2003 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 MERCURY SABLE WITH 19K MILES ON IT. WE HAD HEAVY RAINS TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING, FOLLOWED BY SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THURSDAY MORNING, (12-10-09) THE BLOWER MOTOR FOR THE HEATING/AC SYSTEM WOULD ONLY WORK ON IT'S HIGHEST SETTING, AND CONTINUES TO DO SO. A FEW TIMES THROUGHOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, MY WIFE AND I THOUGHT WE HEARD WATER RUSHING AROUND SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AREA. I READ OVER 150 COMPLAINTS ON TOPIX.COM FOR THE VERY SAME PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS OF BOTH SABLES AND TAURUS'. IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY SEVERAL FOLKS THAT PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUES SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT HERE. IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BLOWER MOTOR/RESISTOR ASSEMBLY IS CAUSED BY WATER ENTERING THE BLOWER HOUSING ITSELF. I HAVE READ THAT FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AS THEY HAVE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR IT. MY CONCERN IS THAT SINCE WINTER IS UPON US, A POSSIBLE UNSAFE CONDITION COULD ARISE SHOULD THE BLOWER MOTOR QUIT WORKING COMPLETELY, THUS PREVENTING THE WINDOWS FROM DEFROSTING. ADDITIONALLY, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME BY FORD. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 MERCURY SABLE WITH A FAILED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH THAT FORD ACKNOWLEDGED AND RELEASED A RECALL FOR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V106000, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ03008) HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE THEY DECLINED TO ASSIST IN THE MATTER UNTIL I URGED THEM THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPAIR THE ISSUE AT NO COST TO ME. AFTER A LONG DISCUSSION THEY SAID THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT ONLY AFTER I PAID A DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE FEE TO RULE OUT ANY OTHER CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. AS IT IS NOW THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF PARK, AND WHEN IT IS THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENT AT BEST. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY AS A RESULT OF FORD'S NEGLECT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. IS THERE ANYTHING THE NHTSA ODI CAN DO TO HELP ME RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE? *TR THANK YOU, SCOTT RITTER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, THE COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. HE HEARD A NOISE AS IF SOMETHING WAS SPLITTING ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

HEATER BLOWER MOTOR NOT WORKING IN 2003 MERCURY SABLE. MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE IS A LEAK IN THE FIREWALL. I NOTICED ONLINE THAT THIS HAPPENS TO A LOT OF FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLE OWNERS. ANOTHER FORD OWNER IS TRACKING ALL THE COMPLAINTS HE CAN ( FORD RECALL NUMBER 03V087000 AND HIS COMPLAINT 10184014). DEALER WANTS $300 TO FIX LEAK. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR AND WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND THEN EVERY TIME I TRIED TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF PARK IT GOT STUCK. MY BATTERY ALSO WENT DEAD. ALL WITHIN DAYS OF MY PURCHASE. I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL THAT HAD ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS AND THEY WERE CONNECTED. WHEN I WENT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS CAR WHICH I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE BECAUSE IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS LISTED IN THE RECALL. MY CAR IS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. SEE RECALL INFO BELOW: ------------------------ MAKE: MERCURY MODEL: SABLE MODEL YEAR: 2003 MANUFACTURER: FORD MOTOR COMPANY MFR'S REPORT DATE: MAR 01, 2004 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V106000 RQ03008 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ03008 COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH FORD RECALL 04S12 SUMMARY: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING. THIS MALFUNCTIONING COULD RENDER THE STOP LAMPS INOPERABLE OR CAUSE THEM TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE CONFUSION TO A FOLLOWING DRIVER, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH. CONSEQUENCE: IN ADDITION, IF THE SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING FAIL IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ACTUATE AND THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. IF THEY FAIL IN THE CLOSED POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN ON, WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW THE SPEED CONTROL TO BE ACTIVATED. THIS COULD ALSO CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DISCHARGE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY ON FRONT IMPACT CAR CRASH. THE CAR IS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DID DEPLOY (THOUGH THERE WAS NO PASSENGER). THE HIGHWAY PATROL CUT OPEN THE STEERING WHEEL COVER TO REVEAL THAT THERE WAS INDEED A DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WITH THE NUMBER TGP037SPAEIT P5206000-00EE09. THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE IS [XXX] MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND IS UNSURE OF THE SPEED OF THE CAR WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HIT THE WALL. I'M GUESSING IT WAS IN THE 35-45 MPH RANGE. HER INJURIES WERE MINOR - THANKS TO THE SEAT BELT - I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY TO OFFER HER FURTHER PROTECTION AS EXPECTED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH SHIFTING THE GEAR SHIFT INTO THE APPROPRIATE GEARS. HE COULD NOT MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT AT ALL, EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE GEAR SHIFT WOULD NOT BUDGE FROM THE PARK POSITION. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V106000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 157,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG, AND WITH NO WARNING, NO NOISE NO SQUEAK TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 34,000 MILES, ALSO MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE. LAST MONTH. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY COMPRESSOR IN DEC 2008 TO FIX THE AC PROBLEM I HAD THEN BUT IT NEVER WAS. THEN MY MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT WAS THE CONDENSER CHANGED AND NOW THAT HASN'T SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER IF THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THE MANUFACTURERS NEED TO LOOK AT. WITH THIS ECONOMY SPENDING THE MONEY A I AM NOT TO MENTION THAT I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS TO THE FINANCE COMPANY IS AN ADDED HEADACHE. PLEASE HELP! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, THE CONTACT'S FOOT STRUCK THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL INSTEAD. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD AT A FAST PACE. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH WHEN PRESSED INCORRECTLY. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO AVOID A CRASH. HE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED INTERMITTENTLY, BUT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY TO HIS DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND INSPECTED BY A TECHNICIAN, WHO STATED THAT HE DOES NOT WORK ON STEERING FAILURES. THE CONTACT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN INSPECTED AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,063.