2001 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

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

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

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

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

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

FLAT TIRE DUE TO BROKEN COIL SPRING SCRAPPING AWAY TIRE SIDEWALL RUBBER AND EVENTUALLY PUNCTURING THE TIRE. *TR

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.

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