Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
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 1999 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES HESITATED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 MERCURY SABLE WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE GAS PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A HOUSE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE BUT IT DID NOT HELP IN PREVENTING THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THE PEDALS. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. UPDATED 10/31/2006 - THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND GLASS IN HER EYES. THE CONSUMER'S ANKLE WAS CRACKED AND HAD TORN LIGAMENTS. *NM
WHILE DRIVING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE DRIVER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HOME. *JB
MY SON, JOHN, HAS HAD THE ACCELERATOR CABLE ON HIS 1999 MERCURY SABLE, FAIL THREE TIMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE WAS YESTERDAY IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE GULF FREEWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. THE FAILLURE RESULTS IN DISCONNECTION OF THE ACCELERATOR CABLE FROM THE PEDAL, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF MANUAL THROTTLE CONTROL. HE WAS FORTUNATE TO REACH THE FREEWAY SHOULDER BEFORE HE STOPPED. WE CALLED THE DEALER WHO HAD REPLACED THE CABLE TWICE BEFORE FOR THE SAME FAILURE AND HE SAID HIS ONLY FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE SAME CABLE AGAIN. SINCE WE ALREADY KNEW THAT TO BE UNSAFE, WE "JURY RIGGED" A FIX OURSELFVES THAT WE THINK IS OK. I AM A RETIRED NASA ENGINEER AND MY ASSESSMENT OF THE DESIGN, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE THREE FAILURES, IS THAT IT IS INADEQUATE AND UNSAFE. I CANNOT TELL WHETHER THE FAILURE MODE IS GENERIC OR FOR SOME REASON, PECULIAR TO OUR CAR. THE DEALER COULD ONLY OFFER THAT WE SHOULD CALL FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS. I TALKED TO THEM AND THEY COULD ONLY REFER ME BACK TO THE DEALER. AFTER SOME ARGUMENT THEY FINALLY AGREED TO TAKE DOWN THE INFORMATION AND FORWARD IT TO SOME APPROPRIATE PARTY. THEY OFFERED BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THERE WOULD BE FOLLOW-UP OR WAY FOR ME TO FOLLOW-UP THEIR ACTION. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO INSURE SOME KIND OF FOLLOW-UP ON THESE FAILURES. *AK
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN THE CONSUMER STOP LIGHT. . VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND WHERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
SPEEDOMETOR KEEPS GOING DOWN TO 0, SOMETIMES ENGINE RACES, AND VEHICLE WILL SLOW DOWN, LIKE IT'S IN NEUTRAL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE PARKING ON TWO OCCASIONS SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING STARTED TO RACE AND ONLY QUICKLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL IN A HARD FASHON PREVENTS A POSSIBLY SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK
WHEN COMING TO A STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER HAS TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE FOR VEHICLE TO STOP RACING. *JG *AK
AUTO HAS CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING FROM TIME OF PURCHASE. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE TO THROTTLE. DRIVERS FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS AT THE SAME TIME, ACCELERATOR OVER POWERS BRAKE PEDAL, CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. *AK CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG.*SLC
VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER PARKED CAR HEAD-ON. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
DRIVER TOOK FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR TO DECELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
UPON STARTING VEHICLE, IT WILL SURGE ABOUT 6 INCH MOVEMENT WHILE STILL IN PARK, CAUSING SAFETY HAZARD. *AK
WAS SLOWING DOWN TO EXIT ONTO RAMP, WHEN SUDDENLY VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. FOOT WAS ON BRAKES. VEHICLE SPUN AROUND TWICE & THEN HIT GUARDRAIL. *AK
CAR SURGED FORWARD DESPITE THE USE OF BRAKES, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL INCREASE IN SPEED. THIS WAS IMMEDIATLEY FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF ENGINE STALLS. DEALER UNABLE TO LOCATE A DEFECT. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .