2003 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH IN SLEETING CONDITIONS, COMING TO A STOP LIGHT THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEATER WAS GETTING COLDER. THE HEATER WAS SET AT 78 DEGREES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE AND, AS A RESULT, THE FRONT AND REAR GLASS FOGGED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THROUGH THE GLASS AND THE DEFROSTER WOULD NOT CLEAR THE GLASS. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE AND CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD WITH A CLOTH IN ORDER TO VIEW THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE COIL WAS FILLED WITH WATER, WHICH CAUSED THE HEATER TO FAIL. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT IT WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AT THE COST OF $500. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,175. UPDATED 12/17/08. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STOPPED INTO A SERVICE STATION AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. HE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR; HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES LATER. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V106000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH); HOWEVER, HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 101,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BEYOND 7 RPMS WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE EXTREMELY HARD THEN SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WOULD STOP. IN ADDITION, SHE STATED THAT SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THEY DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL. AS OF MAY 19, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED AN OIL LEAK. THE MECHANIC THE OIL SEAL PAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE OIL PAN SEAL AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,850 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36850.

WHENEVER THE CAR IS RAINED UPON, WATER RUNS INTO THE FAN MOTOR AIR INTAKE, THEN INTO THE FAN BLOWER MOTOR, WHICH IS INSIDE THE CAR BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX, AND THEN RUNS OUT ONTO THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ONE BLOWER MOTOR THAT SHORTED OUT FROM THE WATER IN IT, AND HAVE TO PULL THE CARPET UP SO IT CAN DRY OUT. ALSO, AFRAID OF THE POSSIBILITY OF MOLD GROWING EITHER IN THE AIR VENTS OR IN THE CARPET. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME HE HAS SEEN OTHER CARS LIKE MINE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP SELLS A PART TO INSTALL UNDER THE HOOD OVER THE AIR BLOWER INTAKE TO CHANNEL WATER AWAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

WATER LEAKED INTO CAR INTERIOR FOOT AREA AND SHORTED OUT AC/HEATER BLOWER MOTOR. *TR

I WAS HEADING TO CHURCH. I TURNED ON TO ANOTHER ROAD WHEN MY CAR STOPPED GOING. IT SOUNDED FINE BUT WHEN I TRIED TO PUSH THE GAS TO GO, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR ABOUT 3 TO 4 YRS, AND HAVE ONLY PUT ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ECKENROD FORD IN CULLMAN, AL. WITH A LOT OF PERSISTENCE AND A BULLDOG ATTITUDE, THEY ARE CURRENTLY FIXING MY CAR. BUT, IT IS COSTING ME MONEY I DON'T HAVE SINCE I JUST HAD A BABY. WHO ,BY THE WAY, WAS WITH ME WHEN THE CAR FAILED TO DRIVE PROPERLY (ON A COLD SNOWY SAT. MORNING). THEY KNOW THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T TAKE CARE OF IT ALL TOGETHER. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY LIKE THE LAST CAR I HAD WHEN IT DID THE SAME THING. GUESS WHAT, IT WAS A 2000 FORD TAURUS WITH THE SAME SERVICE BULLETIN AS THIS CAR AND HAD TO BE FIXED BUT I DIDN'T PAY FOR IT. INSTEAD THEY MANAGED TO GET ME IN THE CAR I CURRENTLY HAVE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY NEED TO FIX THEIR CARS AND QUIET GIVING THE CONSUMER A HARD TIME ABOUT IT. HOW MANY HAVE TO TEAR UP BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT????????? *TR

THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING ON OUR 2003 MERCURY SABLE BROKE AND SHREDDED THE TIRE. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED AT 0-30 MPH, OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THE 2003 MERCURY SABLE HAS 72,000 MILES. *TR

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY WHEN THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE AND THEN A BLOWOUT ON THE LEFT FRONT TIRE.I WAS STANDING NEXT TO THE MV AT THE TIME. THE COIL SPRING BROKE/SHATTERED AND A PIECE OF IT WENT THRU THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE PUTTING A 6-8" GASH IN THE TIRE. WE HAVE THE PIECES OF THE SPRING. FORD REFUSED TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE REPAIR WHICH WAS MADE AT A FORD DEALER(NORTHAMPTON FORD ). THE VEHICLE HAD 50577 MILES. IN RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET I FIND THAT SINCE 1999 THEY HAVE HAD RECALLS AND REPAIR PROGRAMS FOR THIS PROBLEM ON VARIOUS MODELS BUT APPARENTLY THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT IN THE 2003 SABLE. FORTUNATLEY SHE WAS NOT DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I FOUND TWO SITES ON THE INTERNET THAT HAD MANY REPORTS/COMPLAINTS OF THIS IN VARIOUS FORD VEHICLES. THE FOLLOWING WEEK MY 82 YOA MOTHER WHO DRIVES A 2003 FORD FOCUS THOUGHT SHE HAD A SOFT TIRE, WENT TO HER LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. THESE REPAIRS WERE COVERED AND REIMBURSED BY FORD. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN FORD VEHICLES.I WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC THAT THE AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURERS DO NOT MAKE REPLACEMENT STRUTS FOR THE 2003 SABLE. ALL OF THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT FORD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN AND OR MANUFACTURE OF THEIR COIL SPRINGS WHICH COVERS SEVERAL YEARS OF VEHICLES. HAD MY WIFE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY SHE PROBABLY WOULD LIKELY HAVE LOST CONTROL AND HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. FINDING A BROKEN COIL SPRING AFTER AN ACCIDENT LIKE THAT YOU WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO PROVE THAT IT (THE BROKEN SPRING WHICH CAUSED THE BLOWOUT) WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC IS IN JEOPARDY. OUR VEHICLE IS USED EXCLUSIVELY BY MY WIFE A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR- NO TEEN AGERS DRIVING IT WHO WOULD BE EMULATING THE DUKES OF HAZHARD. *CN

FORD TAURUS AND THE MERCURY SABLE'S HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WATER LEAKING INTO THE HEATER CORE BOX WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSES THE HEATER MOTOR AND STOP WORKING. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING POST ON THE INTERNET THAT IS APPARENTLY A DESIGN FLAW. MY CAR HAD 44,000 MILES AT THE POINT WHERE THE MOTOR QUIT WORKING. THE BILL TO REPAIR THE CAR WAS $471.28. THE WARRANTY HAD OBVIOUSLY EXPIRED BUT I FELT LIKE FORD MOTOR CO SHOULD RE-IMBURSE THE COST OF THE REPAIR SINCE IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THEY DECLINED TO HELP WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCURY SABLE. THE FAN MOTOR CHIRPED WHEN THE FAN WAS ACTIVATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAN MOTOR WAS LEAKING WATER AND THEY MADE THE REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE A/C BLOWER MOTOR WAS RUSTED DUE TO WATER LEAKAGE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V087000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.