1991 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

TRANSMISSION FAILED, RECALL (94M-84) HOWEVER DENIED DUE TO YEAR/MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS. MJS

POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING GEARS TO NOT GO FORWARD / BACKWARD. DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. *YC

TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING GRINDING NOISE . WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED TWICE. PROBLEM WOULD REAPPEAR EACH TIME. HAS NOT BEEN TO DEALER AS OF YET. *AK

WHILE APPLYING ACCELERATOR ENGINE HESITATES, THEN SPEEDS BACK UP. THIS IS THE FORTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. ALSO, TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES ALREADY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, AND THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO TURN. VEHICLE WILL GO ANY OTHER WAY BESIDES THE WAY CONSUMER IS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, AND THERE IS A LEAKAGE WITHIN THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET AND TRANSMISSION, AND SMOKE IS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS/CUT OFF AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE IS SHIFTING HARD AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AGAIN. *AK

RANSMISSION IS SHOT. PROBLEM STARTED WITH A CLICKING NOISE, AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS STARTED RUNNING OUT OFTHE TRANSMISSION. *AK

LIFTGATE HAD CHRONIC DIFFICULTY CLOSING SECURELY, BEGINNING AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES. DEALER ADVISED ME TO ADJUST STRIKER POSITION. EVENTUALLY PROBLEM WORSENED UNTIL LIFTGATE WOULD NOT CLOSE SECURELY DESPITE STRIKER ADJUSTMENT. PLASTIC TRIM PIECE COVERING LIFTGATE STILL WAS REMOVED REVEALING THAT THE SHEET METAL STILL (PART NUMBER 8D74) WAS FRACTURED AROUND THE STRIKER ADJUSTMENT OPENING, CAUSING STRIKER TO MOVE WHEN LIFTGATE WAS CLOSED, PREVENTING LIFTGATE FROM CLOSING AROUND STRIKER. I CALLED DEALER TO ALERT THEM TO THIS DEFECT; DEALER STATED THEY KNEW OF NO TSBS (TECHNICAL SAFETY BULLETINS) ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM; THEREFORE I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR COSTS. I THEN CALLED FORD-MERCURY CUSTOMER SERVICE; THEY STATED THAT MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM; THEREFORE THEIR "FINAL DECISION" WAS THAT THE REPAIR COSTS WERE MY RESPONSIBILITY. (REPAIR COSTS, AS ESTIMATED BY A BODY SHOP, WERE $315.) I SUBMIT THAT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL "WEAR & TEAR" PROBLEM, BUT A SAFETY DEFECT. MY SAFETY CONCERNS: 1/UNSECURED LIFTGATE ALLOWS CARBON MONOXIDE FROM EXHAUST TO ENTER CAR WHILE DRIVING, ENDANGERING ALL OCCUPANTS; 2/UNSECURED LIFTGATE CAN BOUNCE OPEN WHEN DRIVING, ENDGANGERING OCCUPANTS OF REAR-FACING SEAT; 3/UNSECURED LIFTGATE EXPOSES CONTENTS OF PARKED CAR, AND CAR ITSELF, TO THEFT. I AM CERTAIN THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. FORD-MERCURY WAS QUITE UNRESPONSIVE AND INDIFFERENT ABOUT ADDRESSING AND CORRECTING THIS SAFETY DEFECT. I APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE, AND WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVES.

MY CHILDREN AND I WERE ALMOST KILLED RECENTLY WHEN WE WERE DOING 70 MPH ON I-85 AND THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. I HAD TALKED WITH MECHANICS IN GERMANY WHEN IT DID IT TO MY HUSBAND ON THE AUTOBAHN ONCE COMING FROM FRANKFURT. WE WERE TOLD THE CAR REACHES A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE AND HAS AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READS NORMAL SO WHY WOULD THE CAR SHUT DOWN AT NORMAL TEMPERATURE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAN HAPPEN AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. I WAS LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR TO THE SIDE WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES AND COAST TO A STOP. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF SITTING THE CAR WILL START AND GO. IT WILL THEN GET TO THAT TEMPERATURE AND SHUTOFF AGAIN. AFTER THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME IN GERMANY MY HUSBAND AND I NEVER DROVE THE CAR OF THE MILITARY POST BECAUSE WE WERE AFRAID OF AN ACCIDENT. WE RECENTLY HAVE COME BACK TO THE STATES AND HAVE TO DO A LOT OF TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, THIS IS WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I RECENTLY SAW SEGMENT ON DATELINE OR ONE OF THOSE SHOWS WHERE THIS HAD HAPPENED TO A FORD TAURUS AND EVIDENTLY THE PEOPLE WERE KILLED OR INJURED SERIOUSLY. WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY SABLE WAS THE SAME THING THIS FORD TAURUS WAS EXPERIENCING. I WOULD APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP IN THE MATTER, AS I CAN'T DRIVE FAR FROM HOME BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUSNESS.

I AM ON MY 3RD TRANSAXLE. IT SLIPS OUT OF GEAR IN TRAFFIC CAUSING A NO POWER SITUATION. I CANNOT ACCELERATE OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC!