1995 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS ON A 1995 MERCURY SABLE. CONSUMER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FOR RECALL PROBLEMS BEFORE A RECALL WAS RECEIVED AND WOULD LIKE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST. *KB THE HEAD GASKETS, TIMING COVER GASKETS AND OIL PAN WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING. *JB

UPON COMPLETING A TIRE CHECK OF MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED THE SIDEWALL OF MY GENERAL TIRE AMERI -G4S IS BULDGING OUT (ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL HEMISPHERE) AND THE RUBBER IS STARTING TO SEPARATE. *TR

WHEN I TOOK MY 1995 MERCURY SABLE TO A MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE, HE NOTIFIED ME THAT BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. HE SHOWED IT TO ME AND I SAW IT FOR MYSELF. FURTHERMORE, ONE SPRING HAD WORN A VISIBLE GROOVE IN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE MY CAR FURTHER AND IT MUST BE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY AT A COST OF $700. THE REPAIR IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK AND INCLUDES REAR STRUTS, REAR SPRINGS AND THE ASSOCIATED MOUNTING BRACKETS. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE STEEL USED FOR THE SPRINGS AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON FORD PRODUCTS AND THEY FIX A LOT OF THEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE UNTIL THE VEHICLE STALLS TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE AFTER IT IS RESTARTED. THE DEALERSHIP AND TWO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS NOTHING ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH PRIOR TO EACH INCIDENT. UPDATED 10/4/2006 -THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT TEH ABS LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED TWICE, ONCE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AND ONCE WHILE IT WAS NOT. *NM

COMMENTS: I HAVE A 1995 MERCURY SABLE WITH 52,000 MILES ON IT. SOME YEARS AGO, FORD ISSUED A LETTER SAYING IT WOULD MAKE REPAIRS IF THE HEAD GASKET PREMATURELY BLEW ON THIS CAR AT UNDER 60,000 MILES OR WITHIN 5 YEARS. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, WITH NO WARNING, MY SABLE BLEW ITS HEAD GASKET IN MY GARAGE, AFTER I HAD TURNED OFF THE CAR AND GOTTEN OUT OF IT. IT WAS JUST A MIRACLE THAT I WAS STILL IN THE GARAGE WITH MY HUSBAND WHEN IT HAPPENED. NORMALLY, I WOULD HAVE GONE IN THE HOUSE AND SHUT THE DOOR. AT ANY RATE, I TURNED AROUND AND SMOKE WAS BILLOWING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. MY HUSBAND JUMPED IN THE CAR (I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT) AND BACKED IT INTO OUR COURT. I RAN FOR THE PHONE AND CALLED 911. MY POINT IS, THAT EXCEPT FOR THE FLUKE OF MY BEING IN THE GARAGE AT THE TIME, MY HOUSE COULD HAVE GONE UP IN SMOKE! WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, THEY REFERRED ME TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. JOSH AT CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME THAT THE "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM" ON THIS CAR HAD EXPIRED AND THAT THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE COVERAGES. HE FURTHER STATED THAT I HAD NO RECOURSE TO ANYONE ELSE IN THE COMPANY BECAUSE FORD HAD "EMPOWERED" THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS OF THIS TYPE. I THINK THAT IF MY HOUSE HAD BURNED DOWN, FORD CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HAD SOME LIABILITY. THE COST TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE IS $2,000, NEARLY AS MUCH AS IT'S WORTH. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM? *NM

I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR UAED DROVE OFF THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE HOOD, I ALSO GETTING A KNOCKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT, THE CAR HAS NO SAFETY FUTURE IN IT ,IF I WAS IN THE HIGHWAY DRIVING AND THIS CAR STARTED TO STOP, I WILL BE IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT, FORD NEED TO RECALL THE ENGINE AND REPLACE IT WITH ONE HIGH PERFORMANCE ONE, THAT LAST. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A CLICKING SOUND. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THE SUB FRAME ON BOTH SIDES DISINTEGRATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL O CAMPAIGN 98V323000 CONCERNING THE STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS. HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

MOTOR REPLACED ON MY CAR , A 95 MERCURY SABLE, REPLACED AT 85,000 MILES AND JUST BLEW AGAIN I NOW HAVE 123,00 ON THE CAR AND JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR YOU CHANGING MY MIND ON FUTURE PURCHASES OF FORD PRODUCTS. I WORK FOR A TEER 2 SUPPLIER OF COLOR CONC. TO GM AND HAVE ALWAYS PURCHASED FORD IN SPITE OF THE SAVINGS I RECEIVE THROUGH WORK. CAN YOU HELP ME OR NOT WITH MY EXPENSES FOR REPAIR OF ANOTHER MOTOR? *NM

RE: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 98V323000* HELLO, FOMOCO LOCAL DEALER & CORPORATE CUSTOMER RELATIONS INSIST THERE IS NO SUCH RECALL AS NOTED ABOVE. AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND VISITS IN THE LAST MONTH, I CALL CORPORATE. THERE TOO THEY INSISTED THERE WAS NO SUCH THING. I CALLED A SECOND TIME AND WAS FORWARDED UP THE LADDER, SAME RESULTS. THE NEXT WEEK I RECEIVED A QUESTIONARE WANTING TO KNOW OF MY SATISFACTION WITH MY RECENT INQUIRIES! IF YOU COULD BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE I WOULD BE DEEPLY INDEBTED. THANK YOU SINCERELY, [XXX] * WHAT INITIATED THIS WHOLE THING IS THAT MY CARE STARTED CLANKING AND A FEW OTHER THINGS. TOOK IT TO THE LES SCWAB DEALER. HE SAID MY FRAME MOUNTS WENT. MY LOCAL MECHANIC CONFIRMED IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR