2002 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

A FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED MY FRONT TIRE ON MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR DOORS ON HIS VEHICLE REMAINED UNLOCKED WHENEVER HE WAS DRIVING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE DOORS UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT HAD TO LOCK MANUALLY LOCK THE DOORS. THE FORD MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED THE CONTACT NO EXPLANATION. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 3/10/10 *CN UPDATED 05/10/10*JB

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY THE FRONT RIGHT COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND TORE A 1FOOT LONG HOLE ON THE INSIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY, WHERE BESIDE THE FRONT RIGHT COIL SPRING AND TIRE REPLACEMENT, I HAD BOTH FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED ON EACH SIDE. I HAVE THE SPRING AND TIRE. EVIDENCE OF CORROSION ON SPRING, MILEAGE 101000. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THE 2001S WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO INSTALL A SPRING SHIELD. FORD DID NOT TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM APPALLED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED IN 01 AND WAS NOT RECTIFIED BY 02, AND THAT I WAS NOT TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT A PREVENTABLE SPRING SHIELD ON THE 01S. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING OR WORRY ABOUT A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION, FOR WHICH FORD APPEARS TO BE FULLY AWARE OF. *TR

MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE HAS BROKEN ALL FOUR COIL SPRINGS, BOTH SETS IN MULTIPLE FRACTURES IN EACH SPRING. ALTHOUGH THEY ADMIT THIS IS FREQUENT (THE LOCAL DEALER SERVICE GARAGE SAID THAT THEY HAD SEEN HUNDREDS OF 02S WITH THIS PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THAT THE 450 OR SO SHOWN ON THIS SITE ON THIS SITE IS VERY FAR OFF) THE FRONT PAIR BROKE AROUND THE 50,000 MARK, IT TOOK ABOUT FIVE VISITS TO THE DEALER TO GET EVEN LIMITED CREDIT TOWARD REPLACEMENT. THE FAILURE WAS PROGRESSIVE, SAG WAS ONLY NOTICED WHEN IT GOT EXTREME. INTERESTINGLY THEY DID BREAK IN PAIRS. TIRE DAMAGE OCCURRED WHEN ONE EDGE OF THE SPRING PROTRUDED INTO THE TIRE. THEY REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO KEEP THE SPRING/STRUT COMBO(THE STRUTS WERE LEAKING FROM THE ADDED ABUSE AND TRAVEL) THE SPRING LOOKED TO HAVE BROKEN THROUGH INCLUSIONS IN THE STEEL, FROM MY AUTO INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS, I FOUND THESE HAD BEEN SOURCED IN CHINA, AND WERE HOLD-OVERS FROM THE 2001 MODEL. AT ABOUT THE 80,000 MILE MARK, THE REAR SPRINGS WERE OBVIOUSLY FAILED, AGAIN MULTIPLE CRACK POINTS, ONE TIRE WAS GOUGED OUT BY THE PROTRUDING SPRING. DEALER SERVICE AGAIN INDICATED THAT NO HELP WAS BEING ISSUED, DESPITE AGAIN IN THEIR WORDS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS I STILL HAVE BOTH THE DAMAGED TIRE AND SPRING/STRUT COMBOS. AGAIN, THE FRACTURE SURFACE WAS MARKED WITH INCLUSIONS, AND VOIDS, CORROSION LOOKED TO BE SECONDARY. I HAVE RUN INTO AT LEAST FIVE ADDITIONAL OWNERS WHO HAVE A FRACTURE AND WERE DENIED ANY SATISFACTION FROM FORD. FORD ZONE AND REGIONAL PEOPLE UNDERPLAY THE PROBLEM AS IF TRYING TO CONVINCE IT IS RARE, YET BOTH TIMES THE SERVICE PEOPLE INDICATE IT TO BE COMMON. THIS HAS BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING. THERE ARE ALSO UNSCRUPULOUS REPAIR FACILITIES, ONE OF WHICH INITIALLY REFUSED TO TAKE MY CAR DOWN FROM THE LIFT SAYING IT WAS DEADLY, WHILE TRYING TO EXTORT OVER $1,200 TO REPAIR SAME. I HAD TO THREATEN TO CALL THE LOCAL POLICE BEFORE THEY WOULD LET ME HAVE MY OWN CAR. *TR

SPRING ON FRONT STRUTS BROKE ON BOTH SIDES, CAUSING TIRE BLOWOUT AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION. SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AT IDENTICAL POINTS AND SHOW PARTIAL RUST PRIOR TO BREAKING INDICATING A DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURER OF THE SPRING. *TR

ON 1/21/2010 I DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT DRIVER SIDE SPRING ON MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE HAD BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE NEARBY TIRE. SOMEHOW (LUCKILY) THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON 1999-01 SABLES THAT INCLUDED THE INSTALLATION OF A PROTECTIVE SHIELD TO PREVENT A BROKEN SPRING FROM PUNCTURING A TIRE. THIS RECALL WAS NOT ISSUED UNTIL JULY 2004, WELL AFTER MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN MANUFACTURED. OBVIOUSLY MY VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN EQUIPPED WITH ANYTHING TO PREVENT THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT INITIATED THE OTHER RECALL AND AS SUCH I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY OWN VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE ALSO RECALLED. I AM REQUESTING THAT SOMETHING BE DONE. THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS DEFECT AND I AM BAFFLED AS TO HOW IT WAS OVERLOOKED WHEN OLDER MODEL CARS WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

HIT THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING AND THE ENGINE REVS UP. MULTIPLE TIMES TO DEALER AND STILL NOT FIXED- I REQUESTED A NEW COMPUTER OR BRAIN FOR THE CAR WHILE UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY- NO GO FROM DEALER. ON SNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY-ON WET ROADS IN FLORIDA I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE REVS WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES-WHEN SOMEONE GETS HIT AND KILLED I WILL BE TOLD I SHOULD HAVE TOLD SOMEONE -MULTIPLE DRIVERS AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITH ME WHEN THIS HAS OCCURRED- INCLUDING MECHANICS FROM A LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER IN ORCHARD PARK NY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH INTO HIS DRIVEWAY; SUDDENLY, A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A BROKEN FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER THE SERVICE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

AS I WAS BEGINNING TO BACK MY CAR OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, THE LEFT, FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING BROKE, RUPTURED THE TIRE, AND PUT A 4-8" GASH INTO THE BACK OF TIRE. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER'S RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REPLACE THE COIL SPRINGS ON BOTH SIDES, AS THIS WAS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM A RECALL OF EARLIER MODELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, I HAD TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A TIRE DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT TIRE. THIS ALSO INVOLVED HAVING TO GET AN ALIGNMENT. FORTUNATELY, THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MY DRIVEWAY - WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ON A HIGHWAY IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. NO INJURIES, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN THE DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND OBSERVED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE STRUT WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THERE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE OF THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.