2002 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, HEARD SNAP, FOLLOWED BY A RUSH OF AIR AND DROP OF VEHICLE. INSPECTED TIRE AND WHICH WAS RESTING ON THE RIM, ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT SPRING WAS PROTRUDING THOUGHT BACK OF TIRE AND I COULD NOT REMOVE. CONSEQUENCES SCARE ME HAD I BEEN TRAVELING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THEY SEE THIS FREQUENTLY WITH THE MERCURY SABLE CARS. NEW TIRE, COIL SPRING AND LABOR CONCLUDED A BILL OF $331.68. LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BUT ADVISE TO CONTACT FORD, FORD CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY HAD NO COMPLAINTS FOR THIS YEARS MODEL. HOWEVER 2001 AND PRIOR THEY HAD RECALLS FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM AND PROVIDED THE SABLES WITH A PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELD. DRIVING THIS CAR AND OTHERS WHO DRIVE THIS CAR ARE DEALING WITH A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD THAT HAS A HISTORY WITH THIS MANUFACTURE. *JB

2002 SABLE REAR COIL SPRING FAILURE. COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED TIRE. FORD RECALL FOR FRONT COIL SPRING FAILURES BUT NOT REAR COIL SPRING FAILURES. *JB

I OWN A 2002 MERCURY SABLE GS. I RETURNED TO MY CAR IN A PARKING LOT TO FIND IT HAD A FLAT TIRE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO INFLATE THE TIRE WITH NO LUCK, I STARTED TO JACK THE CAR UP TO PUT THE SPARE ON. IN THIS PROCESS, I REALIZED THAT THE TIRE WAS BLOWN OUT FROM THE COIL SPRING BREAKING AND PUNCTURING THE TIRE. THIS WAS THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE AND I AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED AND STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH BECAUSE I HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I FOUND SEVERAL RECALLS FOR MERCURY SABLE'S AND FORD TAURUS', BUT NONE THAT MATCHED THE YEAR OF MY VEHICLE. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND A FORD DEALER AND THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY CAR. I ASK FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO INDICATE THAT I WANTED MY CONVERSION DOCUMENTED AS AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WOULD RESULT FROM THIS. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TWO FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES, GET TWO NEW TIRES AND ALSO NEW SWAY BAR LINKS THAT WERE DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. I ALSO DECIDED TO REPLACE THE REAR SPRINGS (NOT THE SHOCKS) BECAUSE I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN KNOWING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. THE RESEARCH I DID REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH FRONT AND REAR SPRINGS. THE GRAND TOTAL FOR ALL THE REPAIRS NEEDED BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE WAS $1500. I STILL SAY I AM LUCKY I WAS NOT DRIVING AT THE TIME. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE A FAILED COIL SPRING. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 04V332000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS), FOR THE 2001 MERCURY SABLE, WAS REFERENCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 51,255.

CAR NOT HANDLING PROPERLY. BRAKES SQUEALING. VERY POOR GAS MILEAGE. CAR RIDING LOWER IN BACK. SOUNDED/FELT LIKE I WAS RIDING ON A FLAT, TIRE PRESSURE WAS DOWN, BUT NOT BADLY (3 LBS). TOOK TO MECHANIC FOR TUNEUP. ADVISED REAR TIRE BAD WITH FLAT SPOTS. PURCHASED TIRES TO BE INSTALLED. WHEN MECHANIC PULLED TIRE/WHEEL TO INSTALL, NOTICED REAR SPRING WAS BROKEN. PULLED TIRE/WHEEL FROM OTHER SIDE. IT TOO, WAS BROKEN. ONE BREAK WAS NEW, THE OTHER OLDER AS ENDS WERE RUSTED OVER. THERE ARE RUB MARKS AND WEAR ON THE RUBBER COVERING OVER BOTH SPRINGS AS WELL AS THE COATING COMING OFF. I HAVE THE BROKEN SPRINGS AND HAVE TAKEN PHOTOS THAT SHOW BRAKES AND DISCOLORATION. TWO (2) NEW TIRES, TWO (2) REAR SPRINGS AND ALIGNMENT COST $614.68. I FREQUENTLY HAVE MY GRANDCHILDREN WITH ME. EITHER ONE OR BOTH OF THEM COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED HAS THE PIECES COME THROUGH THE SEATS. *TR

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SPRING BROKE OFF FROM IT'S MOUNTING. THIS CONDITION WAS DETECTED BY A SERVICE TECH BEFORE ANY OTHER DAMAGE WAS DONE. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SPRING BE REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME, AS WELL AS BOTH FRONT STRUTS, SINCE THE CAR HAD OVER 75,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. I CALLED THE DEALER TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY RECALLS AT THIS TIME ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAD ALL OF THE RECOMMENDED WORK DONE AT A COST OF OVER $900. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES ON HER VEHICLE HAVE NO TREAD. THESE TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE (CONTINENTAL, SIZE P215/60R16). THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAD A BULGE. THE VEHICLE IS RARELY DRIVEN. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AT THE SCHEDULED TIME, MOST RECENTLY ON JUNE 1, 2005. THE DOT# WAS NOT CONFIRMED; IT COULD BE FP-3F1213480AA. RECALL # 4512 WAS LISTED IN HER OWNER'S MANUAL, HOWEVER, IT INDICATED THAT IT WAS REPAIRED. THE FUEL SYSTEM AND TIRE PRESSURE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 18,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE THE TIRES WERE BEING ROTATED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR SPRINGS HAD FAILED AND PUNCTURED THE REAR TIRES. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED ON A VEHICLE OF THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FRONT SPRINGS ON THE 1999 AND 2001 MODELS. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE SINCE THE VIN WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALLS. THE CONTACT SENT AN EMAIL TO FORD MOTORS AND WAS INFORMED THAT SHE WOULD HEAR FROM THEM IN THREE DAYS. THE REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAS THE INVOICE FOR THE TIRES. THE REAR SPRINGS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 83,000. UPDATED 02-01-08. *KB UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO RETRACT. THE FAILURE PREVENTS ANYONE FROM BEING ABLE TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 91,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

I DROVE FROM MY HOME TO OXON HILL, MD, A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AND THE STEERING WAS BUMPY. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION, I DID A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TIRES AND NOTHING APPEARED UNUSUAL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES, I RESUMED DRIVING. ABOUT 11 MILES LATER AT EXIT 15 (214/CENTRAL AVENUE EAST) ON 95/495 NORTHBOUND, THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND LOOKED AT THE TIRE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 DETACHED. I GOT OFF AT THE 214/CENTRAL AVENUE EAST RAMP AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BY THIS TIME, THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED COMPLETELY FROM THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE HAD 20,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS A STARFIRE FLITE-LINE IV P21560R16. WE WILL GO BACK TO THE RETAILER WHO SOLD US THE FOUR TIRES AND PLAN TO GET ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED. *AK