1999 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

I OWN A 1999 ,MERCURY SABLE.ON MAY 13, 1999, WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY,I HEARD A VERY LOUD POPPING SOUND THEN A VERY LOUD GRINDING NOISE. I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO BRING MY VEHICLE IN. I THEN HAD IT TOWED THERE. WHEN THEY CALLED TO INFORM ME OF THE PROBLEM, IWAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT RIGHT COIL SPRING HAD BROKE AND IN THE PROCESS HAD RUINED MY TIRE ALSO. I WASTOLD IT WOULD COST ABOUT $300.00 TO FIX AND THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRENTY. I GAVE THEM THE OKAY TO FIX IT. LATER THAT DAY, I WAS TALKING TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO TOLD ME ABOUT TWO OTHER INCIDENTS THAT HE HAD HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING. BEING A PARENT, WITH SMALL CHILDREN,I BECAME CONCERNED OF THEIR SAFETY. I STARTED LOOKING FOR THIS PROBLEM CAME ACROSS SOME OTHER INCIDENTS THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED BUT FOUND NO RECALL OF THIS NATURE.I WILL HAVE MY VEHICLE BACK ON MONDAY, BUT HAVE TO WONDER IF I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENSE OR IF THE MANFACTURE SHOULD BE PAYING THE EXPENSE. NEXT TIME THE PERSON THIS HAPPENS TO MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY AS I WAS. *AK

FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS. AS A RESULT SEAT BELT TWISTED ACROSS THE DRIVER'S CHEST INSTEAD OF LYING FLAT. *AK DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR DEFECT DUE TO WARRANTY ISSUES. *LA

THE REAR SEAT BELTS SHOULDER BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AT ALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. AFTER TALKING TO DEALERSHIP THE WARRANTY IS ONLY FOR 5 YEARS 50000 MILES. SO IS FORD SAYING THAT AFTER THIS WARRANTY IS UP ON MY 1999 SABLE THAT MY FAMILIES LIFE IS WORTHLESS.. ALL SEAT BELTS SHOULD BE WARRANTED FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR, NOT 5 YEARS 50000 MILES..SHOULDN'T ALL SATEY RELATED EQUIPMENT IN VEHICLES BE WARRANTED FOR LIFE? THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FRONT SHOULDER BELTS ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE REAR SEATBELTS ALSO. THEY BOTH HAVE STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT SHOULD SAY SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THEM. THESE SEATBELTS HAVE NOT BEEN ABUSED OR WEAR AND TEAR IS A BAD CALL ON THIS ONE.. THIS CAR IS ONLY IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND WEAR AND TEAR DOES NOT PLAY INTO THIS AT ALL..THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO..*AK

WHILE BACKING OUT FROM A DRIVEWAY CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. THE RIGHT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE COIL SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE THE NOISE, AND NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. STRUT TOWERS/COIL SPRING FAILED. *AK *NM

THE STEERING RACK FAILED WITH NOT VISIBLE INDICATION OF FLUID LOSS. THE PLUG ON THE RACK BLEW-OUT WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE STEERING TO BECOME MANUAL REQUIRING VEHICLE TOWING. THE CAR HAS BEEN DUTIFULLY MAINTAINED WITH NO INDICATION OF FAILURE WHEN INSPECTED. FORD MOTOR CO. HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT ON MY 99 MERCURY SABLE DOES NOT LATCH AND LOCK ALL THE TIME. IT GOES IN AND ACTS LIKE IT LATCHES (SEAT BELT LIGHT GOES OUT) UNTIL A FAIR AMOUNT OF FORCE IS APPLIED TO THE SEAT BELT AND IT RELEASE'S FROM THE SEAT BELT LATCH. I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN MULTITUDES OF TIMES EVEN THOUGHT I TRY AND REMEMBER TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT THE SEAT BELT IS SECURE.*AK

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THEN BECAME FULLY ENGULFED. *PH *SC

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN STORM, ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY ASSY BROKE CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY, I STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I HAD REPAIRED AT LOCAL SHOP IN LONG ISLAND ,NY , MECHANIC SAID NEW REPLACEMENT UNIT WAS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN ORIGINAL INDICATING THAT THERE WAS PROBLEM WITH DESIGN OF ORIGINAL UNIT.HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO STEER VEHICLE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION RESULTING IN INJURIES , ETC. I CHECKED RECALLS & THERE WERE NON RELATED TO THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE. I PAID $309.91 FOR REPAIRS TO VEHICLE. VIN# [XXX], I RETAINED BROKEN ORIGINAL PULLEY & BRACKET ASSEMBLY. *AK UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ARE FAILING IN ORDER OF MOST FREQUENT USE (E.G. DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER, REAR PASSENGERS). THE DRIVER'S BELT RETRACTOR FAILS TO PULL THE SEAT BELT BACK INTO THE COLUMNAR STORAGE AREA 100% OF THE TIME (FRONT PASSENGER BELT 50% AND REAR PASSENGERS ~10%). THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE BELTS WILL NOT PROVIDE THE LIFE SAVING TENSION REQUIRED DURING AN ACCIDENT. THE BELT HANGS LIMP OVER THE WEARER. SEAT BELTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE WORN BY LAW. YET, AUTO MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO WARRANTY THESE PARTS FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF MANUFACTURERS ONLY WARRANT SEAT BELTS FOR 3 YEARS OR 36000 MILES. AS CONSUMERS, ARE WE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS MEANS MANUFACTURERS ONLY EXPECT THE SEAT BELTS TO FUNCTION DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THIS IS ABSURD AND SHOULD BE CHANGED VIA LEGISLATION REQUIRING AUTO MAKERS TO WARRANTY LEGALLY REQUIRED SAFETY DEVICES FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. IT WOULD FORCE MANUFACTURERS TO MAKE THESE PARTS TO LAST INSTEAD OF ENGINEERING THEM TO LAST UNTIL JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD IS OVER.*AK