1999 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR ON A TWO LANE ROAD I SAW A TIRE TREAD SHOOT IN FRONT OF MY VECHICLE. I THEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY AUTOMOBILE I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER AND STOP. THE ENTIRE CAP PART OF THE TIRE WAS MISSING. ONLY THE SIDE WALLS REMAINED. IT TOOK ME QUITE SOME TIME TO OBTAIN TOW SERVICE BECAUSE I HAS IN A DEAD ZONE FOR MY CELL PHONE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHICH CHANGED MY TIRE SAID HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE OLD CAP. I WAS SO TIRED FROM THIS ORDEAL AND LONG WAIT FOR THE TOW TRUCK AFTER HAVING TO WALK UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET A CELL SIGNAL THAT I DID NOT THINK TO SAVE THE CAP. CONTROLLING THE CAR TO A STOP WAS VERY STRESSFULL. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE MAG WHELL AND TO THE GUARDS THAT SURROUND THAT TIRE. I HAD THE DEALER EXAMINE THE REMAINING 3 TIRES BUT FOUND THEM TO LOOK OK. THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED BY THIS DEALER AT A LITTLE OF 35000 MILES.I AM FEARFULL THAT THE REMAING TIRES WILL FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER TOOK DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE FORWARDED TO THE ENGINEERS AT FORD.*AK (DOT NUMBER: ADUR442368 TIRESIZE: P205/65R15)

WHEN COMING TO A STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER HAS TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE FOR VEHICLE TO STOP RACING. *JG *AK

1) RACK & PIONION ROD: AT APPROXIMATELY 55000 MILES, THE RACK AND PINION SEAL BLEW OUT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL AND RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO VIABLE REASON FOR THIS COMPONENET TO FAIL. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY KIND OF AN ACCIDENT. REPAIRS WERE APPROXIMATELY $700. 2) FRONT AXLE/ABS: A PROBLEM WITH BRAKING BEGAN AND RESULTED IN BRAKES SLIPPING AND VIBRATING, CAUSING A SOUND OF METAL ON METAL. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RING/GEAR ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE AXEL WAS ORIGINALLY INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. THE GEAR SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 3/8" FROM THE BOLTS FOR THE FRONT WHEELS. HOWEVER, IN THIS INSTANCE, THE GEAR HAS BEEN GRINDING AWAY THE BOLTS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF THE GEAR "SLIPPING" IT IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE SAME SPOT. THIS CAUSES METAL SHAVINGS TO FALL ONTO THE ABS SENSOR AND RESULTS IN THE ABS NOT WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH DUE TO THE ABS NOT WORKING. FORD DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO FIX THIS ITEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CAR ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE MANUFACTURER WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

RACK AND PINION FAILED CAUSING POWER STEERING TO FAIL MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHILE NO ACCIDENT OCCURED, IT WAS BY LUCK. *AK

HARD UPSHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT WHILE COMING TO A STOP OR PULLING AWAY. ONCE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IT WOULD HAVE A TENDENCY AT TIMES TO LURCH FORWARD WHILE BRAKE WAS ON.. UPON TAKING THE TRANSMISSION DOWN, THE DEALER FOUND CLUTCH MATERIAL IN TRANSMISSION THE SS3 WAS STICKING, THE ACCUMULATOR O-RING WAS CUT THE FORWARD DRUM CK.VALL STICINT OVERDRIVE BAND BURNED AND NEEDED TO EXCHANGE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. THANKFULLY THE TRANY WAS UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, NOW THE REPAIRED ASSY IS ONLY COVERED FOR 12000 MILES OR 12 MONTHS WHICHEVER COMES FIRST AND WE ARE NATURALLY CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT BE A DEFECT AS THE FORD TAURES SEEMED TO HAVE TRANY PROBLEMS IN THE 1197 TO 1999 RANGE WHICH IS WHY WE DID NOT BUY ONE BUT WENT WITH THE SABLE AFTER CHECKING NHTSA REPORTS RE: THE VEHICLE ITSELF. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON, FOR 1 TO 3 SWIPES THEN SHUT BACK OFF, STARTLING THE DRIVER. SOON TO HAVE YOUNG DRIVER IN HOUSEHOLD. I HOPE THIS DOESN'T END IN ACCIDENT FROM DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM. *AK

ON RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE WHEEL BEARING HAS GONE BAD, VEHICLE IS NOT MAKING NOISES, AND STEERING HAS BECOME HARDER TO CONTROL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 30 MPH SIDE IMPACT COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIRBAGS, HOWEVER THE FRONT AIRBAG SENSORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED BECAUSE SIDE OF VEHICLE WAS SMASHED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *JB

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, CANNOT DUPLICATE T PROBLEM AND IS UNABLE TO REMEDY. *AK

STARTED FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM UNDER THE CAR. LOOKED UNDER THE CAR TO SEE IF I HAD HIT SOMETHING.NOTHING IN SIGHT.AS I DROVE HOME, I NOTICED THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHTAND THE AIR BAG LIGHT BLINKED. DEALER INVESTIGATED AND STATED THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING VERY HARD BECAUSE THE SUB FRAME ASSEMBLY AND PASSENGER LOWER CONTROL ARM WERE BENT. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER AND HAVE NEVER HIT ANYTHING. REPAIR CHARGE WAS $2056. *AK