2000 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION CONSUMER TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKE, BUT INSTEAD HIT BOTH, GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POST.*AK

BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS ARE DESIGNED TOO CLOSELY TOGETHER. DRIVER CAN APPLY BOTH AT SAME TIME OR GAS PEDAL WHEN INTENDING TO APPLY BRAKES. *AK

AFTER PULLING INTO GARAGE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE WALL. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATION.*AK

AFTER READING A RECENT NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT THIS SAFETY CONCERN I WANTED TO REPORT MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY 2000 MERCURY SABLE IN INTEREST IN HAVING THE DESIGN FLAW FIXED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE GAS PEDAL ALSO BECAME PRESSED CAUSING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AND LUNGE FORWARD AS THE BRAKING ACTION AND ACCELERATION ACTION OPPOSED EACH OTHER. I'M CONCERNED THAT INHERENT IN THE CARS' DESIGN THE PEDALS ARE LOCATED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, CREATING A SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STOP THE CAR BEFORE HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. . ONLY TO REALIZE AFTER THE FACT THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS THAT MY FOOT WAS PRESSING BOTH PEDALS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP. CAR HAS ADJUSTABLE PEDALS.*AK

THERE IS SLIPPAGE ON DRIVE SHAFT AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WHICH CAN CAUSE VEHICLE TO SPEED UP. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

ON TWO OCCASIONS ON MARCH 18, 2002, AND ONE OCCASION ON MARCH 25, 2002 VEHICLE FAILED TO START WHILE ON A TRIP FROM TOLEDO, OH TO CHARLOTTE, NC. VEHICLE WOULD NOT CRANK, BUT EXHIBITED NO OTHER FAULTS. AFTER A PERIOD OF ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES, VEHICLE STARTED. AFTER FIRST INCIDENT VEHICLE ONE MARCH 18 WAS TAKEN TO TURNPIKE FORD IN MARMET, WV. SERVICE THERE COULD NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. AFTER THIRD INCIDENT ON MARCH 25 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ASTROG FORD IN PARKERSBURG, WV. SERVICE THERE FIRST REPORTED THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM, BUT IN PREPARING TO RETURN VEHICLE TO ME, IT FAILED TO START. ASTORG FORD REPORTED TO ME THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW PATS SWITCH, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART. THEY SUGGESTED I PROCEED TO TOLEDO, NOT TURN OFF THE IGNITION, AND TAKE IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALER. ON MARCH 27 I DELIVERED THE VEHICLE TO FRANKLIN PARK LINCOLN MERCURY AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE UNTIL APRIL 4 AND REPORTED THAT "PROBLEM IS INTERMIT COULD NOT VERIFY AT THIS TIME ALL SYSTEM OPERATE AS DESIGNED." *AK

SEVERE FRONT SHUDDER DURING BRAKING. THIS BECAME APPARENT ABOUT 45000 MILES AND CONTINUED TO INCREASE OVER TIME. OWNER PREFORMED OWN INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERED FRONT ROTORS BADLY WARPED. OWNER PREFORMED OWN MAINTAINENCE BY INSTALLING AFTERMARKET NEW ROTORS AND PADS. OWNER WISHES TO INDICATE THAT ORIGINAL ROTORS REMOVED FROM CAR APPEAR TO HAVE WHAT LOOKS LIKE FRACTURE CRACKS ACROSS SURFACE OF EA ROTOR AND UNUSUAL PATTERNS AND DISCOLORS NOT SEEN ON OTHER CARS BEFORE. THESE PARTS HAVE BEEN KEPT AT OWNERS HOME FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATION IF REQUESTED. CAR IS NOW BACK IN SERVICE WITH BRAKES OPERATING CORRECTLY AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED.*AK

CONSUMER WAS SLOWING DOWN FOR A LIGHT WHEN MOTOR SUDDENLY REVVED REALY HIGH, AND VEHICLE PROCEEDED HALF WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE IT STOPPED. *AK *JG

INVOLUNTARILY ACCELERATES, UNABLE TO STOP, AND MUST BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL, AND SHUT OFF. *AK

WITH FOOT PRESSED DOWN ON BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE. ENGINE WAS RACING, AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY TOOK OFF AND HIT A BUILDING. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER WAS UNAWARE OF SPEED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK