1988 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

WHILE TEST DRIVING SLIDE CONTACTS WENT OUT, THEN 2 MONTHES LATER THEY WENT OUT AGAIN THEN 10 MONTHES LATER WENT OUT AGAIN. THEN HEAD GASKET WENT OUT. CRUISE DOSN'T WORK OR HORN. FORD DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND REPLACEMENT SO I HAVE TO JUST LIVE WITHOUT HORN AND CRUISE. I THINK I HAVE SHORT BECAUSE OF HORN NOW BUT WANT TO CHARGE ME TO LOOK AT IT, AND IT CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN BECAUSE OF HEAD GASKET. *AK

THE ROTOR DISC RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKE AT THE HUB, THIS IS LIKE RECALL 91V134, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER'S STATE OF MISSOURI IS NOT INCLUDED. *SLC

FIVE HOURS AFTER LAST USE HORN WENT OFF,WHEN I WENT TO SEE THE PROBLEM SMOKE POURIHG OUT CRACK MADE IN WINDSHIELD FROM FIRE.BATTERY DISCONNECTED STOPPED FIRE,HOWEVER POLICE STILL HAD FIRE DEPT. GIVE IT A GOOD HOSING.

POWER STEERING LEAKS STARTED IN 1995 AFTER THE MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE AND THE AUTOMOBILE WAS TAKEN IN MANY TIMES TO REPAIR THE LEAKS TO NO AVAIL. HOSES AND LINES WERE REPLACED TWICE, SEALS WERE REPLACED ON PS PUMP, AND FINALLY IN 1998 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A NON FORD DEALER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION. THE MONEY SPENT WAS WELL OVER $2100.00 TO FINALLY REPAIR THE LEAKS. THIS INCLUDED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOTOR MOUNTS WHICH WERE A RECALL ITEM AND I PAID FOR THIS. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY OR RECALL PROBLEM. THIS FAILURE LED TO THE EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURES FOR REPAIRS. THE LATEST PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IS THE HEAD GASKETS FAILED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AND THE ESTIMATE IS FOR $1000.00. THE HEADGASKET SECRET WARRANTY ONLY COVERS THROUGH DEC. 1998. I HAVE YET TO TALLY ALL REPAIRS FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT I AM SURE IT IS WELL OVER $5000.00 OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION REPLACED, ALTERNATOR, TWO POWER STEERING PUMPS, RACK AND PINION, RADIATOR, TWO HEAD GASKET FAILURES, EXCESSIVE BRAKE JOBS EVER SINCE THE RECALL OF THE ROTORS, ALMOST YEARLY AFTER THIS RECALL. NUMEROUS VACUUM LEAKS UNDER THE DASH AND ONE AGAIN LAST WEEK. TWO SETS OF POWER STEERING LINES. THE CAR NEVER STAYS RUNNING WHEN IT IS HOT. IT HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION. THE THROTTLE CABLE STUCK WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND THEN BROKE AFTER DRIVING IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK THE PROBLEM. THE REAR ALIGNMENT BOLTS ARE FROZEN. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION HAVE ALWAYS LEAKED EXCESSIVELY. FROZEN CALIPERS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM. *AK

DRIVER SEAT OUTER BRACKET BROKE AT FRONT BEND, SEAT IS LOOSE, CAR HAS FAILED NJ STATE INSPECTION FOR SAFETY. SEAT CAN BREAK COMPLETELY LOOSE IN A COLLISION CAUSING ADDITIONAL INJURIES AND DEATHS. THERE ARE ALREADY 10 ODIS THAT I FOUND FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A FATIGUE FAILURE, SO OVER TIME MANY MORE WILL FAIL. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT TREND, A RECALL SHOULD BE ORDERED TO REPLACE THE TRACK (SEE OIDS 545300,963608,483070,947504,924010,935076,372411,389368,712732,942605)

WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL ENGINE STARTED RACING & THEN JERKED FORWARD. TURNED VEHICLE OFF TO STOP IT. WAS ABLE TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, BUT VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. *AK

THE ORIGINAL DEFECT OCCURRED ON 3/11/91 AS INDICATED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND WAS REPAIRED BY HEMPSTEAD LINCOLN MERCURY. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP ON 3/13/91. UNFORTUNATELY, ON 3/28/91, THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN AGAIN FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED PROBLEM (DRIVERS SIDE POWER SEAT TRACK, BROKEN AND DISLODGED). THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT IN STOCK AND HAD TO BE ORDERED. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AND THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP A FEW DAYS LATER. BOTH OF THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE UNDER OWNER'S WARRANTY (IN ADDITION TO PURCHASING AN EXTENDED 5-YR WARRANTY). LAST WEEK, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. DRIVERS SEAT DOES NOT STAY IN POSITION WHEN ACCELERATING, WHICH IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. I RETURNED TO HEMPSTEAD LINCOLN MERCURY, TOLD THEM OF THE CURRENT PROBLEM AND SHOWED THEM PAPER WORK OF THE TWO PREVIOUS REPAIRS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT NO DOCUMENTATION EXISTED SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, EVENTHOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED THROUGHOUT NUMEROUS REPAIRS AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED. HAVE OTHER COMPLAINTS BEEN DOCUMENTED THAT ARE SIMILAR TO MINE? DO I HAVE TO BE CHARGED THE FULL AMOUNT FOR REPAIR SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAS BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY? PLEASE ADVISE.

WAS COMING TO A STOP SIGN. HEARD A LOUD BANG, VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO LEFT. RIGHT WHEEL HAD BROKEN DUE TO CORROSION. *AK

DISCHARGE LINE TO AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY. IT CAME LOOSE & RELEASED FREEON INTO ATMOSPHERE OF VEHICLE. INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR HAD CHECK IT. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC WAS GOING TO REPLACE WITH SAME PART. HAD REFUSED TO HAVE OLD PART REPLACED NEW PART, JUST LIKED OLD. *AK

I HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH THE CAR LOT ON THIS, THEY REFUSE & I REPORTED PROBLEMS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF PURCHASE