1997 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED ALL OF A SUDDEN VEHICLE CUT OFF. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND GOT OUT OF VEHICLE. THIS WAS WHEN DRIVER AND FAMILY NOTICED VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. VEHCLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. CV BOOT EXPLODED AND THREW GREASE ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH STARTED THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE IDLE SPEED DOES NOT RETURN TO NORMAL. ENGINE IS RACING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. VEHICLE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED, VEHICLE CONTINUES TO RUN AT 30 PLUS MILE PER HOUR WITHOUT PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, REQUIRING CONSTANT APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM GETTING OUT OF CONTROL. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN VARIOUS WEATHER, HAS HAPPENED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN AS MUCH AS 100 MILES ON FREEWAYS AND AFTER DRIVING AS LITTLE AS 5 MILES IN THE CITY. PROBLEM WAS OCCURING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN INTO THE CREST LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, DEALER STATED THAT DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED THERE IS NO PROBLEM. *AK

ON MY 1997 MERCURY SABLE THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT CONSTANTLY JAMS AND TAKES FOREVER TO DISENGAGE. I AM GUESSING THE JAM IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE PLASTIC OF THE CAR. WHERE THE SEAT BELT LOCKS THE BELT IN PLACE NEAR THE DOOR. ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL ME. *AK

ON TWO OCCASIONS DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AT 40 MPH. FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON AUGUST 20, 1998 WHEN DRIVING OVER A STRIP. SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JUN 21, 2 000 WHEN VEHICLE DROVE OVER A SMALL BUMP. PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON BOTH INSTANCES. DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG CAUSED BRUISES TO DRIVER'S LEFT ARM AND STOMACH. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FUEL PUMP WIRE WITHIN FUEL TANK WHICH WAS RUBBING ON THE OUTGOING METAL SUPPLY LINE SHORTED OUT, CAUSING A FUSE TO BLOW OUT. ALSO, COULD LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FUEL TANK FIRE/EXPLOSION. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING A HOT OIL SMELL WAS COMING FROM VEHICLE. ALSO, TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING, CONTACTING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE EXHIBITS AN INTERMITTENT NEUTRAL CONDITION AFTER DRIVING AND COMING TO A STOP (I FOUND SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 983112 ON NSTHA WEB SITE) ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN BRAKE WAS RELEASED VEHICLE ROLLED ONTO BUSY HIGHWAY AND I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP ALMOST STRUCK BY SEMI. MERCURY DEALER DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM. I CAN NEVER TELL WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. *AK

THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT SEATS THREE--THERE ARE TWO SEATBELTS WITH SHOULDER RESTRAINTS ON EACH SIDE AND A LAP RESTRAINT IN THE MIDDLE. THE BUCKLE ON THE LAP RESTRAINT CAME OFF WHEN A 7-YEAR OLD GIRL WAS ATTEMPTING TO BUCKLE UP. THE OTHER TWO SEATBELTS WILL NOT RETRACT-THEY ARE USELESS. *AK

AUTOMATIC LOCK ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DOES NOT STAY LOCKED. CONSUMER ENTERS THE AUTOMOBILE AND LOCKS ALL FOUR DOORS. ONCE THE ENGINE STARTS, DRIVER'S SIDE LOCK POPS OPEN. THIS OCCURS ABOUT 70% OF THE TIME WHEN CONSUMER STARTS THE AUTOMOBILE. ALSO, AREA DEALER HAVE BEEN RECEIVING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME AUTOMOBILE. *AK

AUTOMATIC POWER LOCKS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY UNLOCK WHILE DRIVING. APPOINTMENT BEING MADE AT THE DEALER. *AK