2003 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

I OWN A 2003 MERCURY SABLE, IN 2007, I NOTICED THE PAINT ON THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL-WELL WAS STARTING TO BUBBLE RUST, MY HUSBAND AND I MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALERSHIP, AT THE TIME, THEY WERE UNDERGOING A BUYOUT AND WE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING ANY ANSWERS FROM ANYONE, ONCE THE BUYOUT HAPPENED, WE WERE THEN TOLD ALL THE COMPUTER FILES WERE BEING UPDATED, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY RECORD OF THE ISSUES WE REPORTED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNERS, SO WE STARTED OVER...IN JULY OF 2008, FINALLY GOT THE MANUFACTURER TO SHARE IN THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIRS AS THIS HAD NOW PASSED THE WARRANTY TIMEFRAME, HOWEVER, WHEN THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS REPORTED, WE WERE QUOTED A REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $250.00, BY THE TIME WE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM FORD TO GO AHEAD WITH THE REPAIRS AND THEY STATED THE REPAIR ESTIMATE HAD INCREASED TO $ 550.00 BECAUSE THE RUST AREA HAD WORSEN. IT IS NOW 8 MONTHS LATER, AND THE BUBBLING AND RUST IS STARTING TO APPEAR AGAIN. I HAVE READ SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT FORD HAVING ISSUES WITH THE PAINT USED ON THEIR VEHICLES DURING THE 200 - 2005 PERIOD.. APPARENTLY - NOT TOO MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED TO WARRANT A RECALL, THIS IS THE BASIS FOR MY COMPLIANT NOW. MY CAR IS TAKEN CARE OF, GARAGED, ETC.... I HAVE NEVER HAD A RUSTING PROBLEM WITH AN VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED, AND THIS DOES NOT SEEM FAIR THAT THIS CAR SHOULD BE RUSTING, AND FOR A SECOND TIME WITHIN 8 MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS BLOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND INSPECTED BY A TECHNICIAN, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING ALSO FAILED; HOWEVER, THE TIRE WAS NOT PUNCTURED. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COILS SPRINGS AND TWO FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $720. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,400 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

ON JANUARY 17 WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE, MY 2003 MERCURY SABLE WAS MAKING A HORRENDOUS NOISE. UPON INVESTIGATING, I DISCOVERED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A FLAT TIRE. MY HUSBAND REMOVED THE TIRE TO TAKE IT FOR REPAIR AND DISCOVERED A MAJOR PROBLEM. THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE LOOKED LIKE IT WAS OPENED WITH A CAN OPENER. WE BOUGHT A NEW TIRE, PUT IT ON THE CAR BUT IT WAS STILL MAKING THAT AWFUL NOISE. THE TIRE WAS RUBBING THE WHEEL WELL. AT THAT TIME, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A BIGGER PROBLEM. AFTER REMOVING THE TIRE AGAIN, MY HUSBAND DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN! IT HAPPENED WHILE SITTING IN THE GARAGE. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE FORD TAURUS AS WELL AS THE MERCURY SABLE. TO MY DISMAY, THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I AM ONLY GLAD THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. MY ONLY HOPE IS THAT THERE WILL BE SOME RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM SO THAT OTHER CAR OWNERS DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS INCONVENIENCE. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE AND COLLAPSED WHEN CAR WAS PLACED IN GEAR. PROTRUDING EDGE OF SPRING PUNCTURED AND DEFLATED TIRE. SPRING AND TIRE WERE REPLACED BY MECHANIC AT SUBSTANTIAL EXPENSE. OLD TIRE AND SPRING WERE DISCARDED. *TR

-DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING BROKE. FORTUNATELY THIS WAS WHEN CAR WAS SITTING STILL. COIL PUNCTURED TIRE AND BROKE THE STRUT & SOME KIND OF A LINKAGE. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN OF THIS PROBLEM. -REPLACED PARTS INCLUDING PASSENGER SIDE PARTS KNOWING THIS WAS A MATERIAL FATIGUE FAILURE & WOULD EVENTFULLY OCCUR ON OTHER SIDE TOO. -THIS PART IS THE SAME AS ON 2000 & 2001 SABLE THAT ARE NOW COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. -THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE & SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM ! *TR

DAY 1 - FAILURE OR LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING - SPEED APPROX. 30MPH SPRING JUST POPPED WITH A LOUD JARRING BANG. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY - REPAIRED AND REPLACED LEFT FRONT SPRING ASSEMBLY. NEXT MORNING - FAILURE - LEFT REAR COIL SPRING. RESULTING IN TIRE BLOW OUT SPEED 5 MPH. CURRENTLY BACK AT REPAIR FACILITY. FORD/MERCURY ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SPRING PROBLEMS BUT EVIDENTLY UNLESS SOMEONE DIES NOTHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT IT. CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM THE SAID NO RECALL NOTHING WE CAN DO. JUST LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS - OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT A FREAK OCCURRENCE. *TR

2003 MERCURY SABLE SUSPENSION-FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRING NHTSA ACTION # PE04044 CAMPAIGN ID #04V332000 THIS IS A OLD PROBLEM THAT IS STILL HERE AND ALIVE. MY 2003 MERCURY SABLE HAS BROKEN A SPRING AND DESTROYED THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE. I CALL THE LOCAL FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THIS IS A NORMAL PROBLEM WITH FORD & MERCURY. THEY REPLACED BOTH STRUTS AND COILS AND TIRE AND ALIGNMENT FOR $1366.00. THE CAR HAD JUST ARRIVED HOME AND WAS IN THE GARAGE WHEN THE TIRE BLOW. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSED INJURY. I THINK THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE ALL FORD & MERCURY CARS UNTIL THIS PROBLEM GOES AWAY. I HAVE CUT OFF ABOUT ONE FOOT OF THE OLD COIL TO PROVE A FAULTY COIL BEFORE THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE TIRE AND COIL SPRING WHILE STILL ON THE CAR.*TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. AFTER SEVERE RAINY CONDITIONS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR EXHIBITED AN EXCESSIVE ACCUMULATION OF WATER. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V087000 (VISIBILITY, WINDSHIELD) WHICH IDENTIFIES THE WATER LEAKAGE. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURES IDENTICAL TO THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED IF THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 75,000.

PUTTING CAR INTO REVERSE, I FELT THE AIR GO UT OF THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS THE COIL SPRING THAT BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. *TR

MY WIFE ASKED ME TO CHECK THE STRANGE NOISE IN HER CAR WHEN SHE STARTED TO BACK OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 8, 2008. I REMOVED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL EXPECTING TO SEE WORN OUT BRAKE PADS. INSTEAD, THE WHEEL STARTED TO MOVE TOWARD ME WHEN I BEGAN REMOVING THE LUG NUTS. THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS. FORTUNATELY, IT BROKE OVERNIGHT AND DOESN'T APPEAR TO HAVE DAMAGED THE TIRE. TIME WILL TELL WHETHER OR NOT IT WEAKENED THE INNER SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. FAILURE ANALYSIS OF THE 28 CM LENGTH OF SPRING BROKEN OFF FROM THE LOWER END OF THE SPRING IS AS FOLLOWS: THE BROKEN CROSS-SECTION OF THE SPRING HAS A DARK RUST SECTION, ABOUT 15 MM CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND 2 MM RADIAL FROM THE EXTERIOR SURFACE. THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SPRING IS RUSTED WHERE THERE IS NO LONGER ANY PROTECTIVE BLACK COATING NEAR THE DEFECTIVE CROSS SECTION. THIS SURFACE AREA IS ABOUT 25 MM CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND 15 MM LONG FROM THE FRACTURED CROSS SECTION. THERE ARE ABOUT 4 RADIAL FRACTURE LINES EMANATING FROM THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE SPRING STARTING AT THE 15 MM X 2MM RUSTED AREA. THERE APPEARS TO BE PINPOINT RUST AREAS THROUGHOUT ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE REMAINING CROSS SECTION, BY MY NAKED EYE. I WILL BE REPLACING THE COIL SPRING TODAY OR TOMORROW, EITHER MYSELF OR AT A GARAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE AS RECALL NUMBER 04N-332. THIS DEFECT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I AM LAID OFF. I HAVE BEEN A FRICTION MATERIAL ENGINEER FOR OVER 25 YEARS. NO WONDER AMERICANS HAVE STOPPED BUYING AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES. THIS MERCURY VEHICLE HAS BEEN MUCH BETTER THAN MY DODGE VEHICLES UP UNTIL NOW. *TR