2000 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF A BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF. THEY STAY ON, EVEN WHEN FOOT IS NOT ON THE BRAKE, AND VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. *AK

IMMEDIATELY UPON STARTING MY 2000 MERCURY SABLE (CAR HAD BEEN OFF AND PARKED FOR 4+ HOURS), THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD. IT SOUNDED LIKE A SONIC BOOM (PEOPLE PARKED 2 CARS AWAY FROM MINE THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD HIT THEIR CAR THE PERCUSSION WAS SO INTENSE). SMOKE/VAPOR WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND I RAN INSIDE THE ESTABLISHMENT WHERE I WAS PARKED AND GOT A FIRE EXTINQUISHER. AFTER GETTING THE EXTINGUISHER, A CONCERNED PASSERBY ASKED THAT I OPEN THE HOOD. THERE WAS NO FIRE BUT A LOT OF VAPOR. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD BLOWN UP. THERE WERE 2 PIECES THAT WE FOUND NEAR THE MANIFOLD AND THE MANIFOLD LOOKED AS IF IT HAD BEEN SPLIT ALONG ITS HORIZONTAL AXIS. THE FELT MATERIAL UNDERPINNING THE HOOD WAS RIPPED IN SEVERAL PLACES. I CALLED A FORD AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS AND THEY HAD IT TOWED TO THEIR SHOP. IT THEN HAD TO BE TAKEN TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER SINCE THE SERVICE CENTER SAID THEY DID NOT "HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT TO FIX IT". UPON INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY SIMILAR INCIDENTS ON FILE, I FOUND AN ARTICLE THAT WAS IN THE JOURNAL OF THE ALLIANCE OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, AASP BY MARK GIAMMALVO DESCRIBING AN INCIDENT IDENTICAL TO MINE. THERE HAD BEEN 2 "OWNER NOTIFICATIONS" ISSUED BY FORD - 00B38 APRIL 2000 AND 00B55 IN SEPTEMBER 2000 THAT RELATED TO A PCM REPROGRAMMING THAT WAS NEEDED. I DID NOT PURCHASE THE VEHICLE UNTIL OCTOBER 2000. ACCORDING TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHO REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ONE PCM REPROGRAMMING HAD BEEN DONE IN JUNE 2000. THE FORD DEALERSHIP DID REPAIR THE CAR: "REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD & GASKETS, UPDATED CALIBRATION ALREADY SET IN PCM, NO LATER CALIBRATION IS AVAILABLE". MY GREATEST CONCERN OVER THIS INCIDENT IS THAT IF THE HOOD HAD BEEN OPEN AT THE TIME THE MANIFOLD EXPLODED, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE NEARBY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP BUT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED.*AK

COMPLAINT REGARDING THE WAY RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON VEHICLE.*MR THE CONSUMER HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS ISSUED IN THE RECALL FOR BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED ON THERE VEHICLE AND IT WAS OUT DATED. THE CONSUMER WAS VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE DEALERSHIP ASSISTANCE BECAUSE REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY NESS OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE RESPOND PROMPTLY IN RESOLVING MATTERS. *CB

INTERMITTENTLY THE STICK SHIFT GEAR INDICATOR STUCK FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE. DEALER INSPECTED, CHARGED $400.OO FOR REPAIRS, PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

WHILE PARKING MY VEHICLE I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR TOOK OFF LIKE IT WAS POSSESSED. IT WENT UP ONTO A GRASSY MEDIAN RAN HEAD ON INTO AND OVER A LIGHT POLE AND CAME TO REST AFTER HITTING A PARKED CAR HEAD ON. THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE CAR AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY!! THE CAR HAD BEEN TAKEN IN FOR A RECALL ON THE ADJUSTABLE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND I WAS TOLD NO ADJUSTMENT WAS NECESSARY. SO FAR IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT OUR BRAKE PEDAL HAS TOO MUCH PLAY ON IT (IN OTHER WORDS IT MOVES SIDE TO SIDE TO MUCH--IS LOOSE?) THE ADJUSTABLE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL AND THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING ARE ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BY FORD ON THIS VEHICLE. *NLM

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR RECALL# 01V078000 REPAIRS CONCERNING ADJUSTABLE PEDAL ASSEMBLY GREASE/BRAKE LAMPS. BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED FUNCTIONING AFTER THE REPAIR WAS DONE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, ANOTHER MOTORIST INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE STAYED ON ALL THE TIME AND OTHER MOTORISTS WERE UNABLE TO TELL WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS ACTUALLY BRAKING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *AK EXAMINATION OF THE SWITCH SHOWED A SMALL PLASTIC NUB WHICH HELD CONTACTS OPEN WORE DOWN AND ALLOWED CONTACTS TO STAY CLOSED ALL THE TIME. *PH *JB

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THERE WERE NO BRAKE LIGHTS. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE TURNED THE KEY TO FIRST CLICK, HE PRESSED THE GEAR SHIFTER DOWN AND SHIFTED THE GEARS. THE GAS STATION REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *AK THE BRAKE SWITCH WAS REPLACED ONCE BEFORE PER MERCURY DIVISION RECALL IN MARCH, 2001. *SCC *JB

STOP LAMPS STAY ON. CONDITION CAUSES DEAD BATTERY. STOP LAMP SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. THIS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN RECALL 01S08 FOR THE STOP LAMP SWITCH REPLACMENT. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. THEY CLAIM RECALL WAS DONE 2 YEARS AGO. PART HAS FAILED AGAIN AND THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS. RECALL LETTER ADVISES FILING COMPLAINT ON THIS SITE.*AK