RoadVitals

1989 Mercury Sable Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Jan 25, 2001
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 238 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Jan 25, 2001

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
879049
Incident
Jan 25, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 16, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported

CLIENT STARTED CAR AND IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE BEYOND CONTROL, CAR THEN HIT TREE COULD NOT BRAKE.*AK

NHTSA ID
724113
Incident
May 26, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 30, 1999

THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO PASS A SEMI-TRAILER. AFTER CONSUMER PASSED OTHER VEHICLE, ACCELERATER PEDAL STUCK AND VEHICLE SPED UP TO 70-75MPH. THE BRAKES HAD TO BE APPLIED WITH BOTH FEET IN ORDER TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
836421
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Oct 30, 1998
Crash reported

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE SURGE AND COMPUTER SYSTEM. IN ONE INSTANCE, THE ENGINE SURGED AND RAN INTO A CONCRETE WALL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE TOTALED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN ENGINE SURGE, WHICH WAS THE RESULT OF A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. *AK

NHTSA ID
829829
Incident
Apr 22, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed May 20, 1998

WHENEVER VEHICLE IS STARTED OR AT A STOP, IT WOULD IDLE REAL HIGH. WHEN PLACED IN GEAR, VEHICLE WOULD SHARPLY JERK. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER THAT THE THROTTLE SENSOR WAS CAUSING THE FAST IDLING. IT WAS REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
823500
Incident
Apr 5, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 21, 1996
Crash reported1 injury reported

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY.

NHTSA ID
510324
Incident
Aug 18, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 30, 1996

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING EXTENSIVE TO TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ID
509298
Incident
Sep 24, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 23, 1996
Crash reported

DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, IT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN SURGE, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
801830
Incident
Aug 18, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 13, 1996

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. *AK

NHTSA ID
972826
Incident
Sep 29, 1995
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 2, 1996

SOMTIMES WHEN DRIVING CAR CUT OFF, WHEN STARTING IT UP AGAIN CAR ACCELERATED. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

NHTSA ID
982242
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 28, 1995
Crash reported

APPLY BRAKES, TAKE FOOT OFF BRAKE, WITHOUT TOUCHING GAS PEDAL, ENGINE ACCELERATED; VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD UP A STEEP HILL; APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN/CUT OFF ENGINE.

NHTSA ID
977088
Incident
May 22, 1992
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 18, 1995

WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD, FUEL THROTTLE LINKAGE STICKS. TT

NHTSA ID
973544
Incident
Oct 18, 1995
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 30, 1995

SOMETIME WHEN DRIVING CAR ACCELERATES. TT

NHTSA ID
971322

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Electrical54Engine50Seat belts44Body & structure23Steering22Transmission19Interior & seats13Brakes13Fuel system9

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .