1994 MERCURY SABLE Complaints

THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS A LAP BELT FOR THE CENTER REAR SEAT. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND THE YOUNGEST IS TURNING FOUR AND OUTGROWING HIS TODDLER SEAT. HIS TWO OLDER SIBLINGS SIT ON THE SIDES IN THE REAR, USING THE ONLY LAP-AND-SHOULDER BELTS IN THE REAR. I CANNOT FIND A BOOSTER SEAT THAT IS DESIGNED TO HOLD HIS SHOULDERS WHEN HE GROWS PAST 40 LBS, AND CAN BE ATTACHED TO THE CAR WITH ONLY THE LAP BELT. WHAT CAN I DO?*AK

WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE ON ABOUT 5/1/01, IT CHUGGED AND HAD A HARD TIME STARTING. THIS LASTED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. THEN, SUDDENLY WHITE SMOKE EMINATED FROM THE EXHAUST AS SOON AS I STARTED THE CAR ON 5/8/01. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND THIS WAS LATER VERBALLY CONFIRMED BY THE FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP. SINCE THE RECALL COVERAGE EXPIRED ON 4/8/01, I AM TOLD I CAN HAVE IT REPAIRED FOR HALF PRICE ONLY BY THE FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE IT COVERED FOR THE FULL AMOUNT SINCE MY CAR HAS SO LITTLE MILEAGE AND SINCE THE HEAD GASKET BLEW SO CLOSE TO THE COVERAGE DEADLINE (AND SINCE IT APPEARS THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM I'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS OR SO ACCORDING TO THE FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP. I FEEL I'VE BEEN SOLD A LEMON AND AM EXTREMELY DISATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE (OR RATHER, LACK THEREOF) PROVIDED BY FORD/MERCURY. THE CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND THE FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO EFFECT REPAIRS! I'D REALLY PREFER A CASHIER'S CHECK SO I CAN TAKE IT TO A REPUTABLE CAR REPAIR ESTABLISHMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WEBSITE. SINCERELY, [XXX] AND [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

PRIOR TO MANUFACTURER'S RECALL NOTIFICATION IN WHICH CONSUMER STATES HE NEVER RECEIVED, HE STATES AS HE WAS DRIVING, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE SOUNDS AND THEN THE TEMPERATURE WARNING GAUGE AND AUDIBLE ALARM SIGNALED A PROBLEM, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AND IT WAS THEN DETERMINED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A HEAD GASKET FAILURE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE OR COMPENSATE HIM THE RETAIL VALUE OF THE VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE 7 YEAR OR 100,000 MILES AND ALSO BECAUSE HE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL AND AS OF 04-28-01 THE VEHICLE REMAINS AT THE DEALER. *JB

I HAD THE HEAD GASKETS FIXED IN MARCH 2000, AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT MALFUNCTION ON THIS VEHICLE, I SPOKE WITH FORD MOTOR CO. AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME OF POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTING FROM THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM AND FORD MOTOR SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE AND REPAIR THEREFORE.*AK

DRIVING UP A GRADE, CAR OVERHEATED. BELIEVE THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AND ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP OUT OF GEAR,/OWN SHIFT AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN DRIVING AT OR ABOVE 65 MPH. DEALERSHIP REPLACED VSS SENSOR WHEN THIS HAPPENED FIRST TIME. WHEN CONSUMER STARTS OUT, VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY DOWN SHIFT INTO NEXT LOWEST GEAR, REGARDLESS OF SPEED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM WITH FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON. A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST STATED THAT EXTREME TEMPERATURES WILL CAUSE STEEL PISTON TO CRACK CAUSING THIS DEFECT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

PRIOR TO PURCHASE THE DEALER NEVER DISCLOSED TO THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE INSTALLED IN IT, WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNING THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE REQUIRED ABOUT TOW QUARTS OF OIL EVERY SEVERAL DAYS AND THE OIL LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING, THE DEALER REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE STATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS IS. NLM

HEAD GASKET WENT OUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. IT CAUSED SMOKE TO LEAK AT TAIL LIGHT, AND ANTI-FREEZE TO SPILL IN MUFFLER. PLEASE FILL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE STALLS MOSTLY AT SLOW SPEEDS, AND ENGINE IS KNOCKING. ALSO, OIL LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY.*AK

ENGINE FAILED AT NIGHT, SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO THAT THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE TRAILING AFTER THE CAR UNTIL I PULLED INTO THE GARAGE. MECHANIC REPORTED THAT IT WAS A RUPTURED MOTOR GASKET WITH ANTIFREEZE SEEPING INTO THE MOTOR. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****742671