2005 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

IDLES, MAKES NOISES, VIBRATES, DRIVES BY ITSELF WITH OUT STOPPING DURING IDLING, DON'T SHIFT INTO GEARS PROPERLY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 23, 2012 WHEN I TURNED THROUGH A STOP LIGHT PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR MADE A VROOM NOISE LIKE IT WANTED TO GO BUT THERE WAS NO POWER. THE CAR NEVER DIED. I COASTED DOWN THE HILL ONTO A SIDE STREET. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR COMPANY. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS UNUSUALLY FOR A CAR OF THIS AGE. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND THERE IS NOT ONE FOR MY MAKE AND MODEL BUT THERE IS ONE FOR THE FORD FREESTAR. I AM JUST WONDERING SINCE THIS IS A FORD PRODUCT THAT THE SAME TORQUE CONVERTER COULD HAVE BEEN USED IN MY CAR. *TR

THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT RUNNING WHILE CRUISING AT 60 MPH IN DARKNESS ON A HEAVILY TRAVELED CONGESTED 6 LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE TIME WAS 6:50 PM AND THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL WEATHER. THE CAR SHOOK FOR A FEW SECONDS AT THE TIME OF SHUT-DOWN. I ATTRIBUTED THE SHAKE OF THE CAR TO A LOADED SEMI FLAT BED TRUCK RUNNING IN THE NEXT LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. WE WERE AT NORMAL SPACING BETWEEN VEHICLES. THERE WAS NEITHER CONTACT WITH THIS TRUCK NOR ANY OTHER VEHICLE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON I270 NEAR BRIDGETON, MO. WE MERGED ONTO MO 340 AND CONTINUED COASTING UNTIL WE FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER TO CALL FOR HELP. I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES WHILE COASTING, TO NO AVAIL. WHILE WAITING FOR HELP TO ARRIVE, I TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING. THE FUEL TANK REGISTERED ONE-HALF FULL. I RECALLED READING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL YEARS AGO ABOUT A FUEL SHUT-OFF RESET. I RAISED THE TRUNK LID, READILY FOUND THE RESET. THE RED BUTTON WAS UP--I PUSHED IT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS LET RUN FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES WITHOUT FINDING ANY PROBLEM. WE CONTINUED ON TO OUR DESTINATION ABOUT 8 MILES AWAY. THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN ON 4 DAYS SINCE THEN FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 250 MILES, WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM. I WRITE THIS BECAUSE I FIND IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO HAVE AN ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON A VERY CONGESTED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, AFTER DARK, WITH MOST TRAFFIC RUNNING 65 - 70 MPH. DURING THIS INCIDENT, I FEARED BEING REAR-ENDED AS THERE WAS LIMITED OPPORTUNITY TO GET OFF THE ROAD. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A RATTLING NOISE WHEN THE CONTACT WOULD TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE DEFECT COULD HAVE BEEN A CLOCK SPRING DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRING THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE MADE A RATTLING NOISE WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. A LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE DEFECT COULD HAVE BEEN A CLOCK SPRING DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRING THE DEFECT. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,900.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT POWERED THE VEHICLE ON AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,200.

ENTERED INTERSTATE 81, ACCELERATED TO 65 MILES PER HOUR AND SET CRUISE CONTROL, DROVE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WHEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE CAR ACCELERATED TO APP. 85 MILES PER HOUR AT WHICH TIME THE CRUISE CONTROL CEASED TO WORK. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG ON A BUSY STREET AT ABOUT 2:50PM AND SUDDENLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON, THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2005 SABLE FAILED. I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE INTO ANY GEAR, DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE LOCKED INTO NEUTRAL. I BECAME STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND WITH THE HELP OF TWO YOUNG MEN PUSHED THE VEHICLE INTO A NEARBY PARKING LOT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO PAT MILLIKEN FORD, REDFORD, MICH. THEY INDICATED IT WOULD TAKE TWO DAYS AT LEAST BEFORE THEY COULD ADVISE ME ON THE VEHICLE REPAIR. THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED AND ADVISED ME THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST $3400.00. BASED ON MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE POWERTRAIN SYSTEM IN CARS THIS ESTIMATE WAS EXCESSIVE. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE ADVISERS IN PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP AND LEARNED THEY ONLY HAVE TWO TRANSMISSION TECHNICIANS. IN MY OPINION IT WAS EASIER FOR THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THAT TO REPAIR IT. ITS ALSO MORE PROFITABLE FOR THE DEALER. IT IS LIKELY THIS SITUATION EXIST ALL ACROSS THE USA. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO USA TRANSMISSION IN LIVONIA, MICH. AND I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD OCCURRED AS I WAS DRIVING ALONG THAT DAY. THEY IMMEDIATE TOLD ME THAT BASED ON THEIR REPAIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLE, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS MOST LIKELY THE PROBLEM. THEY INDICATED THEIR SHOP REPAIRS A LOT OF TAURUS'S AND SABLES FOR THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT I EXPERIENCED. AFTER TESTING, THEY ADVISED THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS THE PROBLEM. THE ACTUAL REPAIR COST WAS $295.00 FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER PLUS $50.00 FOR TRANS FLUID AND $695.00 FOR LABOR, TOTAL REPAIR COST INCLUDING SALES TAX WAS $1060.00. BEFORE LEAVING THE SHOP I LOOKED AT MY TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY INDICATED THE INNER SPLINE ON THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS WEARING OUT. THIS SUDDEN FAILURE CAUSED BY THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

DRIVING A 2005 MERCURY SABLE GS AT 30 MPH, TRANSMISSION COMES OUT OF DRIVE GEAR AND WILL NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR BUT PARK. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR INTERSECTION FOR HOURS, NEEDED TO BE TOWED. REPAIRS INCLUDE REBUILD OF TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER. THERE WAS NO WARNING, LIGHTS, OR STRANGE BEHAVIOR JUST SUDDENLY OCCURRED. *TR

DRIVING DOWN STREET, STOPPED TO TURN, THEN ACCELERATED WHEN TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, NO WARNING SIGNS JUST WENT OUT, NO REVERSE OR FORWARD USE. SENT CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND TOLD NO CODES SHOW UP ON COMPUTER NO SIGNS OF LEAKS OR DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION, BAD TORQUE CONVERTER. KEEPING OLD CONVERTER AFTER HEARING OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VEHICLES THAT SHARE SAME TRANSMISSION. CALLED SEVERAL TRANSMISSION SHOPS AND FORD DEALERSHIPS AND IT SEEMS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. *TR