2001 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

ON 2/22/06 THE RIGHT REAR COIL SPRING ON MY 2001 MERCURY SABLE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 30 M.P.H. ON A SMOOTH PAVED ROADWAY. THE SABLE HAS JUST OVER 80,000 MILES. WHEN THE COIL SPRING FRACTURED, IT CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE BRAND NEW TIRE, LEAVING IT UNUSABLE. I WAS ADVISED BY MERCURY, THE WOULD NOT COVER REPAIR COST BECAUSE THERE IS NO OPEN RECALL FOR THE REAR SPRINGS, JUST THE FRONT. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING A NEW SPRING ($50 )& TIRE ($150). IT WILL COST $80 IN LABOR TO MAKE REPAIRS & $45 FOR AN ALIGNMENT. TOTAL COST TO ME: $325!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS AT 15 MPH, A NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE RIGHT REAR SPRING FRACTURED, BROKE IN HALF AND RUBBED A 360 DEGREE GROOVE ON THE TIRE. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH REAR SPRINGS AND REAR TIRES TO ENSURE ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES. UPDATED 3/17/2006 - *NM

WHILE AT MY MERCURY DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE REP THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR COIL SPRING WAS FRACTURED/BROKEN AND CONTINUED USE COULD RESULT IN PUNCTURED REAR TIRE AND A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE VEHICLE WHICH I PURCHASED NEW AND HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE COIL SPRINGS FAILED. THE SERVICE REP SUGGESTED REPLACING BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS, BOTH REAR STRUTS AND STABILIZER RODS THE COST OF WHICH WOULD BE $610!! THE SUGGESTION TO REPLACE BOTH REAR SPRINGS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE ONE BROKEN SPRING IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT! AFTER LOOKING AT THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE REGARDING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH THE COIL SPRINGS I'M CONVINCED FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THE INFERIOR QUALITY COIL SPRINGS THEY HAVE INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES. THE RECALL FOR THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE REAR COIL SPRINGS ARE OF THE SAME INFERIOR QUALITY AND PRESENT A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH FORD HAS ELECTED TO IGNORE. I WILL NO DOUBT GRUDINGLY HAVE THE REPAIR DONE BUT WILL NO LONGER TRUST OR PURCHASE THE FORD PRODUCT LINE WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE I DO LIKE MY SABLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST BEING THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. THE ENGINE WOULD START IF IT WAS BOOSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE REPAIR PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THE BATTERY CABLES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TERMINALS. THE CABLES WERE REPAIRED. THE SECOND WAS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AND THE VEHICLE DRIVES NORMAL. THE FRONT BUMPER FASCIA CRACKED. THE LEFT REAR TIRE FAILED. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB

WHILE EATING BREAKFAST, MY WIFE HEARD A METAL POPPING SOUND OUTSIDE NEAR OUR 2001 MERCURY SABLE. WHEN SHE WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE, SHE FOUND A PIECE OF THE REAR RIGHT COIL SPRING. THIS HAPPENED MINUTES BEFORE SHE WAS TO LEAVE WITH OUR CHILDREN. I CONTACTED FORD AND THE DEALER AND WAS LEFT TO PAY FOR THE TOWING AND REPAIRS $80 & $303.99 FOR A TOTAL OF $383.99. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST BEING A FRONT COIL SPRING AND TIRE WHICH WAS BLOWN OUT THEN SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED BY FORD ON A RECALL. I FIND IT DISTURBING THAT THE SPRINGS WITH THE SAME FAULTY METAL WERE ALLOWED TO REMAIN ON THE REAR SUSPENSION AND NOT REPLACED. TWICE MY FAMILY HAS AVERTED DISASTER CONNECTED WITH THESE COIL SPRINGS. WHEN IS FORD GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE ALL THESE FAULTY SPRINGS? MAYBE AFTER ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE INJURED OR DIE! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 90 MPH BEFORE THE BRAKES WERE ABLE TO HOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE NEAREST INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC DETERMINED ICE HAD BUILT UP ON THE THROTTLE HOUSING AROUND THE PCV VALVE. THE TEMPERATURE ON THE DATE OF FAILURE WAS BETWEEN -8 AND -12 DEGREES. THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE WHEEL WELL AREA BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE THAT WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE PCV VALVE. UPDATED 02/24/06

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP TO DRIVING 2 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND A RUBBING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE LEFT REAR COIL SPRINGS WAS BROKEN AND RUBBED INTO THE TIRE. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR COIL SPRINGS, LEFT TIRE AND STRUTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 2/21/2006 - *NM

REAR DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE BACKING OUT OF GARAGE. THE SPRING WAS WITHIN 1/4" OF POKING MY TIRE. MY MERCURY HAS 53,000 MILES. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAVE A RECALL BUT NOT THE REAR!?!?! I AM SURE GLAD THAT IT HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY.*AK

BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ON -2001 MERCURY SABLE WAS CHECKED IN AUGUST 2003 WITHOUT FINDING ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I HAD JUST BOUGHT THE CAR A COUPLE OF MONTHS PRIOR. I INFORMED THE DEALER (ROUNDTREE-MOORE) THAT I WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL LATER FOR THIS BECAUSE IF THIS IS A CERTIFIED CAR THEN IT WANT SHOW ANY THING UNTIL LATER,AND I WANTED TO KNOW THAT I COULD BRING THE VEHICLE BACK WITHOUT A CHARGE TO REPAIR. NOW I'M BEING TOLD THERE WILL BE A SERVICE CHARGE TO REPAIR AND A DIAGNOSTIC FEE OF $90.00. I GOT A DIAGNOSTIC FROM AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHICH THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY TOLL WAY I HEARD SOME STRANGE NOISES -- A LOUD BANGING AND SCRAPING OR RUBBING. IN LESS THAN A MINUTE, MY RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER TO CHANGE THE TIRE. WHEN I REMOVED THE TIRE, IT HAD A GROOVE CUT INTO THE INNER SIDEWALL WITH A PUNCTURE IN THE GROOVE. I EXAMINED THE WHEEL-WELL TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE AND SAW A PIECE OF THE COIL SPRING STICKING OUT. I TOOK THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN AND THAT BOTH REAR SPRINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED WHAT WOULD CAUSE THAT AND HE TOLD ME THAT USUALLY IT WAS DUE TO CORROSION. I REMEMBERED THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE COIL SPRING CORROSION FAILURE BUT THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE RECALL APPLIED ONLY TO THE FRONT SPRINGS (THOUGH SURELY THE FRONT AND REAR SPRINGS WOULD BE MADE FROM THE SAME METAL). HE FURTHER TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE FORD PARTS FOR NEARLY A WEEK BUT HE COULD GET 3RD-PARTY PARTS IMMEDIATELY, THOUGH AT A HIGHER PRICE. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO GO A WEEK WITHOUT MY CAR (AND GIVEN THAT THE FORD PARTS HAD FAILED AT FIVE YEARS WITH ONLY 50000 MILES, PERHAPS A NEW FORD PART WOULDN'T REALLY BE THAT MUCH OF A BARGAIN) SO I OPTED FOR THE AFTERMARKET SPRINGS. THEY REPLACED BOTH SPRINGS WITH THE AFTERMARKET PARTS BUT AFTERWARDS THE CAR DID NOT HANDLE CORRECTLY AND CONTINUED TO MAKE LOUD PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS WHEN GOING OVER EVEN MODEST ROAD IRREGULARITIES. I TOOK THE CAR BACK A FEW DAYS LATER AND THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT BOTH REAR STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ADDING THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY DAMAGED WHEN THE SPRING BROKE. AFTER THE NEW STRUTS WERE INSTALLED THE CAR SEEMS TO BE MOSTLY BACK TO NORMAL. THE TOTAL FOR ALL REPAIRS WAS AROUND $1000, PLUS I SPENT ANOTHER $120 ON A NEW TIRE AND $70 FOR CAR RENTAL WHILE WAITING ON REPAIRS. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE OLD PARTS AVAILABLE. *JB