1995 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

ENGINE DEVELOPED A SEVERE NOISE. OIL WAS CHANGED ON REGULAR BASIS AT GARAGE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE. TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE WAY TO WORK. *AK

I HAD BEEN NOTICING A STRANGE BURNING SMELL IN THE CAR FOR SOME TIME - BUT COULDN'T PLACE ITS SOURCE. I FOUND THE SMELL GETTING STRONGER OVER TIME, AND STRONGER WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE DASH AREA SURROUNDING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS WARM TO THE TOUCH. I PULLED OFF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH KNOB, AND THE SWITCH SHAFT WAS BURNING - TOO HOT TO TOUCH. I OBTAINED A NEW HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND PROCEEDED TO DISSAEMBLE THE DASH. I FOUND THE BACK END (PLASTIC CONNECTOR RECEPTABLE BODY) OF THE SWITCH TOTALLY MELTED, AND SOME OF THE WIRES HAD THEIR INSULATION MELTED CLEAR OFF, DOWN TO BARE COPPER. LUCKILY NONE OF THE WIRES WERE TOUCHING IN THE BARE AREAS. THE MALE END OF THE HARNESS (THAT PLUGS INTO THE SWITCH) WAS MELTED INTO THE SWITCH BODY. I HAD TO BUY A NEW REPLACEMENT CONNECTOR, SPLICE IT IN AND MAKE UP SOME NEW WIRES, AND THEN INSTALL THE NEW SWITCH. THE AUTO PARTS STORES SAY THAT ALTHOUGH FORD DOESN'T HAVE THE CONNECTOR + PIGTAIL ASSEMBLY AVAILABLE AS A DEALER ITEM, IT IS AN AFTERMARKET ITEM SINCE "THEY BURN UP SO OFTEN." HAD I NOT INTERVENED WHEN I DID, I COULD HAVE HAD A SEVERE IN-DASH FIRE, PLUS LOST MY LIGHTS AT NIGHT. MY LIGHTS NEVER STOPPED WORKING, ALTHOUGH THE BURNING SMELL WAS EVIDENT. MERCURY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE ADVISED NO PRIOR REPORTS OF THIS TYPE.*AK

MY FIRST SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTED SWING BETWEEN 45 AND 85 AT CONSTANT REAL SPEED, WHENEVER I DROVE AROUND 60 MPH REAL SPEED. AT THAT TIME MY CAR HAD 29,000 MILES IN AUG 1997. I CHANGED MY SPEEDOMETER FROM FORD DEALER UNDER FORD WARRANTY. I HAD EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS AT 46,000 MILES IN NOV 1998 WITH MY SECOND SPEEDOMETER. I CHANGED SPEEDOMETER AGAIN FROM FORD DEALER. I HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AT 61,000 MILES IN JUN 2000 WITH MY THIRD SPEEDOMETER. I THINK 95 SABLE HAS SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THEIR SPEEDOMETER. IT IS REALLY DANGEROUS, SINCE I CANNOT FIGURE OUT MY SPEED, IF I RUN FASTER THAN 50 MILES. I'M HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS APPROX EVERY ONE AND HALF YEARS (ABOUT 16,000 MILES) AFTER THE FIRST SPEEDOMETER. FORD DEALER ASKED $ 600 TO INSTALL ANOTHER NEW SPEEDOMETER, SINCE THE PART WARRANTY IS ONE YEAR. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DRIVE WITHOUT KNOWING MY SPEED ON HIGHWAYS. THEN I HAVE TO SPEND $600 EVERY ONE AND HALF YEARS TO MAINTAIN SPEEDOMETER. I THINK FORD SHOULD DO SOMETHING FOR MY SPEEDOMETER, SINCE SPEEDOMETER IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT ON HIGHWAYS. *AK

SPEEDOMETER IS INACCURATE WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE BOUNCES AT HIGH SPEEDS 45 OR HIGHER. WILL GO UP TO 85 AND BACK DOWN TO 45. AT LOWER SPEEDS READING IS NOT ACCURATE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF YOUR ACTUAL SPEED. SPEEDO HEAD WAS REPLACED 07/98 AT 49,760 MILES SPEEDOMETER FAILED AGAIN 06/2000 AT 70,165 FIRST REPLACMENT AT MY EXPENSE WAS $382.88. SECOND REPLACEMENT IS $600 AGAIN AT MY EXPENSE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY DID NOT WARRENTY EITHER REPAIR. THIS IS A REAL SAFTEY HAZARD IN NOT KNOWING WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING IN SCHOOL ZONES, WORK ZONES ETC.. PROBLEMS OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED.

I HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH TWICE SINCE I OWNED THE CAR (2 YEARS). THE SWITCH OVERHEATS AND ACTUALLY BURNS/CHARS THE METAL CONTACTS AND MELTS THE PLUG. IT GETS VERY HOT TO TOUCH AND THE HEADLIGHT AND/OR PARKING LIGHTS WILL SHUT OFF AND TURN ON INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE TAURUS/SABLE AND THEY HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. IT COST ME $125 EACH TIME TO REPLACE IT (PARTS AND LABOR), BUT I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE FIRE THAT COULD OCCUR. *AK

DRIVERS SIDE WIDOW POPS OUT WHILE CLOSING THE DOOR. ALSO THE DEALER INSTALLED A SPEEDOMETER TWO YEARS AGO IN MAY OF 1998 FOR $400.00 COST TO US WHICH WAS'NT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFTY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO US. THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED AGAIN IN DECEMBER OF 1999. NOW THE DEALER IS ASKING FOR ANOTHER $500.00 (PRE-PAID) TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I FIND THIS TO BE EXCESSIVE. WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? *AK

WHEN VEHICLE REACHES 45MPH SPEEDOMETER OSCILATES. DRIVER IS NOT ABLE TO TELL HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS GOING. THE DEALER, NORTH GATE LINCOLN IN TAMPA, FL, REFUSES TO REPAIR VEHICLE. *AK

RECAL 98V323 000/SUBFRAME CORROSION: SUBFRAME DETACHED FROM BODY MOUNT, CAUSES LOSS OF STEERING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL VEHICLE LOST POWER. IT FELT LIKE CARRYING A LOAD. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WAS THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK

THE SPEEDOMETER JUMPS ERRACTICALLY WHENEVER THE SPEED EXCEEDS 40MPH OR A BUMP IS ENCOUNTERED ON THE ROAD. BASED ON THE DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT THIS FAILURE CAUSES I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN INSTITUTED TO ADDRESS THIS VERY SERIOUS DEFECT. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGISTERED ON THIS SITE ALONE IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE CONTACTED THE FORD/MERCURY PEOPLE TO NO AVAIL, I TRUST THAT THIS AGENCY CAN RECTIFY THIS MATTER BEFORE THE SPEEDOMETER FAILURES RESULT IN UNNECESSARY INJURIES OR DEATHS. *AK