2002 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

WAS BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND A LOUD EXPLOSION TYPE OF NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR WAS SITTING ON THE CONCRETE AND THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS BLOWN OUT. I WAS NOT EVEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AFTER APPLYING THE SPARE DONUT. GOT THE FRONT SPRING COIL AND TIRE REPAIRED FOR $480.00 I CALLED LIBERTY FORD (VERMILION, OHIO) DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY RECALLS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. TWO YEARS AGO, THE COIL SPRING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE FAILED AND THE FRONT TIRE EXPLODED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING ALSO FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,650. UPDATED 04/21/09. *LJ UPDATED 04/24/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THERE WAS NO CRASH OR INJURIES. THE CONTACT CALLED AAA AND THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED OF ALL THE DEFECTS WITH HER VEHICLE. THERE IS A NHTSA ACTION ID NUMBER EA08018 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS), BUT THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL OPEN. THE REPAIR AND PURCHASE COST FOR A NEW TIRE IS $150 PLUS THE COST OF THE COIL SPRINGS. THE CONTACT ALSO WROTE A COMPLAINT LETTER TO THE FORD MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR ON HER OWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,741.

IN MID-DECEMBER 2008 I PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FOR MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE. ON DECEMBER 24, 2008 WHILE DRIVING HOME I HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MY REAR PASSENGER TIRE. WHEN THE TIRE WAS PULLED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN, PUNCTURING THE TIRE. I FOUND THE FOLLOWING ON A WEBSITE: "THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) HAS RECEIVED 355 COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS RESIDING IN "SALT BELT" STATES THAT ALLEGE FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. (NOTE: FOR PURPOSES OF THIS INVESTIGATION, THE "SALT BELT" INCLUDES CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN).APPROXIMATELY 72% OF THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGE THE BROKEN COIL SPRING PUNCTURED THE ADJACENT TIRE . RESULTING IN LOSS OF INFLATION PRESSURE. ODI IS AWARE OF 3 ALLEGED CRASHES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTING IN ONE PERSON INJURED.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THOSE PREVIOUSLY INVESTIGATED BY ODI (PE02-080 AND PE04-044) AND RECALLED BY FORD (NHTSA RECALL NO. 04V-332).AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAS BEEN OPENED TO ASSESS THE FREQUENCY, SCOPE AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT." I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF SOMEONE COULD REVIEW THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

HAD A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT ON REAR TIRE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE COIL SPRING ON THE LEFT STRUT. I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME AND MY LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH REAR STRUTS. THE COST WAS MORE THAN A WEEKS PAY. *TR

I PULLED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE, HEARD A LOUD BANG AND GOT OUT TO LOOK AROUND THE CAR, AT THE TIRES AND UNDER THE CAR. NOT SEEING ANYTHING WRONG I CONTINUED TO DRIVE, HEARD GRINDING NOISES AND SMELLED A BURNING SMELL. EVENTUALLY MY FRONT TIRE WENT COMPLETELY FLAT AND I MADE IT HOME. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE TIRE OFF, IT WAS COMPLETELY CUT AROUND THE INNER SIDE AND THE COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN. THE MERCURY DEALER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL BUT NOT ON MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE. ONE AUTO REPAIR PERSON TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORDS AND MERCURY CARS. MY HUSBAND WILL TRY TO REPLACE THE SPRINGS AND WE NOW NEED A NEW TIRE AND POSSIBLY STRUTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED A HOLE THROUGH THE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 120,000.

INVOLVED IN MVC. PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH NO PASSENGER IN VEHICLE. DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE CHANGING THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE, THE CONTACT DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE COIL SPRING FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE TIRE WITH A SPARE AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE TIRE CHANGED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TWO FRONT COIL SPRINGS FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE FRONT TIRE AND FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $735. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HE WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,773 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,793. UPDATED 01-26-09 *BF UPDATED 01/26/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SHE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. SHE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT AND THE STRUT SPRING WAS STICKING OUT OF THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 24,964. UPDATED 2/23/09 *CN UPDATED 02/25/09. *JB