1992 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

I AM AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE FORD 3.4 L EARLY HEAD GASKET FAILURE, NOW THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I HAD TO SPEND OVER $900 TO GET THE REPAIR DONE. THIS HAS IN TURN PUT ME AND MY FAMILY INTO A SERIOUS FINANCIAL SITUATION. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MANY OF THESE ENGINES, BUT IT WAS FOR 7 YEARS, LEAVING MY CAR OUT OF THAT. HOWEVER, SINCE IT HAS ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT, I THINK FORD SHOULD RETHINK THEIR POLICY. I ALSO HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE HEAD GASKET TO BLOW AGAIN. HOW CAN FORD BE ALLOWED TO LET THIS GO ON AND ON AND ON FOR THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES? SURE, YOU CAN GET IT FIXED IF IT IS UNDER THE WARRANTY, EXTENDED OR REGULAR, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE FAILURE LATER AND THEN EVEN AGAIN AT SOME POINT. I THINK THE SITUATION IS FAR WORSE THAT FORD IS ADMITTING, THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM LONG AFTER THE 7 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR MANY OF THE CARS AFFECTED. HOW CAN I HAVE MY 17 YEAR OLD CHILD GO OUT IN THE CAR AND GET STRANDED WHO KNOWS WHERE. WE LIVE IN AN AREA THAT CAN HAVE SOME LONG, DARK ROADS. SO, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR ITSELF MAY NOT BE A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM, IT IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY THREAT IF SOMEONE BREAKS DOWN IN A BAD AREA. IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS?? IS FORD BEING ALLOWED TO COVER THIS UP LIKE THEY DID WITH THE TIRES AND LIE ABOUT HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE REALLY AFFECTED AND TO WHAT EXTENT? AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL OF US WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO BE AFRAID TO DRIVE SOMEWHERE AT NIGHT, BEING A WOMAN, WITH THE RISK OF BREAKING DOWN ON A DARK ROAD SOMEWHERE? WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR EVEN ONCE, NO MATTER WHEN IT HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY WITH 65,000 MILES ON IT. I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED IT USED.*AK

I BOUGHT MY MERCURY SABLE IN MARCH OF 98, WITH ONLY 18,000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS PAID OFF IN MARCH OF 2000. IN OCTOBER, IT HIT THAT DEADLY MILEAGE WHERE LOTS OF SABLES AND TAURUSES BLOW THEIR HEAD GASKETS...AND YES THAT'S JUST WHAT MINE HAS DONE. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN MY TOWN AND THEY OF COURSE INSTANTLY SAID "SORRY, YOUR MODEL YEAR IS NOT INCLUDE IN THE SABLE HEAD GASKET RECALL." SO WHAT NOW. AS A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO, EARNING $200 A WEEK, I DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE ANY SPARE MONEY UNTIL INCOME TAX RETURN TIME. RIGHT NOW I'M BORING A FRIENDS CAR. OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN'T GO ON FOREVER. THANKS FORD, FOR THE DEPENDABLE CAR!*AK

HEAD GASKETS FAILED AT APPROX 93000 MILES. THERE HAVE BEEN EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON MANY FORD MODELS WITH 3.8L ENGINES BUT NOT 1992 (YET). I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WERE WILLING TO DO TO HELP DEFRAY THE EXPENSE ($1300) OF REPLACING THE HEAD GASKETS EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM.*AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. *MJS

ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED UNDER RECALL 92M77 IN 1/96. I WAS ADVISED BY FORD THAT ONE REPAIR IS ALL THAT IS PERFORMED. I DON'T SEE WHY THEY SHOULDN'T REPAIR AGAIN AS OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS FOR ENGINE MOUNTS TO FAIL EVERY 4 YEARS.

HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN AT 100,000 MILES. IS NOT AWARE OF EXTENEDED WARRANTY FOR HEAD GASKET.*AK

THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WAS THE INABILITY TO SHIFT THE CAR OUT OF "PARK" IN THE NORMAL WAY - START THE CAR, DEPRESS THE BRAKE AND PULL THE SHIFT LEVER DOWN. THE ONLY WAY THAT I COULD GET THE CAR INTO GEAR WAS TO PULL DOWN ON THE SHIFT LEVER WHILE TURNING THE KEY AND THEN START THE ENGINE WHILE IN NEUTRAL. I DISCOVERED, IN A CONVERSATION WITH A FORD MECHANIC, THAT THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF A FAILURE SOMEWHERE IN THE "BRAKE LIGHT" CIRCUIT. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A BLOWN BRAKE LIGHT BULB WOULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS ANOTHER SYMPTOM THAT WAS NOT DISCUSSED WITH THE MECHANIC, AS I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS RELATED, BUT COULD IN ITSELF, CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE BY PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. APPARENTLY THE DE-ACTIVATION IS CONTROLLED BY A COMPONENT WIRED INTO THE BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT. AFTER I GOT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORKING (DIRTY CONTACTS ON THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH), EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. THE CAR SHIFTED AS IT WAS SUPPOSE TO AND THE CRUISE CONTROL AGAIN DISENGAGED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. IN MY OPINION, THE INTERELATIONSHIP OF THESE COMPONENTS HAS GOOD POTENTIAL TO BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. IT WOULD BE EASY TO INADVERTANTLY PUT THE CAR IN FORWARD GEAR WHILE INTENDING TO PUT IT IN REVERSE WHEN STARTING IT IN NEUTRAL. THE CAR COULD ROLL WHEN STARTING IT IN THIS MANNER. THE FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL TO DISENGAGE GAVE ME THE SENSATION OF FLOORING THE CAR AND PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. NOT USUALLY A VERY GOOD THING TO DO. THAT'S IT. I HOPE IT HELPS.

I GOT IN MY CAR TO TAKE MY CHILD TO SCHOOL AND ME TO WORK LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY WE STARTED DOWN THE ROAD AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT MY EXHAUST THAT SMELLED LIKE ANTI FREEZE, THEN MY THERMOSTAT PEGGED ITSELF ALL THE WAY HOT. *AK

SURPRISED TO SEE THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS COMPONENT AND NO RECALL ISSUED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS THIS CAR HAS CONTINUED TO STOP RUNNING WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AND LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE CAR TO ALMOST STOP MOVING. SIX DIFFERENT MECHANICS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE, INCLUDING THE MERCURY AND FORD DEALERSHIPS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. FINANCES PREVENT THE TRADING IN OF THIS CAR. I BELIEVE FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS IGNORED IT. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER SABLE AND TAURUS OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. CAR RUNS ROUGH, CUTS OFF, LOSES POWER, AND CONTROL IS LOST AS ENGINE DIES.