Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. 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. 9 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
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER FOR A BROKEN ROD, IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING FROM THE CENTER SEAM. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK, BUT THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED.
LAST THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, I HAD LEFT MY HOUSE TO FILL THE GAS TANK ON MY 1999 MERCURY SABLE WAGON. THE TANK WAS JUST ABOUT FULL WHEN A CHILD WALKED BY AND SHOUTED, HEY MISTER, SOMETHINGS COMING OUT FROM UNDER YOUR CAR. SURE ENOUGH, THE SERVICE STATION ATTENDANT AND I BOTH LOOKED, AND GASOLINE WAS POURING, AND I MEAN POURING FROM THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK. I CALLED AAA AND IMMEDIATELY HAD THEM TOW THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER, CHAPMAN FORD, IN BRIDGETON, NJ. THEY HAVE REPLACED A CANNISTER HAVING TO DO WITH THE EMISSIONS, AND SOME OTHER PARTS. I AM JUST LUCKY THAT THIS KID CAME BY, OR I MIGHT HAVE BEEN DRIVING A FIREBOMB. I AM WAITING, AND HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR ONE WEEK, TO HAVE THE FORD FACTORY REP CALL ME. I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BILL, SINCE THE CAR HAS ONLY 42,000 MILES ON IT, BUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERS LOCATION AS OF TODAY.*AK
FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL FILTER LINE ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS LEAVING THE DRIVEWAY WHEN GAS WAS SMELLED. THE CONSUMER LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND VIEWED GASOLINE SQUIRTING ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE VEHICLE. THE PLASTIC "ELBOW" THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT FUEL LINE AND THE FUEL FILTER WAS CRACKED. *SC *JB
MY CAR WILL ONLY START SOMETIMES. IT DOES NOT GET FUEL TO THE FUEL BAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. IT NEVER QUITS WHILE RUNNING. SOMETIMES IF YOU GO BACK A HALF HOUR LATER IT STARTS. *CB
WHILE COMING TO A STOPA FIRE HAS STARTED UNDER THE HOOD, LOCAL FIRE DEPTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED FIRE. FIRE MAY HAVE STARTED FROM A FUEL LINE LEAKAGE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION,*AK
INTERMITTANT ERRATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST TOW GEARS, PERFORMED SBDS DIAGNOSIS AND REMPVED PLUGGED VALVE BODY TO NO AVAIL. TRANSMISSION FLUID LOOKED LIKE COFFEE GROUNDS IN IT, ALSO OIL LEAK IN THE AREA OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT NEEDED TO BE CHECKED.
CONSUMER STATES SHE ATTEMPTED TO PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE ENGINE FELT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO FALL OUT, CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL AND REPAIRS ON THREE OCCASSIONS.*JB
I HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING INTO THE FUEL TANK. IT CONTINUALLY SHUTS OFF AND/OR SPILLS GAS ON THE GROUND. I DID TAKE THE TIME TO FIGHT IT ONCE TO GET IT FILLED UP, BUT THAT TOOK APPROX. 15 MINUTES. OTHERWISE, I CAN ONLY PUMP ENOUGH GAS IN TO REGISTER 1/2 TO 3/4 FULL. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HOME AND VEHICLE STARTED T0 SMOKE. CONSUMER LEFT THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ANOTHER VEHICLE ASSISTED HER IN A CAR JUMP. THE GENTLEMAN OPENED UP HOOD AND NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE HAD HER OIL CHANGED TWICE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. ALSO, THE OIL FILTER WAS JUST HANGING THERE, NO OIL WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. *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 .