to become stranded.

For over ten (10) years the headlights (but not the side driving lights) have been going off (for about 3 minutes) and then coming back on. this does not occur every time the lights come on and seems to be more frequent in the summer time when it is warm or hot outside. the date below is just approximately when this problem started and is not the only date/'time it has occurred, it has occurred sporadically but continuously since that date.

While driving the sable at approximately 25 mi. per hr.(clear road,dry conditions)in congested traffic conditions. going through a set of traffic lights,luckily the light had just turned green,,the vehicle suddenly surged up to 3000 rpm. fortunately,going through the lights, my foot was near the brake pedal. when i heard and felt the acceleration ,i immediately hit the brake and kept my right foot on it as the vehicle continued to push forward with full brakes applied. luckily the vehicle was under the brakes control,while still revvvving, i put the vehicle into neutral and pulled over,tuned ignition off. the front disc brakes were smoking. opened hood,noticed nothing unusual, this is the only report of this incident.will seek immediate cure today. this is my 66 y.o. girl friend car.she is now horrified to use it! november 5,2015.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated unintentionally when driving. on another occasion, while at a stop light, the vehicle accelerated independently. the contact stated that firm pressure had to be applied to the brake pedal to keep the vehicle from lunging forward. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 164,000.

My mechanic advised that the coil spring is lacking a cover and is rusting and may break. my transmission "slips" and "revs" at random. both of these items are supposedly under recall, but ford will not honor the recalls.

While under acceleration 50%-75% the throttle cable can slide out of the cable retainer and keep the throttle from returning to idle leading to the throttle being stuck open resulting in speeds over 100mph if no action is taken.

The engine cradle/frame supporting the engine & transmission and suspension and steering assemblies failed due to excessive corrosion causing the rear mount at the body connection on both sides to separate and drop about 3" causing a loss of steering. the drop of the cradle and engine and transmission pulled down on the steering shaft universal joint under the dash causing the steering to bind up and also causing the entire steering and suspension geometry to fail. the vehicle was not garaged, was purchased new by me, was not in involved in any flood damage, was not in close proximity to salt water and the undercarriage was sprayed each time i frequently washed the vechicle. the engine cradle in addition to the rear mount failure has extensive rust and corrosion thruout the structure. as someone who pays attention to my vehicle i began to notice rust/corrosion on the engine cradle about 5 years after purchasing the vehicle and have searched the internet for similar complaints without finding any. i'm wirtting this after finally seeing a complaint on a 2001 ford taurus cradle/frame failure and think this dangerous condition should be made public. thankfully i was going at a slow speed and was able to veer the vehicle to the side of the road. had i been traveling at highway speed the event would have been catastrophic not only to me but others on the road also. loved my vehicle it runs great and was looking foward to more miles with it, unfortunately the repair would be a major undertaking and expense and my sable is to head to the junk yard on a flatbed.

I was on my way home from work around 9am the driver seat side air bag deployed for absolutely no reason.

The front driver door will not shut in cold temperatures. as i was trying to leave for work the door would not latch shut. ended up holding the door shut while driving down the road. i went and bought a ratchet strap to secure the door in place as it is often cold in wisconsin.

Something drastically wrong with the radiator system, antifreeze is always brown, have it changed and in 1 day it turns brown. the windows have been broken in this car since 2005, the two front windows do not go up and down, i don't feel safe without the windows working. there is something wrong with the suspension and i constantly have to put air into my tires and tires wear out quickly because suspension is messed up. windshield washer has not worked since 2003. if it was built with pride like the company says it is, it would be a nice car. falls apart too easily. i need help. *tr

I was driving along the highway at approximately 45 mph when suddenly accelerator sped up to a high rate of speed. could not slow down when braking. car continued to accelerate. could not get car to slow down no matter what i tried. had to turn car off to come to a stop. the local wichita falls ford company says there is recall for this problem, but i have read all over the net that it is a problem ford motor company said that it would fix. called ford motor co. headquarters and they said there is no recall issued for this problem and they will not fix it. i should not have to pay for this when ford knows it is an ongoing problem. i am 73 years old and do not have money for this kind of repair. *tr

Going to work and going up a steep hill on a windy 2 lane highway and topped the hill at approximately 40 mph and when i let off the throttle the throttle pedal returned but the speed stayed at 40 mph and at 4000 rpm. i punched and released the throttle pedal and it went to 6000 rpm and didn't return. i stepped on the brakes and slowed the vehicle a little but not much. i was coming up on a turn at a high rate of speed and had to shift in to neutral and shut the car off. i coasted to the side of the road and raised the hood. i seen that where the throttle cable and the cruise control cable went in to the mounting bracket that the cruise control cable was hanging out the side of the grey plastic holder that holds it into the mounting bracket. the grey plastic guide holder had broke and the cable had slipped out of the holder and wasn't able to go back in when the throttle was open thus left the throttle half open. i was able to manually slide it back into the grey plastic guide holder and put wire on it to safely get it home. the holder needs to either be metal or a better grade of plastic. the grey plastic guide holder is also the same as the one on the throttle cable. i'm sure its going to break soon also. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2001 mercury sable. the contact's vehicle was struck head on by another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed. the contact sustained a head injury, but no medical attention was received. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin and speed were not available. the failure mileage was 33,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while the vehicle being serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that both front coil springs fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v332000 (suspension). the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

My mechanic noticed that the rear spring was worn. this, he said, was cause for a recall in the front spring in 2005. however, there was no similar recall for rear spring. my mechanic said this part should not have worn out like this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while the vehicle was being inspected, the mechanic noticed that the front and rear coil springs fractured. the contact noticed a severe vibration underneath the vehicle and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. the two rear tires were damaged and replaced due to the defective coil springs. an independent mechanic stated that the front and rear coil springs were faulty. the coil springs were not replaced and the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 147,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while the brakes being depressed, the engine rmps increased. the brake pedal was released and the vehicle accelerated. the contact was able to place the vehicle in park and there was smoke coming from under the hood. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 68,133 and the current mileage was 68,136.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated was driving 20 mph and became involved in a head-on crash. the air bags failed to deploy. both the driver and a passenger sustained injuries to the back, neck, and several lacerations to the head and face. a police report was filed of the incident. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not inspected to determine the cause of the air bag deployment failure. the failure and current mileage was 125,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the alarm system and interior lights would activate independently and recurringly. the vehicle was not taken for diagnosis or inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the incident. the approximate failure mileage was 189,000.

The drivers seat belt does not latch (lock) properly. the belt has on numerous occasions became unfastened when driving. the drivers belt also does not retract after use. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while sitting in the parked vehicle, an assailant approached the vehicle with the intent to commit a crime. the assailant struck the driver’s side window with only his elbow and the window shattered, causing many lacerations to the contact’s face. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 120,576.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the front passenger side coil spring broke. the contact was able to drive onto the emergency lane when the failure occurred. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. the contact notified the manufacturer regarding nhtsa recall campaign id number: 04v332000 (suspension) and was informed that the vehicle was included in the recall, but that it would not be repaired because it was a 2001 model and even though the recall was issued in 2004 and had been 10 years since the vehicle was made. the failure and current mileage was 74,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph the vehicle accelerated on its own. the contact was forced to depress the brake pedal with both feet and place the vehicle in neutral gear in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle accelerated to approximately 70 mph for a 16 mile stretch. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. the tow truck driver inspected the vehicle and noticed the cruise control cable had disengaged causing the acceleration. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while sitting at a traffic stop, the gear shifter engaged from drive to neutral. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. the failure was located at the trans axle and the contact was advised that the torque converter was not engaging. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 182,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while reversing out of a parking space, the front passenger side coil spring fractured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 94,000. *tr.....updated 05/09/13 *bf updated 05/24/2013 *js

In july of 2011 i noticed a small piece of metal, looked like a piece of the spring to my car. it was on the ground next to the rear driver side tire. at the time i looked at the spring ( not on jack stands nor did i jack the car up) not knowing if it came from my car. i thought it was odd that a piece was on the ground and my car didn't seem to drive any different nor did i hear anything. then march of 2013 i had to change my back brakes, i jacked up the rear driver side and the spring just fell off into pieces. i was lucky that i wasn't on the roadways driving. a neighbor who is a mechanic looked at it and said that was the craziest thing he has saw. i mean this spring was in pieces and the pieces just broke off from one another. there was no cracks, the ends of the pieces did not have rust on them. it was like it just crumbled. i have saw a lot of complaints on the internet and i could imagine all the ones that aren't on the internet. like my self if i didn't see this site in another website that i read, i wouldn't of known that i could write to someone about the rear springs to my car when i saw there wasn't a recall for this. i appreciate if you look into this knowing that this could be a serious matter one of these times, if it hasn't been already. i think ford should be accountable for the faulty rear springs on this vehicle and not just the front. hope this matter can be resolved appropriately with ford taking time to look into it for there loyal customers! *tr

Accelerator cable broke off from gas pedal. *tr

Accelerator cable broke in half as i entered i-295 from on ramp. *tr

Within the last week my 2001 mercury sable reached the 60,000 mile mark. once over that mark the accelerator pedal began to stick each time i would accelerate the vehicle too much. for example, merging onto the highway and needing to speed up the car would rev the engine as without my foot on the pedal. this would continue as if i was pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor even if my foot was firmly on the brake. the only resolution to this sudden extreme acceleration would be to stomp on the accelerator over and over again. in one instance the vehicle would not stop even after it was put into park, it wasn't until the vehicle was turned off when it stopped. this happened three times before i brought the vehicle into be repaired. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact was driving approximately 65 mph and exhibited an unexpected increase in acceleration. the brake pedal was depressed several times before the vehicle would stop. the cruise control was not engaged when the failure occurred. the contact stated that the vehicle would be towed to an independent auto shop for inspection. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

There was a recall on my car back in mar 02 2004 (ford recall number 04s12) for an exterior lighting:brake lights:switch, which was (according to ford) done jan 10 2005. i had failed again on 11/15/2012 leaving me without brake lights and not being able to get it out of park. had to put it in neutral first before i started my car so i could drive it to get fixed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable wagon. the contact stated that the front driver side sub frame had rusted through. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine service who stated that the vehicle could not be driven due to the corrosion. also, the dealer advised the contact to purchase a used sub frame for the vehicle. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance and stated that they were no longer manufacturing new sub frames for that specific year model. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 106,000. updated 12/28/12 *cn updated 1/15/2013 *js

Without applying pressure to accelerator, the car accelerated uncontrollably. needed to apply brakes completely and put trans in neutral to stop car. *tr

My 2001 mercury sable accelerated as i entered the highway. the car would not stop even when i applied the brake. i called 911. the 911 operator suggested that i apply the parking brake which i did. i went about 15 miles riding the shoulder going between 60-70 miles per hour. i eventually exited the highway but could not stop even at the end of the exit ramp. i made a right hand turn. at this point i had reduced my speed to approximately 30 miles per hour. the car eventually landed in a ditch. at that point, i ended my call with 911. i looked to my left and found four men yelling to me to get out of the car. i then learned that the car was on fire. i exited the car. the four men put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. the car was towed to a mercury dealership where it is documented that it was in fact the speed control cable that caused the car to accelerate. again, between the 911 call, the information on file with the mercury dealer and the insurance claim, the cause of the incident is documented. *tr

After getting up to cruising speed on the highway my car would continue to accelerate even when i stopped giving it gas. i disconnected the cruise control cable and this fixed the problem, but now i can't use my cruise control. *tr

The knob to turn on the headlight broke off. it seems to be made of plastic that is not strong enough. now it's very difficult to turn on the headlights. we read that this is a problem in the 2000 model and ford had a recall on the 2000 model. we had the exact same problem with the 2001 model. maybe some of the faulty knobs were installed on some of the 2001 models and those should be included in the recall as well since it's the exact same problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle continued accelerating independently up to 50 mph. the contact had not engaged the accelerator pedal when the failure occurred. the contact then applied the brakes and shifted into neutral in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was completely shut off and then restarted however, the engine roared with an increase in rpms of over 4000. the contact had to maintain pressure on the brake pedal. the vehicle was not taken to a repair shop or the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 120,000. updated 09/26/12*lj the dealer replaced the accelerator cable. updated 09/27/12

1-spring -wife was driving locally, heard loud noise like hitting something; pulled into friend's driveway; walked back into roadway and found spring; towed to ford, bothsprings replaced under recall 04m04 2-fill pipe - 11/12/2010- at routine service dealer said rusted (90672mi) parts had to be replaced - $428. 3-subframe -07/19/2012- routine service (106097mi) dealer said car not road worthy; left front subframe rusted thru, l frt control arm assembly about to break away from subframe - astonishing!!! - had just completed 300mi trip , was about to leave on 700mi trip - would probably have been killed along with drivers of nearby vehicles on interstate; have photos; ford subframe no longer available, never any after mkt mfg; would be crazy to trust used part! can't believe how close i came to major accident/death - [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle began to accelerate independently. the contact tried to slow the vehicle but the brakes failed. the contact had to repeatedly apply abrupt force to the brake pedal before the vehicle would respond. the contact shut the vehicle off and noticed that there was a piece of plastic broken and sitting on the accelerator throttle. the vehicle was not repaired. the cause of the failure was unknown. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 215,000.

I own a 2001 mercury sable. at approximately 70,000 the driver's seat belt began to retract sporadically. at about 75,000 miles the seatbelt no longer retracted at all. the seatbelt still locks when pressure is put on it, but i am concerned about its safety. *tr

2001 mercury sable. consumer writes in regards to cruise control failure *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle rolled over twice. the consumer and his wife had to be extricated from the vehicle. the vehicle was totaled.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while examining the front passenger side seat belt, the contact noticed that the seat belt would no longer retract back to its original position. the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer and no repairs had been performed. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 87,000. the vin was unavailable.

Driving on the hwy with my 3 yr old daughter @ approx 65 mph the veh started accelerating on its own. even with pressing the brake veh would slow down but kept accelerated on its own ( and it kept climbing until i pressed on the brake) and got upto approx 80 mph. i was able to safely get veh off the hwy with depressing the brake extremely hard (and veh kept creeping forward, luckily the light turned green quickly) and a ford dlrshp was right next to the hwy. dlrshp performed repairs. they replaced the accelerator cable assembly for the throttle control. i was adv by dlrshp that the plastic piece on the cruise control throttle broke and got stuck on my regular accelerator cable. i cant begin to say how frightened i was for my daughters safety as well as my own. i seen there is an investigation for 2005 & 2006 tauruses...you need to also look @ the 2001 sables for the same problem! someone is going to get killed if they don't do something about it. *tr

Brake light came on, replenished brake fluid. service center found rusted brake lines under vehicle- replaced them, on march 8th. *tr

I registered this complaint before via telephone. now i see that the nhtsa is looking into ford taurus with the same acceleration problem. the problem is the e-ring on the end of the cruise control cable. even though you're not using the cruise control, if the e-ring fails the cable gets caught and the car accelerates. this happened a few times and when i brought it in, the dealer couldn't find the problem. there's a cover over the cruise control cable where the e-ring is. i ripped off the cover and worked the accelerator by hand and saw the problem. i never replaced the e-ring and just tied off the cruise control cable and not use the cruise control. i haven't had any problems since. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The vehicle that i drive (2001 sable) was found to have broken rear coil springs at the brake shop and was corkscrewing towards my sidewalls (65k). my wife was carrying my daughter in the backseat for a one-hour commute everyday before this was noticed (700 to repair). about two days ago my front coil springs were found to be fractured while visiting a local alignment shop because i found the tires to be wearing unevenly (80k). i called ford to complain and said the recall on the vehicle had expired and that it was a customer courtesy to extend that to ten years or 140k and i was a year too late. she also said that engineers review these reports and sometimes reopen claims. i explained to her that i was posting with nhtsa because many families are being placed at risk in these vehicles - we did not make the defective parts, they did. and they should be good about making the repair. it has very little to do with age and more to do with manufacturing processes that they claim are protected by privacy laws. i will not be using their oem parts to replace the front struts and springs - my choice - and will only use aftermarkets parts from now on. last ford i will ever purchase. who wants their family put at risk over a 200.00 spring while a multibillion dollar company ignores them? *tr

Whenever i turn on the air conditioner or heater my car accelerates suddenly in a randomly manner for no reason by itself, when heater or air conditioner is turned off the problem stops, there's no check engine light on and an inspection yielded no problems, i am not sure if the problem is electrical or anything else and a local ford dealer has refused to fix the issue. *tr

I was driving my 2001 sable (24v dohc) and the car began acting like the gas pedal was stuck. i could lift the pedal up with my toe and that did not stop the acceleration. i shifted into neutral and turned the car off and coasted into a parking lot. when i restarted the car the engine was racing. i opened the hood and found the problem to be "a broken (plastic) retainer ring at the end of the cruise control cable by the throttle body" as someone else described it better than i could in technical details. i could reset the cable and seemed to be fine unless i accelerated too quickly, because that seemed to what triggered it to get stuck. i could still go fast (interstate speed), but i could not go fast too quickly. i temporarily fixed the problem by taping the broken cable with duct tape or electrical tape which seemed to work for a couple months. i experienced the problem about 10 times in a four month period before trading the vehicle to a dealer. due to the recent recall of the later models tauruses i thought i should report the issues i had. i never informed the manufacturer about this and i never took it to a professional for diagnosis. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that after taking the vehicle in for a routine wheel alignment, he was advised that the rear springs were fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were approximately 88,000. the vin was unavailable.

This car only works whenever it feels like it and took it to every shop n cant find the problem..been stranded so many tumes and the dealer aint gonna do nothing about it knowing that im still paying for it or trade me a car need help here. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when she noticed that the rear was sitting very low to the ground. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that both rear coil springs were fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 86,500. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact noticed that the rear coil springs were fractured. the dealer replaced the rear coil springs and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the current and failure mileages were 48,836.

Unable to shift 2001 mercury sable sedan out of "park" gear/position. it seems like a similar issue to nhtsa campaign id 04v106000. the manufacturer (ford) claims that there is no recall on my vehicle. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while merging onto a highway, the accelerator pedal began to stick. the contact pushed the brake pedal and then proceeded to tap on the accelerator which stopped the pedal from sticking again. the dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but did not diagnose the failure. the failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was 71,989 and the current mileage was 72,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact drove approximately 20 mph over a road bump and heard a knocking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated that the rear coils springs were fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the front driver side coil spring fractured while driving at an unknown speed, puncturing the tire. the spare tire was installed and the vehicle was then taken to an independent repair shop where the coil spring was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 127,383. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the check engine warning light would illuminate intermittently and over time, remained illuminated. the vehicle was not taken onto the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000. the vin was not available.

Car door will not close in low temperatures. door will also open on its own during cold temperatures. the door will open during vehicle operation due to the latching mechanism not working properly. this problem occurs on both driver and passenger side doors. it occurs anytime temperatures get below 25 degrees. i have not found a permanent fix short of replacing the latching mechanism on the doors. this repair has not been done as i do not know if this would be a solution to the problem. to get the latch working again, it has to either be heated up or latch has to be worked 10+ times before it will finally latch and hold. this has been a problem for the last several winters and is getting worse. start date would be approx. 2009 and persists to this day. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable wagon. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph. as he drove over a road bump the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise. the contact stopped the vehicle and discovered that the fuel tank had fractured from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they informed him that the rear axle was fractured and caused the fuel tank to fracture. the vehicle was not repaired and was deemed as salvage. the manufacturer was also contacted and offered no assistance. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

While driving 45 mph struck a deer dead center of the front end. no airbags deployed. car immediately cut off but coasted. driver has minor back discomfort. still waiting to hear if the car will be totaled out or repaired. *tr

When getting car safety inspected mechanic found rear coil springs broken. research on internet found recall for front springs but nor rear. they are the same type of springs as the front so why would they not be included in the recall!!!!! many other owners have also had the same problem with the rear springs also. i'm just glad the failure did not result in a crash or anyone being injured. ford motor company should include the rear springs in the recall also.

2001 mercury sable. consumer writes regarding mercury rear coils springs. *tgw the consumer stated neither his mechanic or the local dealership could explain why the rear coils rusted through completely. the mechanic found a recall, but it was only for the front coil springs. *jb

Tl* the contact owns 2001 mercury sable. the contact was driving 5 mph and attempting to park the vehicle when he crashed the right front tire into a curb. the passenger side curtain air bag deployed independently. there were no injuries. the dealer advised that the vehicle would need to be repaired at the contacts expense. the manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that any repairs would be at the contacts expense. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 54,700.

Failure of rear struts, broken springs on a 2001 sable with 32,000 miles. advised by garage and personal experience that all taurus and sable models break. springs can break and puncture rear tires causing serious injury. replaced both sides one side broken in two places. labor was intensive due to stripped and broken pinch bolts. *tr

The seat belt retraction systems in almost all vehicles will fail to retract the seat belt after a few years of use. the seat belts then hang out the car or truck door and get smashed when the door is closed. the seat belt eventually gets frayed and loses some of it's ability to properly restrain when needed. the retraction spring weakens and no longer retracts the seat belt. *tr

Took my 2001 sable in to get wheel alignment but they found both rear springs were broken. had 76,000 miles on car cost me $ 670. to have repaired by dealer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while having the vehicle serviced at an independent mechanic for unrelated issues, the contact was informed that the fuel filler neck had corroded and was leaking fuel. the manufacturer advised they were not aware of the type of failure and would not assist. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 97,000.

My car started loosing brake power 3 days ago and due to that i ended up hitting a tree broke my tail light dented my car on both passangers doors. had the brakes bleed thought maybe air in lines nothing thats when i found out what was wrong with it. now i have a car no working my fiance cant get to work and a car with dents of the two doors another one at the rear and a missing head light. plus i have a back injury with two buldging disk that hitting the tree aggrivated it and hurt my ribs. *tr

My wife was driving her 2001 mercury sable and when she took her foot off of the accelerator the car continued to accelerate at a high rate of speed. she didn't drive the car for a year. i took the car to the dealer and a couple of garages and nobody could find the problem. i finnaly tried to fix it myself and found the problem to be a broken retainer ring at the end of the cruise control cable by the trottle body. i never replaced the retainer due to fear it would break again and maybe cause an accident. i tied the cable back with a tie wrap. i did call and report this incident, but never heard anything. now with all the new recalls i wanted to report it again. thank you. *tr

My wife purchased a 2001 mercury sable ls on 1/31/01,i drove the auto for 2 days, when i put the auto in gear the gas pedal reacted as though the pedal was pushed to the floor board. i called port motors and told them about the situation and told them i refused to drive the auto. the next day they came and towed the auto away. when i went to the dealer they gave me another auto,for which i still have the old vin #. after driving the new auto they gave i began having the same problems. over the past 8 years the accelerator problem has occurred about 9 or 10 times. when i put the car in gear i always make sure my foot is always on the brake as i fear the auto will accelerate as though the pedal goes to the floor,my wife refuses to drive this auto and i will not let anyone drive as i don't know when this racing will occur. i have reported this to ford motor but got know positive response, i also reported this to national safety board and they gave me a complaint #. *tr

The front driver and passenger doors will not latch properly, the problem occurs more often when it is cold outside, but does occur in the summer too. the doors will not latch, i have taken then to a mechanic and he cannot see any problem. to fix the problem in the past i have taken the door apart and lubricated all the mechanical parts. i always have to carry bungee cords in my car in case the door will not latch. several times (around 3-4 times) my door has swung open while driving. so far i no property damage has occurred and no person has been injured, but i believe that this is a very dangerous problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that when putting the vehicle in gear, the vehicle would start to "race" and the engine would rev as if someone put the pedal to the floor board; if he did not have his foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle would lunge forward. he depressed the brake pedal, shifted into neutral and turned off the vehicle. when he re-started it, the problem seemed to correct itself. the failure has occurred approximately 12 times since the vehicle was purchased. he previously owned the identical failure which had the same problem. when he towed the vehicle to the dealership, the dealer gave him this vehicle (same year, make and model). he had not taken this vehicle to the dealership and had not called the manufacturer to-date. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 37,000. the failure mileage was approximately 1,000. updated 03/26/10. *lj updated 05/17/10.*jb

When stopping for a red light, the brake pedal went to the floor. i was lucky there was no traffic. the dealer replaced several feet of rusted brake line. the dealer told me this happens all the time. why is it not mandatory that brake lines are stainless steel or covered with a protective material? *tr

I purchased a 2001 mercury sable, i took the auto and on the second day i put the auto in drive, the motor raced like the pedal was pushed to the floor,i called the dealer and told them i will not drive this auto they sent atow truck andthe next day they gave me a new sable. since i have this new sable the gas pedal gives me the same reaction as the old one. it occurred about 9 or 10 times over the last 9 years. very rare but it does occur. my wife refuses to drive it. because of what happens to the accelerator. every time i start the car i make sure my foot is on the brake pedal when i put the car in drive. i feel its the computer that occasionally goes beserk. i bring this up because i see where toyota is having problems with there computers also. it's very frightening when the car accelerates like something is controlling the gas pedal at this high rate of speed. when this does occur i put the car in neutral and the engine goes back to normal. *tr

My 2001 mercury sable has now failed me over 8 times without warning. i would drive turn the car off then try to start it again and it would not start. it was completely dead. i called aaa had the car towed. i took it to the dealer and they charged me for everything. a battery, an alternator, wiring, the works then, the same thing happened. the last time my car was at the dealer for a week before i was told it needed a fuel pump. i have now decided to never buy another mercury after being a long time customer. i never received a notice of a recall and just now found out the rear springs which i replaced was also happening to other customers. they have not fixed my problem and the car is sitting because i'm to frighten to drive anywhere. it's sad. all the money spent could gone toward some other car where service people care of course, now the warranty is expired. the miles on my car is 58,000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 35 mph the driver side curtain air bag deployed without warning. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 55000. updated 01/05/10. *lj the air bag in the driver seat deployed for no reason. also, the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. updated 01/07/10.*jb

2001 mercury sable vin: (see other part of complaint) i stopped at a business put car in park got out. upon returning the car would start but not come out of park. i found i had no tail lights. i later found also there was no cruise control. i parked the car a couple days trying to find out what was wrong with it and when i got in the car i found the battery had gone dead. i just got done researching this and found recall 01s08 and nhtsa # 01v078000 saying the recall was on a break switch due to grease compromising the switch. the description of the malfunction matches my problem exactly! upon calling the dealer that sold the vehicle they said they couldn't find a recall of this based on my vin. ford customer service also stated they couldn't find a recall of this based on my vin. well obviously the recall should have included my vin as the same thing has happened to my car. now with the problem of not being able to shift the vehicle properly the transmission is giving an error dash light saying that the vehicle is trying to shift and is in the wrong gear?? at 70mph there is only one gear that will run the car under 3k on the tach so it has to be in the right gear.. maybe its trying to shift out.. not sure have to look into this more. *tr

2001 sable with 57000 miles. vehicle will start, kill and then cannot be restarted for at least 1/2 hour. sometimes will not start at all. service people have hooked up to sensors but cannot find what is wrong. problem is sporadic, happening about 1 to 2 times per week. scoped fuel pump but said it was working properly. said fuel filter and all other systems checked out ok. don't know what to do next. feel uneasy about driving the car anywhere far from home. *tr

Real coil spring broke was in a accident not sure if the accident caused the real coil spring to brake replaced one on driver side, insurance paid to replace it,but could not afford to replace passenger side. have replaced the front coil spring. if the front one broke ford should be forced to replace the back one so there is no car accident or death from this as they could puncture the tire. how many complaints need to be done before they are responsible for this repair? *tr

Daughter was driving her car from school at approximately 35 mph. left rear coil spring broke, puncturing tire. broken end of coil spring was high enough to allow using the doughnut spare to drive to service shop. local mechanic is replacing both rear coil springs. approximate cost for replacing tire and coil springs is $395.00. *tr

Noticed that car was low in rear (both sides), brought car in for oil change, had mechanic check rear suspension, he found two broken rear coil springs. *tr

I have 2001 mercury sable with 84,000 miles. both rear springs broke and have to have them replaced. *tr

Back in 2004 a safety recall (04s71) was issued for in certain 1999-2001taurus and sables. the issue was that the front coil springs could potentially fracture when operated in high corrosion areas where salt is used on the roadways during winter months. there is a potential for a fractured spring to move past the spring seat and contact a front tire. if a spring should fracture and come in contact with a tire, the tire may rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could increase the risk of a crash without warning. with that said, on june 16, 2009, this exact scenario happened to my back coil spring on my 2001 mercury sable. fortunately, a crash did not result in my case. however, i believe the same protective spring shields that were placed on the front tires to prevent this from happening should also had been and still should be placed on the back to prevent this from happening to avoid a potential unsafe situation. *tr

I took my daughters 2001 sable in for it's annual safety inspection and was advised by the mechanic that the passenger side rear coil spring was broken and needed to be replaced. he advised me that this was a common problem on these vehicles and he thought there was a recall. i called my local dealer and was advised that the recall only covered the front coil springs. i will be checking into the replacement of the front springs under the recall. since we purchased the vehicle used approx. 1 year ago it's possible the prior (original) owner had them replaced previously. i believe based on the number of complaints that the recall should be expanded to include the rear springs. since discovering this issue i have purchased replacement springs and struts at a cost of $330.00 and will be installing them asap. *tr

Spring on front of sable broke ,it happens a lot on taurus and sable since at least 1995. wonder how many have been killed and injured? *tr

Rear springs broke ruining a brand new tire. replaced springs. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving approximately 71 mph, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. she took her vehicle to a local dealer and they stated that the rear coil springs fractured and punctured the tire. the repair would cost $756.52. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure and current mileages were 81,228.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the rear coil springs are splitting in half on his vehicle. the front coil springs may also be failing. the dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. the contact wants his vehicle repaired. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Coil spring fractured due to corrosion. the fractured spring moved past the spring seat and made contact with the rear driver's side tire. the tire ruptured and nearly resulted in a crash. manufacturer recall specific to front coil springs only. *tr

Both rear coil springs broke made car unstable coil springs were replaced by dealer on 4/07/09 and billed to me. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 55 mph, the contact felt the vehicle move sideways and nearly crashed into another vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an auto repair shop and the mechanic stated that the rear coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the contact is waiting for the parts to become available to have the vehicle repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 30,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 30 mph, a rubbing sound was heard in the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a maintenance shop and the contact was informed that the rear springs failed. after inspecting the front springs, it was discovered that the front springs were chipped. the dealer referenced nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs), but there was no recall for the rear springs. the current and failure mileages were approximately 80,000. updated 03-27-09 *bf

Rear coil spring has broken and has the potential to puncture the tire. i caught it early enough that it didn't. *tr

Heard a loud bang a couple of weeks ago and did not find anything wrong and then heard a loud bang again on 1/12/2009 and took car in to find i had two broken coil springs in the rear. i am finding this to be a problem and why don't they make it a recall. *tr

I had a recall performed 2 years ago for the front coil springs. the driver side spring has broken and is cutting into the tire. the car was driven on 01/16/09 and ok. it was parked on the driveway until 01/18/09 when i started to drive, i heard a scraping sound which i thought was ice and snow in the wheel well. i drove aprox. a half block stopped and looked and the wheel wells were clear, i then drove the car back into the driveway and noticed smoke coming from the tire and a grove being cut into the tire. the coil spring is pressing into the tire. *tr

Drove 10 hours from louisville kentucky to carlisle pennsylvania. stopped at a holiday inn for the night. no problems noted with the car during the drive. when attempting to back up 2001 mercury sable in hotel parking lot, a grinding noise was heard coming from the right rear side of the vehicle. tire was removed by aaa and the right rear suspension spring coil was found to be failed with a portion missing. the remaining end of the coil had embedded itself into the inner wall of the right rear tire creating a gouge. the tire did not rupture. the car was towed to l.b. smith ford lincoln mercury located at 1100 market st. lemoyne, pa 17043 (717) 697-2273 by aaa. the right rear coil spring was found to be broken. one (1) part no. 4f1z*5560 was removed and replaced. one ast*52* shock absorber assembly was removed and replaced. one rear tire was removed and replaced with a 9007*1004552* p215/60r6 tire. the tire was mounted and balanced. all four wheels were aligned. total charge for the repair by the dealership was $504.47. *tr

2001 mercury sable with 50,000 miles. purchased in california, moved to ohio in 2005. on dec. 6, 2008, while backing out of garage the front coil spring broke and impaled the tire. vin# , ford site shows no recall in effect. i'm guessing it's because we bought outside of the "salt belt". did they forget that people move? i was never notified of this problem and was unaware of the limited recall until this happened. could have been a lot worse had this happened while on the road. will have it towed to a dealership tomorrow to see how well they'll stand behind their product. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the rear coil springs failed and punctured the tires. he will take the vehicle to be repaired on december 4, 2008. the contact feels that this is a safety issue because the tires could have blown out and caused a crash. the current and failure mileages were 86,000. updated 01/14/09. *lj updated 01/21/09.*jb

The rear springs on my 2001 mercury sable have both fractured. the car is in the shop right now being repaired and no one in the shop can believe that both of the springs have fractured. they are amazed!! this is a very big job to fix and is very dangerous. the repair tech could not believe that the car was even drivable. i would like ford motor company to contact me with a response. i see on the internet that many 2000-2001 sables are effected by this problem and yet ford did nothing, allowing people to drive unsafe cars. this should have been recalled and corrected. if i do not hear back, this will be my very last ford car. i would like a reply from ford motor co. i am just glad no one was hurt. thank god!! please see : ea06002 and pe05-054. *tr

Rear coil springs on 2001 mercury sable were both broken and positioned such that the spring was about to puncture the tire. *tr

While backing car from lawn onto driveway (not a significant incline), i heard a loud noise. later when i drove the car i heard a continuous noise from the rear (thought something broke in the brake assembly but discovered spring rubbing on tire). the repair shop inspected and found a broken rear spring. they replaced both springs (unclear if 1 or both were broken). *tr

Noticed a few years ago a rattle in the rear passenger side, thought it might be a sheet metal brace inside a covered panel or something like that. my son made an observation this year of how low the rear of the car was. took it in for service and found that both rear coil springs were destroyed, one having ground a groove on the inner sidewall down to the cord. total cost of repair - $1395.14, $243.90 of which was for replacing 2 good tires damaged by the springs. incident date is just an educated guess, as the failure was not readily noticed by me. repair was done 7-12-08. this is an obvious defect that has not been addressed yet. ford should be made to reimburse those owners who have had to pay for repairs. i have owned many ford products over the years and have never had an issue like this occur. a catastrophic tire failure at highway speed could have caused injury or even death that could have been avoided had this issue been properly dealt with. *tr

Both rear springs on my car are broken. one of the front springs also broke (and has been repaired) and my mechanic has told me the other is about to go. i have found out that ford recalled the front springs due to a substandard material used in construction, which is prone to road salt corrosion. since i live in the northeast, road salt is a common occurrence during the winter months. the rear springs are made of the same material and are also corroding. it'll cost me around $1,600 to compensate for a design flaw that ford is washing it's hands of (at 100,000 miles, my front springs aren't even covered under the recall, even though the problem was there from day-1). one would think ford would do the right thing and replace the defective rear springs as well. i guess the number of potential deaths caused by a rear blow-out is below their threshold, so they'll take their chances in court. this is why we need nhtsa oversite. however, nhtsa has only required ford to recall the front springs to date. ford expects people to buy their cars, but they don't stand behind them (even when it is a known manufacturing defect). that is why many people are buying japanese cars. i, for one, will never buy ford again. *tr

I had been hearing a rubbing sound coming from rear of car for a few days and after experiencing a flat tire on the same side, further inspection revealed that the rear coil springs were broken. driver side rear spring (sharp edge)was scraping the inside of the tire, which caused the flat tire. both rear springs and struts plus new tires were replaced costing $1,200.00. *tr

Broken rear springs (both sides), only consequence so far is sagging rear end and cost to replace rear springs replaced, consider it lucky no other damage was done. *tr

Right rear coil spring broke and caused tire to blow out. *tr

Discovered a rubbing sound coming from rear of car and further inspection reviled that the rear coils springs were broken. right rear spring (sharp edge)was scraping the inside of the tire, but not enough to puncture. both rear springs, struts and stabilizers links were replaced costing $1023.00 i still have the old broken springs. *tr

Flat tire due to broken coil spring scrapping away tire sidewall rubber and eventually puncturing the tire. *tr

Rear coil spring broke , possible rear tire puncture. *tr

July 30th 2008, i took my car in for routine maintenance of oil change, tire rotation, etc. repair shop discovered the left and right rear coil springs were broken. broken in such a way that they were surprised that the jagged end of the coil springs was not rubbing into my tire. i have no ideal when this might have happened, there was no indication that they had failed. although the casing around the coil spring easily tore by hand and the broken part of the coil spring is rusted. it scares me to think of how long i might have been driving around with my car on the edge like this. my car has 62,896 miles on it, but exactly when these coil springs failed is unknown. they want upwards of $800.00 to replace coil spring and struts. $500.00 just for coil springs. i had no choice other than to get coil springs replaced. it seemed odd to me that both sides would fail and both side are broken in pretty much the same place. so i gave myself july 31, 2008 for researching the rear coil springs on my 2001 mercury sable, hence my complaint to nhtsa. on aug 1, 2008 i will take my car back to repair shop for repair. i will keep my old coil springs in the hope that someone finally realizes that this is a issue that needs to be addressed in the manner of a recall. i have read some of the other complaints and failure of these rear coil springs can come at any time with or without the owners knowledge. please don't wait until something more fatal happens before ford and nhtsa acknowledges that there is a serious problem with these rear coil springs. *tr

Rear springs broke on my 2001 sable. cost me several hundred dollars to replace. this is wrong -- ford has know this was an ongoing problem for a long time on specific years. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the vehicle is experiencing electrical system failure. whenever it rains, the fuse box on the driver's side door gets wet. the interior lights remain illuminated in the passenger compartment. the current mileage was 113,754 and failure mileage was 113,700.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while the contact's son was driving 25 mph on june 27, 2008, it began to rain slightly. he depressed the brake pedal, but the brakes failed. the vehicle would not stop and crashed. the contact stated that the brakes had never been serviced prior to the failure. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was 125,000.

Rear coil spring broke. *tr

I purchased four new tires in the fall of 2006 from tire kingdom. i have had my car in four times because of losing air pressure. each time i was told that it was an optical illusion. then i had a valve stem crack and cause a rapid loss of air while driving. fortunately we were not involved in an accident. again tire kingdom blew this off. i have contacted them since hearing about the recalled valve stems and have been given a complete run around. the tire that suddenly deflated suffered damage to the side wall which they said "isn't a big deal." my tires have worn faster and one has skidding on the sidewall from the faulty valve stems installed but the dealer does not take this seriously. *tr

Just found out i have two broken rear springs on my 2001 mercury sable. researched this and discovered this is not uncommon due to poor design by ford. a prior recall covered the front springs, but not the rear. not fair to consumer, springs should not break from normal driving. i have had this vehicle for almost 7 years, only 65,000 miles. this could cause accidents, if it hasn't already. ford should issue recall to fix this like they did on the front springs. *tr

Left rear tire blew out while driving on highway. service station replaced tire. during test drive, new tire was damaged to almost blow out. replaced tire again and discovered broken rear spring. replaced both rear springs and struts, in addition to the 2nd new tire. (also had rear brakes replaced one month earlier. the original issue was that the car shook. altogether, i spent $2,400. on springs, struts, tires, and brakes.) *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving over a pothole at approximately 35 mph, the passenger side air bag deployed. there was no occupant in the passenger seat. this was the only air bag that deployed in the vehicle. the contact called the dealer, but was not given any reason as to why the air bag deployed. the current and failure mileages were 54,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while rotating the tires, the mechanic noticed that the front and rear suspension coil springs failed on the vehicle. the dealer replaced the front and rear coil springs and the tires remained unaffected. there were no warning signs prior to the failures. the contact can provide invoices. the approximate failure mileage was 49,500 and current mileage was 55,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that both rear coil springs failed and were replaced. approximately four months later, the front driver side coil spring failed. there is a recall for the front coil springs, but the contact was unaware of the recall. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 87,000 and first failure mileage was 80,063. updated 05/05/08 *bf updated 05/05/08 *tr

Broken front and rear springs 2001 mercury sable. *tr

Three springs are broken on my 2001 mercury sable - one front and two back. the dealership told me they would replace the one broken front spring and nothing more. i have since read that they are responsible to replace both front but not the rear. it seems apparent that there is a general problem with the springs whether front or back and ford/mercury should be responsible enough to admit and fix the problem. i am told they will do nothing about the rear springs even though this issue (front & rear springs) seems to effect many people by stuff i have read on the internet. ford/mercury needs to step up to the plate and fix this problem. *tr

A loud bang from the rear of my 2001 mercury sable. i removed one of the rear tires and found that the rear spring had broke on the drivers side. it had a sharp edge on it that could puncture the rear tire. the front springs had a recall done on them. why are the rear springs not covered under this recall? *tr

During a routine servicing in nov. 2007 a rear coil spring was noted to be broken, which i had replaced. subsequently in february 2008 a similar incident was reported to me, however it was a front coil spring which was replaced under a recall (nhtsa action #peo4044). i then investigated to see if a recall existed for the rear spring and found that under ea06002 although their were 162 incidents reported the only action is "continued monitoring". i believe with this many incidents ford should have been required to issue a recall and return the cost of repair to the owners. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 50 mph, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an automotive shop and it was discovered that the coil springs in both rear tires failed. the dealer stated that there was no recall for the rear coil springs. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 39,600.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact found a piece of coil spring on the floor of his garage. he took his vehicle to the dealer for inspection and was informed that both rear springs failed. the edge of the passenger side spring was touching the tire. both coil springs were replaced because the recalls were for the front coil springs, not the rear. the contact believes that the rear springs should be recalled as well. the recall number was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 43,000. updated 4/7/08 *cn updated 04/07/08 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the cruise control would not disengage when he depressed the button. the cruise control button is currently inoperable. the current mileage was 61,111 and failure mileage was 60000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that her vehicle was repaired under the recall for the suspension:front:springs:coil springs. currently, she is experiencing issues with the rear coil spring and believes a recall should be available. the contact has to pay for the repair. the recall number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 56,425.

Rear coil spring broke in multiple locations causing severe tire rub. if not caught immediately tire would have been punctured. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a loud noise. he pulled into a gas station, heard a loud pop, and noticed that the rear driver side tire was losing air. while replacing the tire with the spare, the contact noticed loose wires. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they confirmed that the rear driver side coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the contact was urged to file a complaint with the manufacturer because the failure could become a recall. the transmission type was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 28,000.

I went in to the local dealer to have a coolant leak checked and was told that my rear springs, struts and brakes were all bad, the springs were broken and were hazardous to drive with. total cost of these repairs is well over $1,500. i asked about the recall on the springs and was told it was only for the front of the vehicle. the recall should include the rear also because the same springs were used in the rear as in the front. i should not have to pay to have all these things repaired because of faulty springs. i was also told the other items, struts and brakes were likely cause from the bad springs. ford needs to be accountable, many other people have had this problem. *tr

Engine light coming on this is the second time i have had problems with this and it cost a big amount. first time paid for correction. light came on again and had test on this problem and said was fuel condition pressure or mass air flow, oxygen sensor defected, ignition misfired-repair,fuel injection problem, i think this should not happen two times, i don't have money for repairs,check out for other failures it takes off then looses power can shut off engine for about 5 minutes and will start again and go for several miles and then start all over of loosing power now you tell me the answer? cant keep spending out money on a fixed income and cant trade off the car please help me. *tr

I have a 2001 mercury sable and while driving down the road today the rear coil broke and went through the inside of my tire. *tr

03/12/08 - auto temperature control does not work. a/c does not work and blows constant hot air. car has been serviced twice by ford dealerships who admit this is a common problem yet ford has not reacted. interestingly the a/c works for about 6 months after dealership diagnostics then goes hot. my guess it is an electronic component which, when moved / manipulated, makes connection for a short period of time. to repair the a/c, basically completely replacing the system, is $2500. *tr

Have a 2001 mercury sable ls premium with about 70,000 miles today after backing from the garage, i found a broken piece of coil spring about 6 inches long, laying of garage floor. one end showed a new break, the other end showed a ragged, rusted break showing the spring had also broken at least once before this date. this broken spring was laying towards the rear of the car about where the rear suspension is. i see there is a recall for front springs breaking but none for rear springs, although i have found numerous complaints about the rear springs breaking too, because of salt damage. mycarstats.com shows at least 127 complaints on 2001 sable rear spring breakage, that also cause instant tire deflation. i have been a ford customer since 1955 and i think they are wrong to not cover this faulty rear spring problem as they do with the faulty front springs- i can't help that salt is used on roads, and it is their responsibility to make something as heavy and (should be) as strong as a spring should be, in a reliable manner. this just might end my relationship with ford products although they have always been reliable for me in the past-jd myers. *tr

My 2001 mercury sable rear coil spring broke as my wife was backing out of the garage and a piece of the coil spring fell to the floor. if she were out on the highway, she could have lost control of the vehicle. the dealer said mercury will replace the front coil springs free of charge, since they admitted to a problem with the quality of the springs. but the rear coil springs, even though this is a common problem on this model, they will not stand behind. this car only has 68,000 miles on it. i have owned many cars and put well over 100,000 miles on them and never have had a coil spring break. ford and mercury know they have a problem and will not help the consumer. how many traffic accidents and deaths does it take for action to be taken? what can you do for the owners of these vehicles? *tr

Rear of my 2001 mercury sable had been sagging for some time, to the point i was afraid that the top of the wheel well would hit the top of the tire, (on several occasions the rear end did bottom out on slightly steep inclines). i finally took it to a mechanic, who said that both rear springs had failed (broke), and from the rust accumulated on the brake areas, it had been broken for sometime. i called the local ford dealer in quincy who said that this wasn't an issue. i had another mechanic, (my brother due to the high cost), replace the rear springs and shocks. i know that there has been a recall on the front springs (road salt corrosion), but i would be curious to find out how many other sables/taurus's have had the same problem. *tr

Had to replace right rear coil spring, which broke and was scraping the tire, which was a very hazardous condition. the front coil springs were replaced in a ford recall about 3 years ago, the left rear coil spring also broke in 2005 and i had to have it repaired privately as there was and still is no recall for the rear springs. (filed a dot complaint at that time also -- 3/9/05). *tr

The rear coil springs in my 2001 mercury sable have failed. this is a wide spread problem with these cars and well known. it is not a question if your sable/taurus springs will fail but when they will fail. you should head out of were ever it is and get ford to do something about this. *tr

My front spring on mercury sable 2001 gs just broke. it tore my front tire and now the car is not in driving condition. i put the spare tire and it tore it apart as well. *tr

In early 2007 the paint on my 2001 mercury sable ls started to bubble/blister up on the roof next to the driver's side rear window trim. shortly after i started to notice that both rear wheel housings also had bubbles/blisters in the paint and are now showing rust. i figured it was just bad luck and was stuck because the warranty expired but then last weekend i was parked in front of another 2001 sable ls and walking by it i noticed that strangely it had the very same paint blistering and rusting in the exact same places as my car. i suddenly realized that this has to be a defect and its not just my car. i went on the internet and on www.lemonlaw.com there's alot of information about this very problem my car and many others are experiencing due to aluminum corrosion caused by iron particles working their way into the aluminum body part prior to it being painted. now knowing this is not age or "normal wear and tear" or lack of proper care i expect forddlincoln mercury to fix my car at no expense to me. *tr

Left rear spring broke while sitting in parking lot. when driven next the rear tire was shredded! vehicle had to be towed. *tr

Passenger side; rear spring and strut of 2001 mercury sable failed causing an abrupt stop and minor loss of control. vehicle was taken to repair shop where both rear springs and struts had to be replaced. passenger side rear strut was bent. repair cost over $700. was told front springs under recall but not rear. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the rear springs continue to fail. the failure has occurred twice and punctured the tires on both occasions. the contact paid $237 for both repairs. the dealer and manufacturer have not offered any assistance. ford motor company took a complaint on his behalf (claim number 1529113467). he stated that there was a recall (nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000) for the front springs, but not for the rear coil springs. the failure mileage was 58,000 and current mileage was 75,000. updated 01/02/08 *bf updated *jb

I sent car in for inspection. i got a phone call from the shop and was told both rear strut assembly and springs were broke. i understand there have many complaints about this problem. why is nothing being done and where am i going to come up with $650.00 to get the repair done. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that there is a recall on the brake wire assembly (recall number 04s12). the recall repair was performed and the wire layover stopped at the steering knuckle. the wires were squeezed together at the top, which caused a fire and skewed the wires together at the harness. the recall was created to correct this failure. the wires became a fire hazard and the vehicle caught fire. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they informed him that the repair would be his responsibility. the manufacturer stated that they would not honor the repair. the vehicle is currently at the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 66,000.

On sep 6, 2007, my 2001 mercury sable at 56,640 miles was determined to have broken rear springs. my local ford dealer replaced rear springs, struts, sway bar links, and upper strut mounts. this seems similar to problems that you have previously investigated. *tr

2001 ford sable gs with broken rear coil springs customer states that this is a design defect**nar**cc the consumer stated while getting a routine oil change it was discovered both rear springs were broken and the springs and struts had to be replaced. the consumer stated he would like an investigation to be done and reimbursed for out of pocket expenses for the defect. *tr

I was driving my car at about 20 miles an hour and i felt a vibration. i made a decision to pull the car over and get off the roadway and stop. when i tried to use my brake i felt the resistance half way down and then it suddenly went all the way to the floor. i saw myself gaining on the car in front of me. i quickly turned to the right and up on the sidewalk hitting the curb in the process and then instead of hitting a store wall i turned slightly to the left and headed dead center for an edison pole. i could have killed someone. i need to talk to someone who can tell me who to get to look into my brake system to see what went wrong. i am so scared to ever drive that car again. my car is only 5 years old and in excellent condition and maintained well. never had any hint that my brakes were faulty. my car has been looked at and he said the body can be fixed. he doesn't know about the brakes. i need an expert to look at those brakes. can you help me???? my air bags did not deploy. *tr

My master cylinder failed causing me to lose my brakes. i crashed my car into a pole. the insurance company totaled my car. after a car is totaled the insurance company would only send it to the salvage yard. i insisted on knowing what went wrong. a simple test was done by turning on the motor and pressing on the brake pedal. if it goes to the floor gradually then you know it was a master cylinder failure. this happened 3 times. the manufacture didn't want to deal with me and the dealership didn't either. how many cars fall between the cracks and the reason for serious brake failure never reaches the very people who can correct it?? *tr

Broken rear spring, causing tire damage. (front springs replaced by ford 2 months ago free under replacement program, dealer tells me that the ford replacement program does not apply to rear springs). *tr

Got in my '01 sable and heard a loud bang. couldn't find the problem so drove home. some days later i had the brakes repaired and the mechanic found a broken coil spring, driver's side rear. i haven't figured out why ford put shields on the front and not the back. actually, i can't figure out why ford doesn't replace these at n/c. i hate paying for other's mistakes like we're beta testers. i also had to replace both rear springs on my aerostar after they broke. you'd think the ford engineers learned... unfortunately, i also own an '01 taurus. *tr

Have a 2001 sable that the left rear coil spring busted. cost is over $900 to replace. saw on many forms that other sable owners are having same issue. mercury replaced front coils, but not back......why not? *tr

We own a 2001 mercury sable which was recalled previously due to problems with the front springs breaking on certain vehicles. guards were placed on the front springs to avoid tire punctures.*ak in may 2007 my wife travelled about 200 miles with passengers. upon returning, one of the front springs fell apart in our yard. after the dealer inspected the vehicle, both front springs were broken, along with one of the rear springs. she was driving on highways with three broken springs! the rear springs seem similar in design to the front, if not identical. they have never been subject to a recall and the bill for replacement of both the rear springs was $632.30. the dealer refused to help. after speaking to the service manager at the dealer, she suggested pursuing this, claiming they have repaired lots of rear springs on these vehicles. she seemed to imply they have been a problem as well as the front units, although they have never been recalled and therefore not covered by ford. travelling 65 mph on three broken springs is an accident waiting to happen. ford should be recalling these vehicles before someone gets killed.

Turning left had extremely loud noise due to fractured right front and left rear coil springs, replaced 4 coil assemblies. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact noticed that the vehicle was lower to the ground on the driver side than on the passenger side. prior to purchasing the vehicle and during the vehicle inspection, the dealer stated that the rear coil spring on the driver side needed to be replaced. the coil spring was replaced. the front coil springs were a part of recall # 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the contact was advised that since the front coil springs have after market parts, he would be required to pay $250 for the repair. the current mileage is 86,000 and failure mileage was 85,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 55 mph, the passenger side rear coil spring snapped. by the time the contact was able to pull over, the tire was shredded. he replaced the spring assembly at the time of failure. he later noticed that the driver side rear spring had failed in the same place as the passenger side spring. ford motor company stated that there is a recall for just the front springs, not the rear. the current mileage is 45,000 and failure mileage was 40,000. the consumer stated the problem was due to corrosion from salt. the consumer stated does not know why the salt corrosion affected the front spring but not the rear spring. updated 07/31/07 *tr

2001 mercury sable taken in for tire rotation and balance. when the rear tires were removed, mechanic noticed that both coil springs were broken at base. he said i was lucky in that the breaks were to the center of the car and not towards the tire side, which would have blown the tire. the left rear tire would not balance, it wobbled, resulting in purchasing a new tire. cost to repair, $550.00. i am no metallurgist, but looking at the breaks i'd say that it looks like poor heat treatment of the metal coil that caused the breaks. searching the internet revealed numerous complaints regarding 2001 taurus for same coil breaking problem (same body as sable). why is there no recall by ford to rectify this problem?. because in this country there has to be serious injury or death before any one reacts. how pathetic is that!.

I work nights in kankakee,i had just got off of work and was heading home on route 45/52 south 3 miles from kankakee at 60 mph when i heard a noise coming from under the car about 15 seconds later the left tire blew,i pulled over to change the tire,when i removed the wheel i noticed the tire (side facing coil spring)looked as though it had been cut open like the top of a tin can,i then noticed the coil spring was broken and had a sharp edge protruding toward where the inner side wall would be,i mean this tire was cut all the way in a perfect circle aproximately 2 inches from the wheel edge,while changing the tire i was almost hit by a car that was passing another car. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that the driver side rear coil spring failed and caused damage to the vehicle. the failure occurred while driving 25 mph. the ford dealer stated that there was a defect with the coil spring. the manufacturer stated that there was a recall regarding the front coil springs, but not the rear coil springs. the current and failure mileages were 52,000. updated 02-01-08 *bf

Left rear coil spring failure on my 2001 mercury sable with only 48,000 miles. spring was rubbing on the tire. little damage to the tread. not enough to warrant tire replacement. i learned of an nhtsa probe of this problem on consumer affairs.com. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 20 mph, the contact heard a loud noise. she noticed that the rear driver side tire was flat because the coil spring punctured the tire. there was a recall for the front coil springs (recall# 04v332000). the contact feels that the rear coil spring should be included in the recall. the current and failure mileages were 130,000.

Front coil sring failed and damaged tire as well. i had this happen to the backof the car anf ford covered it. it happened to the back and ford will not cover it. it cost over $1000.00 to repair. car is a 2001 mercury sable. *ak

Heard a loud bang in rear of vehicle while driving. further inspection revealed a broken driver's side rear spring. i then found out there was a dealer recall on the front springs due to them breaking prematurely, but no recall on the rear spring. i will have to replace rear strut and spring. *ak

Ford motor company recall for front springs on 2001 mercury sables but not rear springs my vehicle has just over 60,000 miles and i had to replace both rear springs due to braking how is the rear springs any less of a danger then the front springs

Tl*the contact owns 2001 mercury sable. while driving 25 mph he heard a noise in the right rear. he looked in the right side mirror and he could see part of the coil spring falling off the vehicle. the contact retrieved the coil spring. the dealer noticed there was missing pieces on the passenger side rear coil springs. there is a recall for the front coil springs (recall #04v332000). the failure mileage was 92,500 and the current mileage was 93,000.

Right rear coil spring broke - puncture tire while driving. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 50 mph, the front end of the vehicle would vibrate. the dealer noticed a fracture on the drivers side rear coil spring during a routine inspection. the vehicle is currently being repaired. there was recall # 04v332000 for the front coil springs. the current and failure mileages were 67,000.

First the front passenger side leaked water during rain storms. i had that fixed last fall. now the a/c blower motor needs replacement, and it was told to me that these two repairs are related. the cost for the 2001, sable is $2500 in repairs. ford needs to fix this problem. recall #03v087000 and other complaint #10184014. *ak

The rear coil springs in my 2001 mercury sable both broke within days of one another. i believe that this may be a similar situation to the recall that was made on the front coil springs related to salt problems. *tr

I had my front coil springs replaced in 01/2007 under the standing recall on 2001 mercury sables. now i have to replace the rear springs that are obviously defective and no recall has been initiated. how ford/mercury is not required to issue a recall is beyond me. as i drive i notice numerous sables and taurus with rear ends that are sagging due to this obvious defect......and ford does nothing....and nhtsa follows suit. *tr

Driving our 2001 sable one day the check engine light came on when we were stopped at a red light. as the light turned green i accelerated and the car did not move according to the pressure i was putting on the gas pedal. the light stopped flashing and the car ran fine. this would happen from time to time and it got to a point were i took the unit to a mercury dealership to have it checked out and they stated it had a mis-fire on the number 4 cylinder and they would have to replace the cylinder head at a cost of 2k one head only. i did some asking around at ford and found out that there were some valve issues with the 3.0l dohc 24 v . i looked into the dealer process of changing only one head and i was told that would not be the smart thing to do. i finally took the car in to confirm what the dealer had said and to get it fixed. i took the car to t.c. auto service in ann arbor and he confirmed i had a leak down problem on number 4 cylinder exhaust valve. the engine had to be removed from the car and i had both heads reworked new valve guide and seats along with replacing the valves on number 4 cylinder. i have the damaged valves returned to me. *tr

My wife was driving home from the hair dresser when she heard a noise under our 2001 sable that she never heard before. she then called to tell me the tire was going flat. when i got home from work i tried to put air in the tire and it would not hold any air. i pulled the tire off to take it to get repair and i noticed that the tire had been damaged beyond repair, i had just brought all new tires two weeks prior. after getting the tire replaced i put it back on and went to spin the tire around as i reinstalled the lug nuts and it would not move. i then pulled the tire back off and found that the right rear coil spring had broken and that's what damaged the tire beyond repair. i called ford motor customer assistance because i knew of the front recall but i was told they ford motor company were not doing anything about the rear springs because it wasn't in the recall. i then took pictures of the broken spring as the car was jacked up in my garage because i need to cut the portion of spring that was sticking out so i could put the new tire on so i could drive the car to the repair shop. as it turned out the left rear coil spring was also broken but it was broken at the top on the left hand side. i had the car repair at t.c. auto service in ann arbor and they have seen more then just mine. to make a long story short i think this is bull that ford/mercury knew they had a problem and would only cover the front springs by putting a spring protector on the front spring to prevent it from damaging the tire when it failed. i have both rear struts and coil spring assembly. i had them changed as assembly not just the coils. *tr

Yet another ford taurus - mercury sable rear spring failure and no corrective action to date by the company or nhts. your database is full of complaints. the mfg has recognized the failure of the front spring (recall# 04v332000), yet will not offer repair service or corrective action on the rear springs that appear to be the exact same part/design and are exhibiting the same defect. how many people don't even know of the website or the recall? ford plays off the front spring failures to less than 2% failure, but mechanics performing state safety say they fail more then 25% of this model for the exact problem. if it's a failure for a state safety inspection, then it must be a safety concern, someone needs to take immediate action and add the rear springs to the recall list. i see avg repairs totaling over $500-$600 + cost of a new tire. some one please review this major concern. *tr

I own a 2001 mercury sable sedan. on april 26 i was driving on the highway at approximately 9 mph when my rear passenger tire blew out. i was able to keep control of the car with difficulty, and get it to the side of the road. upon having the car inspected by a mechanic, it was found that the rear passenger side boot had broken and the coil spring had pierced my tire. i had the 2 front boots and springs replaced on january 10, 2006 because the same thing happened to the driver side front coil and boot. i found out at that time that this was a recalled problem. upon calling the ford dealership on april 27 to notify them, i was informed that this is a "frequent problem with the taurus and sables, but there is no recall for the back coil springs". i then notified the ford motor company and was informed that what the dealer told me was true. this could have been a fatality. the public should be made aware that not just the front coils are an issue. the car is having both rear springs repaired at a cost of approximately $470.00 this does not include the cost of replacing the destroyed tire which will cost an additional $85.00. thank you. *ak

I am having major heating issues that the heater core will not warm the car and the metal tubing began to leak at the t that is on the fire wall of the vehicle. *jb

Rear spring broke on 2001 mercury sable-4 dr. sedan. car sat in unheated garage for 1 week while on vacation. temperature in garage approx. 30 degrees. when vehicle used first time after vacation on jan. 3, 2007, while backing out of garage, heard loud noise of something breaking or possibly being run over. stopped vehicle to check for anything behind or under vehicle. found nothing. continued to drive vehicle to work, approx. 25 miles without further incident. noticed upon return home that evening that vehicle was setting low at rear of vehicle. i did not take to a dealership until april 2, 2007. used another vehicle for transportation. wife used this vehicle only as needed until the dealership visit this morning. was informed of the broken rear spring. *jb

Re:previous repair ted russell invoice # f1cs560238 dated: 1/19/2007 malfunctions that started february 28, 2007 are same as previously stated in referenced invoice as follows: 1) climate control blows hot air while on fresh air and ac 2) coolant light comes on; this usually happens with the malfunction of the ac control system referenced above. i can stop the car, turn everything off and in 15 seconds restart and light goes off. the coolant light will stay off as long as i keep the climate control off however; when driving for a distance (i.e. 30 miles) and then multiple start / stops in traffic the light will come on if i am running the climate control. until the recent malfunction of the climate control wednesday night (2/28/07) this coolant light has not come on since last repair to climate control. for information, the conditions outside were approximately 66 f. obviously i am upset with the continued problems i am having after this vehicle spent one week in your shop for previous repairs for the same malfunctions. additionally, i am extremely dissatisfied with the recommended repairs made by ted russell qualified professionals as discussed with you during my phone conversation yesterday. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable with an odometer reading of 71750 miles. the contact stated that the hoses that ran through the heater core dry rotted and failed, which caused the vehicle to overheat. the contact was driving under normal conditions at 40 mph when the failure occurred. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the problem repaired. the failure mileage was 68,680.*ak the vehicle was leaking coolant at the tubes to the heater core. the front brake pads were very thin. updated 04/12/07. *jb

The heater blend door is broken. *nm

Tl* - the contact called regarding the 2001 mercury sable. the contact stated that while driving she felt vibration by the gas pedal. a mechanic diagnosed the failure as the left and right front frame mounts sheared off. the failure mileage was 81,000. the mechanic stated that he will call ford because he had never seen this type of failure, and did not know what to do to repair it.

My car has a defect which has been repaired under warranty 3 times and now it looks like a 4th that could be at my expense. *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that the seat belt retractor on the passenger's side of the 2001 mercury sable will not retract. the dealership informed the contact the retractor was folding the belt over, which caused it to jam. the dealership advised the contact the seat belt retractor needed to be replaced. the contact spoke with the manufacturer. and they informed him this was not covered under the warranty. the current mileage on the vehicle was 28,000. *ak the consumer provided the invoice for repair and pictures before the repair. update 05/04/07*tr

Rear springs breaking on mercury sables and ford taurus. my sable is a 2001. the service manager told me that it happens very often. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable and while driving on the highway at a speed of 65 mph the contact heard a rubbing noise coming from the vehicle, but didn't know exactly where it was coming from until he arrived home. the contact stated that he noticed the driver side rear spring was cracked and that the sharp end of the spring went into the tire. the contact took the vehicle into the local mechanic and the mechanic replaced both rear springs. the contact can provide springs if needed. the current and failure mileage were both 83,000.*ak the dealer informed customer that struts needed to be replaced as well and customer wants to reimbursed for out of pocket expense totaling $564.74. customer states car was fine until rear spring broke. update 4/25/07*tr

I have experienced a rear coil spring failure as described in complaint ea06-002. while backing my car out of my driveway i heard a grinding noise that got louder the faster i went. i stopped and looked under the car and noticed a black ring on the inside of the passenger rear tire. i removed the wheel and noticed that a gouge had been dug into the inside of the tire by a spring that looks to have been welded to the strut. it appears that the weld failed causing the spring to detach. i consider myself lucky because this did not happen while i was driving on the highway. at highway speeds this failure could have caused a crash that could have resulted in injury or even death. coincidently i recently received a recall notice in the mail stating that this exact failure could happen to the front struts and that i should bring the car to a lincoln/mercury dealer to have them fixed. i was going to schedule an appointment to do so, but this has happened. it seems as though there should be a recall on the rear strut assemblies as well. ford/lincoln/mercury performed the recall repair on the front coil/strut assemblies. they offered to repair the rear coil/strut assemblies for approximately $850.00. (both rear coil/strut assemblies, rear alignment, and a tire) they stated that both rear coil/strut assemblies should be replaced because they expect that the drivers rear will fail soon also. most disturbing is that ford/lincoln/mercury said that they would be replacing the failed coil/strut assemblies with the same parts. parts that will fail in this manner in the future! there needs to be a recall on the rear coil/strut assemblies in addition to the front. they have the same design defect and someone will eventually die in a crash caused by the coil piercing a tire at driving speed. i have not repaired my car yet, but i plan to have it repaired soon. i would welcome an inspection. *nm

Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable sedan . the contact received safety recall notice, #number 04v332000. the contacts safety repair was being performed. however ,the special service support center has denied repair to associated damaged caused by the fractured coil spring. there was damage to the front tires. the driver side tire has a groove and the front passenger side tire has a puncture. the contact would like to have the tires replaced under the safety recall.*ak

Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the rear coil springs cracked on the vehicle the contact stated the tires were leaking air, and the rear driver and passenger tires were resealed. while repairing the tire the mechanic noticed the rear coil springs were cracked. the contact also stated that the lights on the dashboard will not turn on until 20 minutes after the vehicle has been started. he was unable to view the speed on the speedometer and other gauges. *ak updated 02/27/07. *jb

Rear coil spring fracture / passenger side- 2001 mercury sable - resulting in minor additional damage to tire.

Emergency brake dashboard warning light failure. the dashboard brake warning light is not turning on when the emergency brake is applied. the dashboard light does test ok when the car is started. because i was unaware the emergency brake was on i traveled 10 miles home on the freeway. near my house the brakes failed, with the pedal going to the floor. i quickly pumped the brakes and was able to stop. there was a burning smell as well, which i assume was the pads, so i will mark the fire question as yes since "where there's smoke there's fire." brake function returned the next day but the pedal is now soft. *nm

2001 sable accelerator cable come out of the housing, causing the engine to decelerate. *ts *jb

My mercury sable 2001 ls wagon transmission failed in may 2002 (25 k miles). at that time ford voided my warranty saying i had abused the car (drag racing). i had the transmission replaced by a transmission specialty shop, cost $3,000). that transmission failed in may 2004 (52k miles) and was rebuilt by aamco transmissions (cost $2,200). that transmission failed december 2006 (78k miles). it is currently in the shop for transmission repair. in july 2002 i had initiated an independent report done on the car, there is a serious defect in the transmission design. my cost for transmission repairs is in excess of $5,000 prior to this latest transmission failure. *nm

2001 mercury sable - right rear spring broke. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 15 mph under normal road conditions, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. there were no warnings prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who could not duplicate the problem.

2001 mercury sable ls right rear spring broke while operating the vehicle. a piece of the spring protruded and gouged the inside sidewall of the right rear tire down to the tires metal core. the car was being operated at highway speeds in heavy traffic immediately following the incident. tire fail is imminent. had this occurred while the vehicle was being operated loss of control and a collision would be very likely. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph and trying to avoid a deer, the vehicle crashed into a pole damaging the grill, hood, radiator, front bumper and possibly the frame. the air bag did not deploy. the contact was injured and experienced whip lash and neck injuries. the police was not alerted of the incident.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the brakes failed, causing the vehicle to crash into a road sign. two occupants incurred minor injuries. a police report was taken at the scene of the crash. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the cause of the problem was unable to be determined.

Rear left coil spring reported broken by my ford dealer on my 2001 mercury sable. spring will be replaced. *nm

I was starting to drive home after visiting a friend, and i heard a very strange noise coming from under the car. i had my friend listen and he determined i should go home and call right away to my car dealer/repair shop. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the rear coil springs fractured. an independent mechanic determined the rear coil springs fractured during a routine tire check to have the tires rotated. there were no problems with the vehicle prior to the tire rotation. updated 09/21/06. *jb

2001 sable (purchased new 10/20/2001) had four new goodyear tires installed on 3/24/2006 at 25,998 miles. after several weeks of listening to my son, the driver of the car, complain that the rear was very low to the ground, i took it into the goodyear dealer on 9/4/2006 with 29,255 miles. they discovered the cause was fractured rear coil springs on both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. the knife sharp fractured ends of the broken springs were extending down below the spring seats and resting up against the tires making slight contact with the inside walls of both rear tires. the service mechanic advised that it was unsafe to drive the vehicle. being labor day and with no mercury dealerships open, i had them replace the fractured springs with monroe quick struts at a total cost of $740.92. since the service tech advised me that this was a common occurrence on the taurus and sable models, i decided i should check for recalls. i see that there is an investigation underway on these rear springs and felt compelled to voice my complaint after reading ford's unacceptable response to the nhtsa initial inquiry. i saved the original springs/struts which show multiple fractures in each spring in case someone wanted to check the metallurgical properties of the steel. both of these springs have failed within 5 months of each other. these should be recalled before someone is seriously injured. i consider myself fortunate to discover these defective springs before they punctured the side walls of the tires. *jb

Coolant leaks for bottom i have a 2001 mercury sable ls it has the 3.0 liter motor not 24 valve. i have talked with three other people and they have all ford taurus's and they had to replace coolant bottle because they all cracked on the bottom of the bottle. its odd that four people that i know we all have to change the bottle within a year of each other. could there be faulty bottles made and will the antifreeze damage other parts on my car. i only have 78,000 miles on the car. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 45 mph, a loud indescribable noise was heard from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. upon investigation, the source of the noise was undetectable. the noise continued when travel resumed. an independent service mechanic inspected the vehicle and discovered the rear passenger side coil was fractured and shredded the inside sidewall of the tire. the tire and both rear coils were replaced. updated 10/25/06. *jb

Driver side rear coil spring broke and grooved tire. strut,tire, spring and alignment are required for repair. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 55 mph., on a clear dry day, the rear driver side tire blew out. when the tire was changed, the interior side wall was observed to be worn away and had been punctured by a fractured coil. the vehicle was driven to the dealer service for repairs. the manufacturer was also alert.

No real signs of distress until the main bearings failed. at 33,000 miles, proof of service and oil changes covering the first 29,000 miles. vehicle developed a bad knock. had it towed to a ford dealership for inspection. told me that the main bearings on the cam went bad. one ford dealership tells me ford will help with the cost of total engine replacement, unfortunately, not the dealership the car is at. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated there was a rumbling noise coming from the rear suspension at various speeds. upon inspection the dealership determined the rear springs fractured causing both rear tires to tear. updated 6/23/2006 - *nm

Broken rear coil springs on my 2001 mercury sable, one spring ripped my left rear tire. both springs replaced along with the tire. *nm

I own a 2001 mercury sable with 54,300 miles on it. as i was driving, i noticed a particular noise coming from the back end of the car. i needed to have the oil changed anyway, so when i took it in to the dealership, i asked them to check the back end because it sounded as if the brakes were hanging up. when the dealership checked, they told me that both of the back springs were broken and that one of the springs with a pointed portion had ruined my new tire (the tires had 7,000 miles on them). when i asked about a recall or warranty, i was told by the dealership that only the front coils/springs had been recalled and the total cost would be my responsibility. thus, i had to purchase two rear coils/springs, a new rear tire, and have my car aligned again. at first, i considered myself lucky because i was not in an accident and hurt myself or someone else. but after i heard that the front coils/springs were recalled by ford, then i did not understand why the back ones were not as well. now that i have done some research on the matter, i understand that this has been a problem with other consumers and that the nhtsa is investigating the 2001 and 2002 ford taurus and mercury sable because of consumer complaints of fractures in the rear coil springs. *jb

2001 sable rear coil spring corroded and broke. the broken spring punctured the tire causing a blowout. our dealer informed us that both springs needed to be replaced. additionally we were informed that there was a recall on the front springs o4s17. however the recall is not to replace the springs, they will be installing special shields on the front springs so that if a spring does fail it will not cause the tire to blow out. this to me is unacceptable! how can you allow the ford to produce and sell faulty and unsafe automobiles without demanding that they fix the problem and not apply a band-aid?

2001 mercury sable both rear coil springs fractured while turning a corner. nothing in the car except the driver. no other damage. *jb

Failure of rear coil springs, similar to safety recall #04v332000 applicable to front springs. both rear coils broke, and sharp end of right rear contacted inside of tire. ford offered no help or remedy. *nm

Had a failure of the left front coil spring while starting up from a stop and turning right. there was no lose of control of the vehicle since the speed was only 10-15 mph at the time. the failure was contained by the "spring shield" and this spring was replaced under a recall. when the service department took the car in to replace the front springs, they noted that the left rear coil spring had also failed and the right side was about to fail too. they told me "this was a common problem but it was not covered under the present recall though it maybe covered by a future recall." the failure caused the bottom of the spring to pass by the lower spring mounting and the point of the spring was less than 1/4" from the sidewall of the left rear tire. any further travel of the spring would have punctured the tire and this failure was not visible unless the tire was removed or the vehicle was lifted. both rear springs have been replaced and the failed springs have been saved. *nm

2001 mercury sable wiper cowl and pollen air filter was full of water. *ts ***nar*** the blower and defroster were inoperable.

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling at approximately 30 mph during an ice/sleet storm the front windshield wipers stopped working. an independent mechanic determined the windshield/wiper motor was defective. the motor was replaced. there is an nhtsa recall, #01v258000 visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. *ak

Front passenger seat belt locked and won`t release contacted ford about recall #01s16 they say car not on that recall the problem is the same as the recall,car made at same plant, same time frame as problems were found. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway a portion of the rear spring on the driver's side fractured and fell off. the dealer has been contacted. also, contacted ford motor company, and they were not interested in taking care of the problem since there was no recall on the rear springs. front spring fractured and broke on 07/08/2004 at 54101 miles. both front springs were replaced. a recall was issued for them in august 2004. springs were replaced again on 03/02/2005 as per the recall. the consumer was reimbursed by ford motor company for the cost to replace front springs on 07/08/2004. updated 06/07/2006. *ak *ts

Dt*: the contact stated the rear suspension of the vehicle appeared too close to the ground. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the dealer suggested replacing the rear coil springs because they were cracked. the rear coil springs were replaced which corrected the problem. updated 04/11/06. *jb

Defective rear springs in 2001 mercury sable. the manufacturer admits a defect in the front coil springs and launched a recall. however, the rear coil springs also proved to be defective on my vehicle. manufacturer refused to cover expense. the rear coil spring broke which in turn damaged the strut and gouged the new tire while vehicle was traveling on highway. it is apparent there was a flaw in the metal. the total amount of the repairs was $446.66 fortunately i was not involved in an accident when the tire blew out. *nm

Took my car to a repair shop for noise coming from right rear, thought maybe the brakes. repair shop showed me broken spring and strut had cut groove in right rear tire. i bought car used in 2003 with only 16,000 miles on it. i t now has 33,000 miles on it. i am a 52 year old woman that is the sole person driving this car. i haven't driven this car more than 17,000 in almost three years. this kind of problem should not be on this car. the repair shop told me that this repair is common on this particular car! i think this part is has been defective since manufactured. can i get any reimbursement for this repair? it is costing me over $900!! *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the airbag light illuminated briefly, and the vehicle was taken to the dealership. the dealership performed a diagnostic test and determined the airbag sensors were inoperative.

Dt*: the contact stated the front passenger seatbelt does not come out of the retractor more than one and a half inches. an independent repair shop determined the seatbelt assembly needs to be replaced.

Sable/2001 rear spring broke in not one but two spots,front springs are under recall for this problem,but the rears are not! why are thay not under recall! *jb

2001 mercury sable ls tire blew out. the front coil spring and strut assembly fractured, piercing the tire. this caused the tire inside wall to shred. *ts the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for repairs. the consumer later found out that the front coil spring had been recalled. the consumer contacted the manufacturer who advised her to contact the local dealer and submit the invoice for reimbursement. the invoice was taken to the local dealer but they refused to accept it because the repair were not made by them or at another ford dealer. *nm

The rear coil spring on my 2001 mercury sable broke days after i had the vehicle in to a ford dealer for the recall on the front coil spring. after the rear coil spring broke it was rubbing against the inside of the tire and would have punctured the tire if i drove the vehicle beyond to the repair garage. due to the rear spring breaking i needed to replace both rear coil springs and struts. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving in normal conditions at 15 mph, a noise was heard in the right rear tire well. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the dealer discovered the right rear spring fractured, broke in half and rubbed a 360 degree groove on the tire. the dealer replaced both rear springs and rear tires to ensure additional safety measures. updated 3/17/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated there were two problems with the vehicle. the first being the engine would not start intermittently. the engine would start if it was boosted. the vehicle was taken to the local independent repair shop for inspection. the repair personnel discovered the battery cables had separated from the terminals. the cables were repaired. the second was a transmission failure. the transmission was shifted into park and the vehicle lurched forward. after this incident, the vehicle would not go into any gear. the vehicle was towed to the local repair shop for inspection. the transmission was rebuilt and the vehicle drives normal. the front bumper fascia cracked. the left rear tire failed. updated 03/03/06. *jb

While at my mercury dealer for a routine oil change and tire rotation i was informed by the service rep the drivers side rear coil spring was fractured/broken and continued use could result in punctured rear tire and a potentially dangerous situation. the vehicle which i purchased new and has 55,000 miles on it. i have no idea when the coil springs failed. the service rep suggested replacing both rear coil springs, both rear struts and stabilizer rods the cost of which would be $610!! the suggestion to replace both rear springs leads me to believe the one broken spring is not an isolated incident! after looking at the complaints on this site regarding similar complaints with the coil springs i'm convinced ford is well aware of the inferior quality coil springs they have installed in these vehicles. the recall for the front coil springs leads me to believe that the rear coil springs are of the same inferior quality and present a dangerous situation which ford has elected to ignore. i will no doubt grudingly have the repair done but will no longer trust or purchase the ford product line which is unfortunate because i do like my sable. *nm

On 2/22/06 the right rear coil spring on my 2001 mercury sable fractured. the vehicle was traveling at 30 m.p.h. on a smooth paved roadway. the sable has just over 80,000 miles. when the coil spring fractured, it caused severe damage to the brand new tire, leaving it unusable. i was advised by mercury, the would not cover repair cost because there is no open recall for the rear springs, just the front. i am in the process of purchasing a new spring ($50 )& tire ($150). it will cost $80 in labor to make repairs & $45 for an alignment. total cost to me: $325!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *jb

Right rear coil spring broken. *jb

While eating breakfast, my wife heard a metal popping sound outside near our 2001 mercury sable. when she went out to investigate, she found a piece of the rear right coil spring. this happened minutes before she was to leave with our children. i contacted ford and the dealer and was left to pay for the towing and repairs $80 & $303.99 for a total of $383.99. this is the second time this has happened. the first being a front coil spring and tire which was blown out then subsequently replaced by ford on a recall. i find it disturbing that the springs with the same faulty metal were allowed to remain on the rear suspension and not replaced. twice my family has averted disaster connected with these coil springs. when is ford going to do the right thing and replace all these faulty springs? maybe after enough people are injured or die! *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling out of the driveway at 5 mph it felt as if the parking brake was on. upon inspection, the contact noticed the wheel wells were resting on the tires. the vehicle was towed to the dealership where they determined the front driver and rear passenger side coil springs was fractured. the front coil springs were replaced under recall, but the rear coil springs were not repaired. the rear coils springs were reapired under the recall as well. updated 03/28/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while accelerating from a stop to driving 2 mph there was a loud noise and a rubbing sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was seen by an independent repair shop. the mechanic determined the left rear coil springs was broken and rubbed into the tire. both the left and right rear coil springs, left tire and struts have been replaced. the manufacturer was notified. updated 2/21/2006 - *nm

While driving on a busy toll way i heard some strange noises -- a loud banging and scraping or rubbing. in less than a minute, my right rear tire blew out. i pulled to the shoulder to change the tire. when i removed the tire, it had a groove cut into the inner sidewall with a puncture in the groove. i examined the wheel-well to determine the cause of the damage and saw a piece of the coil spring sticking out. i took the car directly to the dealer who informed me that the coil spring had broken and that both rear springs needed to be replaced. i asked what would cause that and he told me that usually it was due to corrosion. i remembered there had been a recall associated with the coil spring corrosion failure but the dealer informed me that the recall applied only to the front springs (though surely the front and rear springs would be made from the same metal). he further told me that he would not be able to get the ford parts for nearly a week but he could get 3rd-party parts immediately, though at a higher price. i could not afford to go a week without my car (and given that the ford parts had failed at five years with only 50000 miles, perhaps a new ford part wouldn't really be that much of a bargain) so i opted for the aftermarket springs. they replaced both springs with the aftermarket parts but afterwards the car did not handle correctly and continued to make loud percussive sounds when going over even modest road irregularities. i took the car back a few days later and the dealer informed me that both rear struts needed to be replaced, adding that they were probably damaged when the spring broke. after the new struts were installed the car seems to be mostly back to normal. the total for all repairs was around $1000, plus i spent another $120 on a new tire and $70 for car rental while waiting on repairs. i do not have any of the old parts available. *jb

Brake and accelerator pedals on -2001 mercury sable was checked in august 2003 without finding any problem with the car. i had just bought the car a couple of months prior. i informed the dealer (roundtree-moore) that i wanted to wait until later for this because if this is a certified car then it want show any thing until later,and i wanted to know that i could bring the vehicle back without a charge to repair. now i'm being told there will be a service charge to repair and a diagnostic fee of $90.00. i got a diagnostic from an independent mechanic which they will not accept. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated the both rear coil springs broke and was rubbing against the tire. this occurred while the consumer was pulling into the driveway at 5 mph. a noise was heard, and the contact removed the rear tire and found the failure. there were no prior warnings of a failure until the coil spring broke, and the noise was heard. the manufacturer recommended that the vehicle be taken to a local dealership for repair. there is an open investigation, nhtsa pe05054 for this problem. *ak updated 01/25/06. *jb

Rear driver's side coil spring broke while backing out of garage. the spring was within 1/4" of poking my tire. my mercury has 53,000 miles. the front coil springs have a recall but not the rear!?!?! i am sure glad that it happened in my driveway.*ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45mph the vehicle accelerated to 90 mph before the brakes were able to hold. the vehicle was driven to the nearest independent repair shop. upon inspection the mechanic determined ice had built up on the throttle housing around the pcv valve. the temperature on the date of failure was between -8 and -12 degrees. there was a fire in the wheel well area because of the pressure that was applied to the brakes. the mechanic replaced the pcv valve. updated 02/24/06

2001 sable coolant light came on frequently. *ts the coil springs make noise. the brake harness light was defective. all four tires needed air every week (dot numbers w2x8lh01802 and w2x8lh04102). *nm

Dt: the contact's vehicle was hit in the front at 50-60 mph while making a left hand turn. upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. the vehicle was totaled. a police report taken. all four passengers sustained injuries;. the contact had a fractured spine, and the others sustained bruising and whiplash. the vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic to determine why the airbags did not deploy. *ak

The rear coil spring (driver side) is broken. previously i heard an occasional scratching sound (mostly in reverse), then while driving something started dragging. before i could stop and check, something fell off and the dragging noise stopped. the car was serviced today (oil change) and asked the mechanic to check to see if the corrosion shields (safety recall) installed on the coil springs had become loose or had fallen off. mechanic discovered broken coil spring. *jb

The rear coil spring of the 2001 sable is fractured. although no damage is yet done, i am concerned the same type of contact with a tire can happen as with the front springs. ford does no, but should have a recall and program like the front coil spring. *jb

Dt: the contact stated when applying brake pressure there was difficulty depressing the brake pedal. she took the vehicle to a certified dealer, who cleaned and resurfaced the rotors multiple times. these repairs have not corrected the problem. *ak

2001 mercury sable gs. the stop lights are stuck on, indicating a problem, similar to the problem addressed by a current ford recall. however, upon calling ford motor customer service 800 number, they tell me, my car isn't covered by the recall, even though it has the exact same problem as those sables that are being recalled. *jb

Dt: the contact received program 04m04 notification in august 2004 regarding the front springs. he called the number listed on the letter. the recorded message stated that if the front springs fracture they could puncture a tire which could lead to an accident . the contact felt that ford motor company should replace both front springs at no cost to him before this happens. *ak updated 12/07/05. *jb

Consumer 2001 mercury sable brake system caused 3 accidents. *ts the consumer had already had the accidents by the time the recall was issued. the consumer requested a full report relating to the recall. *jb

2001 mercury sable, 31,000 miles. got into vehicle after work,put into reverse to back out of parking spot, vehicle lunged forward. transmission found to have failed-locked into forward gear. all gear selector positions are now forward including neutral and reverse. dealer and ford motor company notified of situation. transmission to be replaced. old transmission may be available after work is complete. i am dissatisfied with ford's response to this issue, both financially and the lack of concern from the safety issue this could create.*jb

Dt: while in a head on collision at 30 mph, the airbags did not deploy. the vehicle was totaled . there has been no inspection as to why the airbag did not deploy. the contact injured her left shoulder, neck and right hand. she was in therapy for three months. a police report was taken. *ak

(1) i removed the right rear tire to inspect the brakes when i discovered that the coil spring had fractured and was making contact with the sidewall of the tire. had i not investigated the brake grinding sound, i would not have realized the spring was broken. it is not a question of if, but when the tire would have blown out. (2) the minimum results of the spring failure is that when the spring finally wore through the tire, i would have been stranded somewhere. the maximum consequences is that when the tire finally wore through, i could have lost control of my vehicle and been involved in a severe automobile accident. (3) at present the vehicle is undrivable and sits on blocks in the garage. ford motor company and the dealerships are taking no responsibility for the faulty spring even though a year earlier a recall was initiated on the front springs of the same vehicle. the repairs on the front springs was at no cost to me. since ford does not consider the broken spring to be a problem, i don't want ford to replace the springs as the service parts may be from the same manufacturer of the faulty springs currently on the vehicle. the springs on both sides of the vehicle are to be replaced by an independent repair facility. i will request the facility to return the broken spring to me.*jb

Driving to work going 25 mph. driver side air bag suddenly deployed for no obvious reason. no injury or accident occurred. have appointment to have the air bag examined. cost will be $150 for the analysis at d'amico in east brunswick, nj this friday, oct. 14th, 2005. *jb

Dt: the consumer stated that while driving he heard a noise in the rear of the vehicle. as he was taking the vehicle to the service dealer he experienced a flat tire on the rear passenger side. while replacing the tire he also noticed that the rear coil spring punctured the tire. the dealer repaired the vehicle by replacing both rear coil springs and struts. there is an investigation open for this component. *ak (11/23/05) *sc

Dt: the consumer stated that the passenger side coil spring broke and punctured the tire. this caused the tire to blow out. the consumer was slowing down when the tire blew out. this happened on dry pavement. the tires were serviced regularly, but the consumer heard some type of noise. this happened on june 25, 2005. the dealer said that the noise was due to the coil spring. the dealer replaced the rear coil spring and the rear tire. *ak (11/17/05) *sc

On may 17 2005, when entering my 2001 mercury sable i heard a sharp cracking noise. upon close inspection the drivers side quarter panel was lowered over the tire. i was luckily i was just a few miles from john lance ford of westlake ohio. the service writer knew exactly what was wrong, the strut spring had broken and was within 1/16 of the side wall of my tire. had this event occurred at speed i probably wouldn't be here today. the service advisor informed me that ford was acknowledging that they had a problem with the front springs, but were not admitting to any failures of the rear springs. i had to therefore pay for the repair, however ford would retro fit the front springs with a containment device for no additional charge. ford realizes that failure of the front strut spring will result in loss of control of the vehicle. having an automotive back ground i began questioning why the failure had occurred on such a late model vehicle. the explanation i received was that any moisture on the spring would lead to corrosion and subsequent failure of the metal. i found this very interesting given the fact that i own a 1970 ford torino with original springs, which after 35 years appear very rusty, and yet still support the weight of the vehicle. the dealer response was, "well ford out sources these springs to india and the quality of the metal is very suspect." i still have the lower coil of the spring in my possession, which will be available to you at any time for your inspection. in viewing the cross section break, one can clearly see rust half way across the diameter of the coil, with fresh metal on the remaining.*jb

I own a 2001 mercury sable. in august of 2003 the car would not start and was towed to the dealer. it had 23038 miles. the fuel pump was replaced with no charge to me due to the manufacturers warranty. on october 3, 2005, my mercury sable would not start. again it was towed with only 64492 miles. once again the dealer informed me that the fuel pump was bad and replaced it. this cost me $50 deductible due to the extended warranty which i purchased. on top of all of this, i own a 2002 ford taurus with only 27000 miles on it. in september of 2005, it would not start. the fuel pump was replaced on it. i will put this incident into a different complaint. *jb

I had new tires put on my 2001 mercury sable. i wanted an alignment done also. the tire dealer called me and told me the tires were put on but they could not do an alignment because i had a rear coil spring that was broke. i didn't even realize it. the original manufacturers warranty was past but i purchased an extended warranty. the dealer replaced the rear coil spring but i did have to pay a deductible. *jb

Mercury sable 2001 sedan, 47,300 miles, both front axle seals warped. this was discovered during an oil change when the car was on a lift. many other consumers may not be aware that this may be occurring in their cars. icalled ford customer service center and they would not warranty beyond 36,000 miles. ithe consumer told them there was nothing in the printed owner's manual concerning extended drivetrain warranty. they should not be failing at such a low mileage. it may lead to serious problems, and consumers should not be responsible to fix this-- there should be a recall. *nm

Hi i am writing to file a complaint about the 2001 mercury sable i currently own. the coil spring on my vehicle broke causing my tire to wear out. when i took it to be fixed the mechanic who fixed it said my tire could have blown out at anytime. it could have caused an accident. i read in my local paper that other people have had this problem and ford is looking into recalling this car. i strongly recommend it be recalled for the safety of others. it also was a very expensive to have replaced it cost me over $400. for the repair and new tire. please look into this matter. thank you. cindy barr. *jb

I have had my rear tire damaged because of my rear coil spring breaking on my 2001 mercury sable. *nm

I have a 2001 mercury sable and i got a flat tire when the left rear coil spring broke and cut into the inside wall of my tire. in fact, i got two flats because the tire repair company did not see the problem the first time. the mercury dealer repaired the spring at my expense and i also paid for a new tire at the tire repair store. *jb

2001 mercury sable left rear coil spring had broke and cut the tire.*mr *jb

Recently my 2001 mercury sable ls caught fire very shortly after the power steering system completely failed. *jb

Dt: the contact states on occasion when he puts on the brakes instead of braking the car will accelerate and the engine will rev. has to stomp on the brakes, turn off the ignition and/or put the car in neutral to get it to stop. the contact noticed this just after purchasing the car in june. it has gotten progressively worse. vehicle is a 2001 mercury sable. the dealer cannot duplicate the problem. he has not talked to the manufacturer. *ak the cigarette lighter was inoperative, the fuse was replaced. *jb

Car would stall while idiling. brought the car in and they determined that the plastic manifold had cracked. they replaced the manifold and the dealer and ford paid for the repair after i agreed to pay $200.

Dt: the consumer stated that the two rear springs broke while driving. the vehicle was a 2001 mercury sable. the consumer received a recall on the front springs, but not on the rear springs. while driving the consumer heard a grinding noise and took the car to a goodyear dealer to have brakes checked. the mechanic found that the springs were broken. the consumer had no idea when the springs broke. the car was not driven that much. the consumer talked to the dealership, and they said that the car was not under warranty and it was the consumer's tough luck. ford said the same thing about the warranty. ford was not willing to help the consumer with the expenses for the repairs. the repair work was done with no help from ford. *ak *sc

2001 mercury sable oil pan gasket failed.***no answer required***. *mr the consumer feels that the dealer should have notified her of the service bulletin during her routine maintenance which stated that the oil pan gasket had been redesigned. *nm

Air bag light keeps coming on and they have traced it to the driver side airbag needs to be replaced and needs new electrical wiring. the air bag has never been deployed, so why is it bad? the car has been checked several times for this air bag light problem. *nm

Dt: consumer was driving through hotel parking lot at low speed when the vehicle quickly accelerated striking 2 cars and scaling a 3 1/2 feet wall, dropping over and finally coming to a rest. the attending officer discovered that there was a broken throttle cable and suspected this was the cause of loss of control of the vehicle. it was totaled. *ak

Dt: consumer was driving through parking lot at low speed when the car suddenly accelerated at great speed. the consumer was unable to slow the vehicle down before it struck 2 vehicles, and sped over a 3 1/2 foot high wall where it went over and came to a rest. upon inspection, the attending police officer discovered a broken throttle cable which he believed caused the vehicle to act the way that it did. the car was totaled. currently awaiting insurance report. *ak *jb

Dt: contact ownes a 2001 mercury sable. both back coil springs on the busted. one went through a tire. dealer said both back springs had to be replaced. ford will not stand behind the fact that these were weak springs.*ak

Dt: the consumer states his 2001 mercury sable rear coil spring broke on the driver's side. when the spring broke it punctured a hold in the tire and caused it to go flat. the vehicle had a recall for the front springs and it will be fixed tomorrow. the nhtsa campaign #04v332000, he received this notice a couple of days ago and he called ford and was told the rear coil springs was not covered. this happened on june 3, 2005. the springs had to be replaced. *jb

Dt: the consumer said the fuel tank vapor storage canister had a plastic cover that cracked. the consumer saw something hanging down under the vehicle and saw that it was pieces of the plastic cover and the bracket that held it in place. dealer said the only ones that he saw that had problems were on police cars. manufacturer has not been contacted yet. caller had concerns about this piece being made out of plastic. *ak the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. *jb

Dt: while driving the vehicle was not responding correctly. the driver noticed something was wrong. the driver heard a hissing, sound, and noticed that there was a leak in the right rear tire, although tire was not flat, the mechanic determined that the coil spring broke and slashed the tire. the mechanic suggested that a new coil spring and tire would be needed and to come back next monday. the repair was done by a personal mechanic. the consumer called ford, but they stated that there was only a recall on the front coil spring and won't do anything to help about the rear coil spring problem. *ak *sc *jb

My daughter was driving the car ( mercury sable ls ) on saturday night when she experienced a high speed ( 55 mph ) right rear tire blow out. the inside wheel well of the tire was peeled off. these are brand new michlen p225-60r16 tires with approx. 10,000 miles of usage. someone helped her change the tire. after i purchased a new tire and went to change the spare tire i saw that the right rear spring had come off the shoulder of the strut. this vehicle is on recall for the front springs which could cause a front tire blow out but ford motor company said that they were not aware of any problems with the rear springs. the car goes in the shop on thursday 6-30-2005 for the front spring recall and i'm going to let them look at the failure on the right rear spring. if i don't get satisfaction from them i will repalce the spring and strut at a cost for materials of approx. $300.00..

Dt: while in florida, heard a rubbing noise on driver's side rear. took to goodyear and found that the rear coil spring was broken and it was sticking in the sidewall of tire. took to a dealer to see if vin# was in recall and have them fix the rear spring. there is a recall on the front springs, but not the rear springs. problem was fixed at owner's expense. manufacturer will not help with expenses. work was done in florida by maroone lincoln mercury, 3626 northlake blvd, lake park, florida 33403. 561-622-0700. *tt

Dt: consumer stated: heard a loud bang, there was a rubbing sound. took vehicle to a tire store, left rear springs broke. it went through the side of the tire. *ak two struts also had to be replaced. *nm

Separation of rear coil part of rear suspension system strut assembly. this vehilce had a recall for the sheild to prevent this situation on the front suspension. now i have the rear give way. vehicle only has 16,000 miles on it as well.

Dt: car accelerated without warning three different times while driving, once to consumer, and twice to her sister. when she hit the brakes they did not hold. her sister had to throw the car into reverse to get the car to stop. they almost had a crash all three times, she never knew when it was going to happen until it happened. dealer said they could not help unless it happened while they were driving the car. manufacturer said the same thing.*ak *sb

2001 mercury sable's ball joints needed to be replaced.*mr *jb

No specific event lead to failure. rear spring broke causing spring to rub inside side wall of tire. dealer is replacing both rear springs. part would be at dealer: t.e. clarke ford hudson ohio

Problems getting recall repair complete on 2001 mercury sable.*mr when the consumer arrived at the dealership for his appointment, he was told no vehicles would be fixed in the state of montana. *jb

Recall campaign 04v332000 concerning front coil spring failure. consumer made several attempts to get the dealer to honor this manufacturer recall since mid december 2004, every time consumer called the dealer, he informed the consumer that no parts were available. *ak evoq returned, insufficent address. * tt *nm

The power steering in the consumer's 2001 mercury sable station wagon failed. the consumer opened the hood of the vehicle and found that the belt was loose and that the spring loaded belt idler pulley was hanging in parts on the engine block. *nm it was determined that the pulley assembly could not be repaired. the consumer requested that ford reimburse him for the cost of replacing the defective spring loaded idler pulley assembly. *sc

While driving on the highway heard a loud bang at the rear of the car. no obvious cause. continued to drive a few minutes, then heard a flapping noise indicating a flat tire. pulled over and replaced flat, left rear tire with a spare. drove to automobile service center, where it was discovered that the left/rear coil spring broke, puncturing the tire. put on new tire. broken coil spring has not yet been repaired.*ak

Driving at 70mph heard a loud bang, but no obvious cause. continued driving. a few minutes later, heard a flapping noise indicating a flat tire. pulled over to the side of the road and replaced flat left rear tire with a spare. drove to nearby auto service center. mechanic discovered that the left rear coil spring had broken and punctured the tire. as of yet, broken left rear coil spring has not been replaced, and is still attached. *ak

Mercury sable had acceleration while using cruise control at highway speed. car continued to accelerate in spite of turning off cruise, pulling up the accelerator, and only stopped when the car was put into neutral, stopped and the engine turned off. could not stop with the brakes to the point of the brake pads smoking while the car kept accelerating.*ak

While driving at approximately 15 mph driver heard a rubbing sound, and shortly after, the tire blew out. owner had the vehicle inspected at a tire shop when it was discovered that the rear coil spring broke and punctured the tire on the right rear. *ak

Mercury sable 2001, faulty suspension rear springs. *bf the springs also punctured the tire. *jb

The consumer went into the dealer to have the front coil spring repaired on a recall and it was discovered the rear coil spring was broken. the consumer made contact with the manufacturer and contact will be made on the repair. *jb

While having recall repairs done for the front coil spring dealer informed the consumer that the rear coil spring broke, and was cutting a grove in the rear left tire. *ak *nm

Blower failure and standing water on driver's and passenger's floor boards. *nm

While driving approximately 35 mph left rear tire ruptured. pulled to side of road, and the tire was changed. that tire was replaced several times. mechanic informed consumer that part of the coil spring was sticking out, and that caused the tire to rupture. *ak

The rear coil spring, not the front per the recall, cracked and nearly ruptured the tire. we heard a rubbing sound and stopped the car. i have since changed the springs.*ak

After getting into the vehicle consumer heard a loud noise. consumer got out of vehicle and made an inspection. nothing could be found. consumer got back into the vehicle shift it into reverse, and vehicle made a loud scrapping noise. vehicle was taken to a repair shop, and mechanic determined that the right rear spring fractured and punched the tire.*ak

Rear coil spring fractured while driving causing the right rear tire to blow out......didn't realize the cause until it happened again and was inspected further.*ak

Vehicle was parked in the garage. owner turned on the ignition switch and there was a loud bang like a shot gun went off. the owner later discovered that the intake manifold blew apart. the manifold was made of plastic. the owner contacted the dealer, and was informed that what happened was not uncommon. the dealer was familiar with the defect, and the estimated charge of repair would cost about $600.00.*ak *eh *jb

Nhtsa campaign 04v332000; ford issued a front coil springs recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but the dealer did not have the parts available in order to repair.*ak

While turning out of a driveway to the right, the left side air bag deployed (without inflating). no collision, just a turning manuveur to the right. 2001 mercury sable.*ak

While driving at 35 mph consumer lost control of the vehicle , and veered into the other lane. consumer pulled over, and driver's rear tire shredded. consumer called aaa, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was discovered the rear coil spring fractured, causing the tire to flatten.*ak *er *jb

My 2001 sable ls had the rear driver side tire blow out this morning. i took it to the tire shop and it turns out that the rear coil spring broke and punctured the tire. i took the car to stu evan linc merc in garden city, mi and i was told that only the front coil springs are covered by the recall, not the rear coil springs. it's the same part, just at a different location on the vehicle - and it had the same exact failure as that described in the recall for the front coil springs. seems that the rear springs should also be covered by the recall. dealer will replace the rear coil spring and perform the recall on the front - i still don't understand how they could recall just the front and not the rear. *nm

Consumer received a recall letter for the front coil springs, and to date the manufacturer had not made contact to advise the consumer that the parts were in as the letter stated.*ak

Nhtsa recall 04v332000; ford has issued a front coil springs recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall. the parts still were unavailable from the manufacturer. consumer has been waiting since september for the parts.*ak

Corrected/completed odi # 10104563. *jb

While driving 20 mph, the consumer noticed that the turn signals were inoperative. please provide additional details. *jb

Consumer received recall 04v332000/ manufacturer's recall 04s17/04m04. contacted dealership, and was informed no parts were available for the front coil spring repairs. *ak

Vehicle had been to the dealer on several occasions. mechanic could not duplicate the problem. vehicle jumped forward. transmission popped into gear on its own. the rpms accelerated, then vehicle would stalled. consumer was unable to restart vehicle. it was towed to the dealer, and mechanic informed consumer that vehicle was placed on diagnostic machine, and computer was reprogrammed. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem occurred again, and had not been resolved. *ak

The driver's side rear coil spring broke and caused the tire to be punctured while driving. the car was taken in for repair and found that the passenger rear coil spring was also broken. called ford and found that there was a recall for the front springs only. the car is currently not safe to drive. my sable has 23,000 miles on it.*ak

While driving with my lights on, the lights in the dash went out. then after 10 to 15 minutes, the lights came back again. this happened quite frequently. the car was taken to the dealer on 11/24/2003 and the dealer said that he fixed it but the lights in the dash kept going of and on occationally. the lights in the dash went off completely in october 2004. took the car to the dealer again and the dealer said that it was a defective switch and replaced it on 11/24/2004. the same night the lights in the dash went out. i will be taking this car to the dealer again on the 5th of december.*ak

While driving 55 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. upon impact, dual air bags did not deploy. driver sustained a compound fracture to the right thigh, and many other major injuries. *ak

The consumer received a recall for the vehicle's coil springs. the repairs can not be made until december 2004 because the parts are not available. *nm *nm

The accelerator cable snapped while driving on a bridge. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and repaired. *jb *tc

The vehicle stalled intermittently while driving at any speed. the vehicle was at the dealer for repairs. the condition maybe due to an electrical problem. *jb

Recall notice for defect in ford and lincoln mercury. *bf suspension:front:springs:coil springs recall id number : 04v332000. *tc

While driving rear coil spring punctured the rear tires. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Recall regarding front coil springs on 2001 mercury sable. *mr mercury/ford stated the part would not be available until december. *sc *jb

Rear passenger side coil spring broke , puncturing the tire. recall 04v332000 was issued concerning front coil spring. however, the manufacturer stated the rear was not affected, and the claim could not be honored. *ak

Automatic transmission gear indicator was missing from the instrument panel. the consumer did know what gear the vehicle was in. *ak *jb

Consumer received recall 04332000, however, recall repairs could not be done because parts will not be available for until december 2004.*ak

Vehicle failed the pennsylvania state inspection. vehicle was taken to the dealership, and technician replaced the upper and lower ball joints on both sides. *ak

Rear driver's side coil spring fractured completely while driving puncturing the driver's side rear tire.*mr the manufacturer has issued a recall on the front coil springs but not the rear. *nm

Vehicle steering wheel would vibrate when applying the brakes at 45 mph. vehicle is at the dealer. the dealer informed the consumer that both front rotors needed to be turned. the consumer is concerned that the rotors are wearing excessively although the vehicle is under 29,000 miles of wears. *la *nm

The transmission would lock in park and disengage at 40k, a sensor was replaced. then at 49k the transmission blew while driving (internal). poor transmission engineering. i'll never buy another ford/mercury. *jb

Recall notice regarding stop lamp switch problems.*mr while driving the stop lamp became struck in the on position. the vehcile was taken to a local mechanic who replaced the stop lamp switch. *nm

The consumer noticed that the passenger seat belt did not retract properly. while pulling the seat belt it broke. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and the mechanic determined that the retractor needed to be replaced. *ak *sc

Recall no.#04v106000, brake light switch: the consumer complained that the dealer charged for the recall work. the manufacturer explained to the consumer that the vehicle was not taken to a mercury dealership, which was the reason the work was charged. *la

Transmission failed at 44000 miles without any notice at all. this car is two years old and just out of the warranty. ford would not do anything about it. there is something very wrong about this!!!

While backing out of the driveway, the front driver side coil spring broke. as a result, the tire was punctured, almost tipping the vehicle over. *ak when it was discovered that the left front coil had broken, it sliced the tire across the top and caused the link on the sway bar to break. *sc *jb

While driving down a hill at 30 mph an upon approaching an intersection brake pedal was depressed to slow down and to make a left turn, and brake pedal went to the floor, which resulted in the vehicle going through the intersection. vehicle stopped when it collided with a tree. consumer sustained bruises to chest from the seat belt. prior to the accident vehicle has 2 brake recalls performed by a dealership. *ak

While parked vehicle caught on fire underneath the hood. due to severe fire damage vehicle was totaled. *ak

I had a coil spring on the front passengerside brake an cut my tire. if i was on a highway going sixty five i could have killed someone or my passengers .there is more to this story than this if you want to call me.now what i want is to get the word out to the other people that have this car a mercury sable 2001 to have it checked right away and maybe we can save some lives.when i picked my car up today from the ford dealer where it was being fixed he told me they had another call today the23 it happened to someone else. thank you mrs. c.vreeland. *ak

While driving 60 mph, the anti-theft system engaged and caused the vehicle to stall. the driver was able to restart the vehicle. please provide further details. *jb

The vehicle will not start or will crank, start and idle very rough, then stop rumnning. two dealers have investigated and duplicated the problem but no cause has been found.*ak

I have a 2001 mercury sable ls with 9000 miles. i was attempting to park the car in front of a store in a shopping plaza located in cocoa beach ,fl. when i applied the brakes to park in the parking place, the brakes failed and the engine made a revving noise and the car leaped forward jumping the curb and crashing into a brick support column. this car was recalled for the brake pedal and accelerator problem and was supposedly fixed at the mercury dealers. i was transported to the hospital by the emergency squad. i was treated for a large gash in the forehead and xrays were taken of the chest, back and ribs which were not fractured but severely bruised. i also sustained two black eyes caused by my sunglasses hitting the steering wheel. i was wearing my seatbelt, however, the airbags did not deploy. estimated cost to repair my car is $7048. *ak

Transmission replacement at 67,500 miles. *ak

Brake application in wet weather, resulting in low frequency vibration, apparently from front brakes, with perceived reduction in brake effectiveness. after one or two brake applications under these conditions, brake function returns to normal with normal effectiveness and no noise or vibration.*ak

While driving in a rain storm, the windshield wipers failed without warning. the dealer stated the fuse box malfunctioned.*ak the consumer stated the service technician from the dealer replaced the fuse box, however the wipers have failed for the second time after it was repaired. *la *jb

The vehicle's heat/air conditioner and defogger was controlled by one unit. the unit failed and was replaced 5 times. when the unit failed, the consumer was unable to clear the windows. this reduced driver's visibility. *ak *scc *jb

The right headlight has an over abundance of moisture inside the lens. dealer was informed of the problem, but refused to remedy it.*ak

While driving at 35 mph consumer was notified by a passing motorist that trunk was on fire. upon inspection, it had been determined that fire started in the rear tail light. one of the occupants sustained third degree burns. ford advised that the cause of the problem is unknown. *ak *ts *nlm

There is a defect in the configuration of the steering wheel.*mr. in the process of turning left at an intersection or parking lot, the steering wheel brushed the top of the consumer's leg and with slight motion it caused the consumer' foot to move over to the accelerator. the consumer stated when he attempted to brake, his foot slipped off the brake pedal and hit the accelerator and crashed into a wall. the consumer stated the brake and accelerator pedal were designed too close together. the manufacturer did acknowledge there was a defect and a recall had been issued. *jb

Seat belt retractor failure. dealer will not replace.*ak

While traveling on the highway and without physical contact with another vehicle passenger's air bag deployed. *ak

At approximately 34000 miles left front brake cylinder leaked, and caused sever damage to the braking system in my car. this was covered by the dealer, and they replaced all of the brake shoes, replaced the hydraulicsto the front brakes, turned the rotors etc. now, 20000 miles later, the same type of leak is occuring again. why the same type of failure? i can understand that the brake shoes need replacement periodically, and that the system needs to be serviced, but to have the complete hydraulic system fail (again) seven months after a full replacement?*ak

I had to get my brake light switch replaced because my car wouldn't shift out of park. when speaking to the dealership's service technician, it sounded like this was a common problem with my type of car. a friend of mine with a similar car (ford taurus) had the same problem. is this a possible defect that should be recalled?*ak

While driving inside dash light began to blink and then went out. took to dealer, dealer replaced ignition switch. *ak

2001 mercury sable 39k miles. driving on nys thruway when i experienced a complete engine failure with my car. ford motor admitted there was a defect in the engine but said my vehicle was out of warranty. did get me discount on repairs. ford refused to tell me if others are experiencing same with this engine. *jb

Rear middle seat belt would not pull out. *tt

My 2001 mercury sable has now failed on me at least 6 times since i purchased it on nov. 15,2002. without warning, i would turn my car off, come back to it and it wouldn't start. nothing, completely dead. the only thing that did work was the theft light would flash. at first, you could wait for 15 to 30 minutes and it would suddenly start again. this last time, that was not the case. i had it at the ford dealership three times for this problem and they could never diagnose the problem because it wouldn't do it to them. after my third time of being stranded i told them to keep the car until it was fixed. after three days, they decided they would go ahead and make new keys and replace the theft system although they still had not diagnosed this to be the problem. it worked for a couple of months and guess what, here i am again without a car. keep in mind, the three times i had the car in for this problem it was still covered under warranty; it no longer is, it has exceeded the mileage. *nlm

The replacement switch for brake/stop lamp recall 01 v 078 000 failed twice. *nlm *ts

The fuel gauge did function properly, which caused confusion with the amount of fuel in tank. *jb.....*ak

The vehicle had a consistent oil leak since purchase. the dealer stated the engine gasket cylinder heads leaked. *jb ...*ak

When the gear was switched from park to reverse, the vehicle lurched forward and almost caused an accident. *jb..*ak

The vehicle experienced the same defect as stated in recall 02 v 266000. *jb

The dealer replaced the right rear seat belt retractor twice, however the problem recurred. *jb scc

Steering had gone out, and caused it to become impossible to steer/turn. ts scc

The steering wheel vibrated while in idle, the structure of the vehicle rocked back and forth or from side to side. vehicle also picked up speed on its own without pressing the accelerator. ts *jb

Consumer states while traveling at 45 mph and making a turn the brakes failed. consumer feels that the brake and gas pedals are too close. which resulted in the brakes failing. please provide any further information. mr

Consumer stated that when breaking the vehicle will surge forward with no warning. dealer notified ts

While driving consumer heard a knocking noise from the front of the vehicle then the engine light came on. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for service. cause of problem still unknown. ts

After the dealership inspected the distance between the brake and gas pedal and indicated it met the distance requirement, the consumer almost has had 4 near accident because of the brake and pedal being too close. please provide more details. ts

The brake and accelerator pedal was designed too close together, when consumer attempted to apply the brake, the accelerator was also applied and therefore the vehicle continued to increase in speed and ran over a cement parking block. ts. consumer suffered injuries.*jb

Consumer states that the new brake pedal that was install due to a recall is now to big and to high for the consumer to reach causing their foot to go under the pedal. dealer notified ts

Consumer states she received a recall #02 v266000, which states she needed to take her vehicle to her dealer and have her brakes pedals adjusted, but the dealer told her that she did not need her pedals adjusted. she states she asked him why because that is what the recall called for, and he said that he was going by ford's specification, which states if the brake pedal and the gas pedal is 2 inches from each other then no adjustment is required. consumer states she took her auto to liberty lincoln mercury 790 rte 3, clifton, nj 07012- 973-473-6455. she would like a call to find out if that is true. mr due to the design of the gas and brake pedal consumer's foot will get stuck between the two. *tt

Consumer states when applying the brakes, if consumers foot touches gas pedal, the vehicle accelerates instead of stopping. consumer feels pedals are too close together.*jb

While at stop brakes applied, vehicle surged forward. consumer shifted to park to stop vehicle. dealer reprogrammed power module. vehicle surged again at a stop on 20 mar 2002, dealer found no problem.ak *mj

When at a complete stop vehicle will suddenly accelerate without applying gas.*ak a/c shut down while traveling. consumer unable to start the vehicle, the wipers, a/c and blinkers failed due to electrical system failure. *yh

While traveling during inclement weather serpentine belt fell off and vehicle shut down.*ak

When applying brakes vehicle accelerated forward resulting in a collision. dealer has been notified. please provide further information.*ak

Intermittently when applying brakes pedal goes to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. dealer has not been able to duplicate or correct problem. please provide further information. *ak

While driving at 5 mph consumer tried to slow down. when applying brakes they were not catching, and consumer ran into another vehicle. contacted dealer. *ak

Consumer has had a difficult time rolling windows up or down . they would lock. dealer and manufacturr have been notified. mechanic has repaired window defect 6 times, and had not fixed the defect.*ak

While driving brakes fell onto the ground.*ak

Accelerator pedal and gas pedal are so close together when the brakes are applied consumer mistakenly steps on accelerator. *ak consumer has come close to having a collision due to this design. *jg

Front collision at 45-50 mph, neither airbag deployed. no injuries. vehicle was totalled.*ak

When trying to start vehicle, the key would stick, dash is completely inoperable, consumer could hear something running and vehicle would become very hot, dash did not light up, so there was no warning, vehicle made a grinding sound. took to dealer, ignition has been changed twice.*ak. consumer states the power windows were inoperable, the radio did not work, there was no air conditioning or heat, the windshield wipers were inoperative, there was a noise coming from the flywheel, and the dashboard did not light up.*jb

There is a vibration in vehicle when braking, very noticable on damp pavement. it feels like the vehicle is jumping and jerking. please provide any further information.*ak

Rear spring broken. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle slid into a gravel road and flipped over. the air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle was destroyed. the contact was unconscious after the crash and has sustained some minor bruises and cuts. a police report is available if needed. the failure mileage was 167,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. the contact took the vehicle to have maintenance work performed, and learned that the rear springs on both sides of the vehicle failed. the cost to replace the struts and springs would be approximately $600. the current and failure mileages were 86,000. updated 02-14-08. *kb

Electrical system shut down, loses all power. *ak the auto has accelerated on numerous occasions while stopped in traffic. teh air conditioner shut down while traveling, twice the vehicle experienced complete electrical shut down, on one occasion requiring the vehicle to be towed. consumer is requesting a vehicle replacement and for the failures to be recalled. *jg

Panel located underneath dash has cables and wires exposed and can be dangerous to children. dealer has been contacted. *ak the areas behind the dashboard go deep behind the instument panel. children are also able to place their entire arm up and behind the entire dashboard. *yh

Vehicle would accelerate on its own at slow speeds, this happened 5 times. vehicle taken to dealer 2 or 3 times. dealer could not find a problem. then on september 15, 2001 while parking vehicle accelerated. consumer applied brakes, but was not able to stop vehicle, resulting in vehicle running into building. consumer suffered headaches, amount of damage was $ 7000. *ak

When applying gas pedal it would get stuck, gas and brake pedals on this model are too close together, allowing the gas pedal to be accidentally engaged while applying the brake to stop, and has been involved in 3 accidents. *ak. *et

There is no panel covering underside dashboard, wires/ steering column assembly are exposed, a small child could easily get hands up in wire and possibly be injured. *ak *slc

Due to design of head restraint and height of the head rest, when backing vehicle out, consumer noticed there was a blind spot, obstructing driver's vision on one side which could cause an accident. consumer has contacted dealer. dealer stated that other consumer's have complained about design of the head rest.*ak consumer states there is only 4 and 1/2 inches between side of headrest and door, there is 5 inches between top of headrest and ceiling and consumer can not see around it or over it, top of consumers head is level with top of headrest. *slc

A feature that was used to sell car, made for taller drivers, did not work well. when pedal was in the high position driver's foot could go under pedal. when in low position it couldn't go under pedal. there was not enough foot room for left foot. please provide any further information.*ak

On several occasions vehicle revved and accelerated suddenly and unexpectedly. dealer inspected vehicle, and could not duplicate or correct the problem. after dealer's inspection, vehicle, revved and accelerated forward gain, resulting in a collision. vehicle was totaled. please provide additional information.*ak consumer states three times at speeds ranging from 3 to 20 mph when jamming n the brakes either in foward or revers the engine would rev up at high speed and the vehicle would lurch either backwards or fowards, depending on whaat gear consumer was in, consumer was informed that the problem could not be duplicated, on the last occasion the vehicle went out of conrtol and was totalled.*jb

When brakes are applied brake pedal is depressed and it goes down flush with accelerator pedal, causing unintentional acceleration. brake pedal sits higher than accelrerator pedal. so acclerator does not cause a problem, untile brake is applied. ford sent a letter stating it was within design specifications for the vehicle.*ak the consumer depresses the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal at the same time unintentionally due to faulty design of the pedal. *yh

Before consumer's wife could take foot off the brake, and after shifting from park to drive, vehicle suddenly accelerated and went 30 feet before hitting a building. consumer bruised, but otherwise not seriously injured. *ak manufacturer is stating that accident was caused not caused by a defect in the vehicle. *slc

While at a stop light engine started to rev. then consumer crashed into another car. recently, authorized mechanic's foot accidentally engaged the gas pedal while applying the brake pedal and drove consumer's vehicle into a work bench causing extensive damage to the vehicle. *ak the gas pedal and brake pedal are too close together and are a dangerous safety hazard. this problem was a design defect. *yh consumer has experienced 3 accidents due to the design of the gas and brake pedal. by inspected dealership and dept. of highway administration, the brake and gas pedal assemblies were replaced. *tt

Headrest is too big, and consumer cannot see out of rear passenger window when pulling out of parking spaces or driveway.*ak both the manufacturer and the dealer had no solution. the consumer was trying to remove the headrest but was unable. *yh

All of seat belt buckles are of poor quality and need to be replaced. dealer notified. *ak *slc

When braking vehicle would suddenly accelerate. vehicle was a rental.*ak

While driving, consumer tried to move the front seat back by using what he thought was the power seat adjustment switch on the left side of the driver's seat, however the consumer really was adjusting an electric pedal adjustment switch that moved brake and gas pedal closer to consumer causing sudden acceleration, consumer states that these two switches should not be located near each other and that the pedal switch should only be able to be used while in park. *slc

I'd like to report that the temperature control unit for my 2001 mercury sable is not functioning properly. in addition to the a/c not functioning in warm weather, the moisture is not removed from the windshield in cooler weather, causing a safety hazard from the windshield fogging. the tempature control unit only blows very hot air, no matter which tempature is selected. the vehicle has been in for repair four times; the last time was on 10/14/02, but no work was performed becuase the tsb has not been issued. i was informed by the dealership on 9/13/02 that this is a known problem and that ford is working on a technical service bulletin. as far as i know, a tsb has not yet been issued for this problem, even though i am forced to drive the car with the windows fogged up. ford seems unconcerned about the sefety hazard that this problem causes. dt

There is a violent jarring of the vehicle near the end of a stop. dealer claims that it is a normal downshift of the transmission.*ak

On three occasions i have unintentionally hit the accelerator pedal because it is too close to the brake. after backing out of a parking place . i applied the brake and moved the gear lever to "drive". at the same time my foot also hit the accelerator causing the car to move forward. the engine was racing. i turned off the ignition. if i had not had my foot on the brake, the car would have lurched forward out of control. another time i was slowing down for a red light and my foot momentarily hit the accelerator.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

On numerous occasions, while attempting to depress brake pedal in my vehicle, i have inadvertantly depressed the accelerator at the same time. at first i thought it was my big feet, (size 13), in conjunction with me purchasing a smaller car than i was used to. but after hearing about your investigation into the matter based on other complaints, i had to add my concern as well. *ak

The gas tank leaked due to a defective "0" ring and fuel pump. i was told this automobile could blow up.*ak

While driving, the braking system failed completely without warning. i took extreme measures to avoid a pedestrian and a parking garage. i had the vehicle towed to the dealership and was informed that the abs "brain" was defective. i am very concerned about the lack of redundancy in the braking system and question if the vehicle is safe. the dealership service advisor claims he has not seen this before and that the needed compnent for repair would take a couple of days to come in. this provides us little piece of mind. please provide us aan un-biased investigation.*ak

The electrical system of the vehicle shuts down randomly, even at highway speeds. the vehical shuts off and cannot be restarted. the vehicle has to be towed. this has happened four times in three weeks on a vehicle that is two months old (purchased new in august). each time the electrical system failed, the starter motor was burned out. the dealer replaced the starter motor three times and each time, the new starter motor was blown out. the dealer claims there is nothing they can do to correct the problem. it appears they are waiting for the 36,000 mile warranty to expire (even though there are only 2,200 miles on the vehicle) so that they will no longer have to deal with this as a warranty issue.

Air bag readiness light comes on all the time. ford motor company said they didn't know how to fix the problem. there are having this problem with other cars and the air bags will not work if in a crash. *ak

Dear comment " pid data test found air bag over 17v module bad" ...my comment "therefore cound not be deployer in case of accident"*ak

I was informed that if i was to be in an accident, ford does not know if the air bags would deploy. this car was purchased for the 5 star rating and additional cost were paid for side air bags. *ak

Brake pedal & accelerator are too close together. manyt times both are depressed when only the brake was meant to be applied. vehicle was almost involved in 6+ collisions due to this problem.*ak

The car will not start although the battery is charged. the ant-theft device appears to be the problem again. the ford towing service told me that this is a common problem.*ak

Transmission fitting not secured causing lose of fluid, transmission to slip with sudden rapid acceleration resulting. causing very near miss with oncoming traffic. gross negligence , no evidence of safety inspection had to have car towed 35 miles because it was undrivable, car only 4 days old. dealer claims negligence due to factory error.

The car would not start even though the battery was not dead. after switching the remote entry back and forth from lock to unlock several times, the engine started. the engine simply stopped without warning several times at various speeds from 65 to about 20mph. the dealer claimed a contact in the fuse box was not long enough to make sufficient contact with the fuse. i also suspect the anti-theft device or ignition switch might be at fault.*ak

At highway speeds, vehicle sways and veers excessively in moderate crosswinds. *ak

While in motion, the transmission blew. the vehicle had suddenly jolted as if consumer had placed the gear into neutral. after a few seconds during which the vehicle had slowed considerably, it went back into gear suddenly and resumed highway speed. when consumer checked beneath the hood, there was transmission fluid all over the engine. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they diagnosed the transmission problem as an internal failure. the trasnmission was replaced. teh new transmission is warranted for 24 months or 24,000 miles. consumer requests to extend the warranty for a full 36 months or 36,000 miles or to extend the warranty on the entire vehicle. *jg

Consumer was informed of recall 01v258, however the dealer has not yet heard of this recall, consumer is requesting that repairs be made as soon as possible. *slc

While driving the passenger side impact air bag falsley deployed injuring the passengers right arm, the dealer replaced the passenger side air bag, seat cover and rcm module. nlm

The brakes, the pedal, the power train and transmission failed due to the computer malfunctions. *yh

Consumer states he is having trouble turning the key in the ignition, which also resulted in the steering wheel not turning.*yd

The vehicle jumps at low speeds, possibly engine related.*yd

The vehicle hit a pot hole while driving, upon impact the the drivers side impact air bag falsely deployed hitting the consumer causing bruising and soreness. nlm

Fuel smell promblem in vehicle, o rings and some gaskets replaced, problem of fuel smell still exists, problem caused apprehension and illness. *cj

Consumer can smell gasoline inside the vehicle while driving causing the occupants to feel ill, dealer tried to find problem but was not successful. nlm

The vehicle's wire, connnectors, steering wheel and underside of the dashboard exposed because of no panel protection. *yh