1994 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ALONG AT SLOW SPEEDS VEHICLE JUST SHUTS DOWN. ALSO, IF THE WEATHER IS VERY HOT AND THE A/C IS RUNNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF. VEHICLE STARTS UP AGAIN ONCE IT COOLS OFF. TIME VARIES DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR TWO YEARS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE PROBABLY NEEDED A FUEL PUMP OR FUEL TANK. *AK

WHEN PUTTING ON BRAKES STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VERY BADLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. MECHANICSAID THAT 2 INNER TIE RODS WERE DEFECTIVE, AND THAT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE SHAKING.*AK

MY CAR HAS STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT OTHER TIMES STOPPED AND AT OTHER TIMES AFTER STARTING THE CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK AT THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM.

MY MERCURY SABLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS CONDITION HAS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. IN EACH SITUATION, THE WEATHER WAS VERY WARM AND THE ENGINE HOT. IN ONE CASE, I WAS TRAVELLING AT 60 MPH IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND HAD TO QUICKLY GET TO THE BERM OF THE ROAD NARROWLY ESCAPING INJURY OR DEATH. IN THE REMAINING OCCURRANCES, THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN IN CITY TRAFFIC. I KNOW VEHICLES MAY BE RECALLED IN CALIFORNIA FOR THIS TYPE OF DEFECT AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PART TO REPLACE FOR MY OWN SAFETY EVEN IF NOT RECALLED. ALSO, HOW CAN I IDENTIFY THE BAD PARTS SO THAT I KNOW THAT THE NEW PART I'M INSTALLING ISN'T ALSO DEFECTIVE.

MY TRANSMISSION MAKES A LOUD THUMP NOISE WHEN THE CAR IS SHIFTED FROM PARK TO EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE. ALSO WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN PRESS THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR SEEMS TO BE IN NEUTRAL AND THEN AFTER A FEW SECONDS GOES INTO GEAR AND LAUNCHES FORWARD. WHILE DRIVING, MY SPEEDOMETER WILL BE ACCURATE, AND THEN JUST READ ZERO FOR A WHILE AND THEN WILL START WORKING AGAIN. MY AIR CONDITIONING WAS NOT WORKING FOR A WHILE AND IT JUST RECENTLY STARTED WORKING AGAIN, BUT OFTEN MAKES A LOUD HIGH PITCHED SCREAMING NOISE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ONE OR MORE OF MY MOTOR MOUNTS IS LOOSE OR BROKEN BECAUSE WHEN I SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR, THE ENTIRE ENGINE SEEMS TO JUMP UP AND THEN COME DOWN AND JERK THE WHOLE CAR.*AK

TRANSMISSION: AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING AWHILE AND THE CAR GEARS DOWN FOR WHAT EVER REASON, THE AR WON'T RESPOND TO ACCELERATION FROM GEAR DOWN. WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED TO CONTINUE FORWARD OR REVERSE MOTION THE CAR WON'T RESPOND. FINALLY AFTER EITHER HAVING SAT FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES OR AFTER HAVING REVED THE ENGINE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, THE TRANSMISSION WILL ENGAGE. AIR CONDITIONING: THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS ALREADY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE AC ONCE AND IT DID WORK FOR A SHORT PERIOD AFTERWARDS. THE AC DOESN'T BLOW COLD AIR. ALL OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED.*AK

CONSUMER HAD TRANSMISSION SERVICED AT 31,000 MILES. 9 MONTHS LATER, CONSUMER WAS BACKING CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND COULDN'T SHIFT GEARS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND SHE WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION.*AK A/C MAIN LINE FAILED. RADIATOR FAILED. RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED. *YH

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS, CAUSING POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING TO LOCK UP. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK LIGHTS FLICKERING OFF WHILE DRIVEING AT NIGHT DUE TO SWITCH FAILURE BUT DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. *YH

ON MAY 26, 1999, I WAS DRIVING PAST JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN ON I-90 AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR STARTED SHAKING AND I HEARD A THUMP ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I ALSO SAW TIRE TREAD FLY OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I GOT OUT TO SEE WHICH TIRE WAS FLAT. THERE WAS NO FLAT TIRE, HOWEVER ON CLOSER INSPECTION, I SAW THAT ALL OF THE TREAD CAME OFF OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. I MANAGED TO LIMP ALONG ON THE SHOULDER AND EXIT I-90. I WENT TO THE CLOSEST TIRE CENTER ( GOODYEAR ) AND BOUGHT FOUR NEW TIRES. I AM SENDING THIS REPORT BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE P235 FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE TIRES. I THINK THE NHTSA SHOULD START INVESTIGATING OTHER TIRE SIZES BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO ME LAST YEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT CONSIDERATION IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT MATTER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205/65R15S )

CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL RELATED TO THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, ADDITIONAL REPAIRS MADE PRIOR TO KNOWLEDGE (ALTERNATOR, THERMOSTAT, ENGINE SEALS, BELTS), CONSUMER IS BEING DENIED RECALL REPAIR DUE TO MILEAGE. *MJS