Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH IN REVERSE OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, HE HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, HE OBSERVED THAT THE COIL SPRINGS HAD FRACTURED AND PIERCED ONE OF THE TIRES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
LEAKING CONNECTION BETWEEN WINDSHIELD WATER AND BLOWING MOTOR OF HEATING/VENTILATION CAUSING WINDOWS TO FOG UP AFTER STARTING AND BEGINNING DRIVING. WHEN OPENING THE BLOWER MOTOR COMPARTMENT YOU CAN ACTUALLY WATER SEE DRIPPING OUT. ALSO A SOAKING WET FLOOR WILL OCCUR RIGHT AFTER A SEVERE RAINSTORM. THIS IS A MAYOR SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO BAD VISIBILITY! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT END COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE TIRE WAS FLAT AND THAT SOMETHING HANGING FROM THE ENGINE SLICED THE TIRE. HE WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE HOOD BECAUSE THE HOOD CABLE WAS DAMAGED DURING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF TOWING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 55,500.
1. DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER 2. A/C AND FANS INOPERABLE, SLIGHT SMELL OF SMOKE 3. REPLACE FAN MOTOR, RESISTOR,COWEL PANEL AND RAIN HAT SEAL. THIS FAILURE WAS ADDRESSED IN THE NHTSA ITEM# 10011149. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WATER WAS COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND LEAKING INTO THE BRAKE AREA. IT WAS COMING DOWN BEHIND THE DASHBOARD. WHEN IT RAINED THERE WOULD BE WATER IN THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FLOORBOARD. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME THEY CLEARED OUT SOME LEAVES. THE SECOND TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRACK ON THE SUN ROOF. THIRD TIME, THE DEALER CLAIMED THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER WAS OFFERING NO FREE REMEDY. THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT BRAKES. THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB
HAD BURNT OUT BLOWER MOTOR REPLACED ON MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE AUG 30, 2005. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THEY JUST GO SOMETIMES. ON OCTOBER 26, 2005 I BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALER DUE TO WATER LEAKING ONTO FLOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BELOW THE BLOWER MOTOR. I WAS THEN TOLD THEY HAD A "SERVICE BULLETIN" ON THAT AND IT WAS CAUSED BY A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE CABIN AIR FILTER AND WATER CHANNELS INTO THE BLOWER MOTOR WHICH CAUSES THEM TO BURN OUT. THEY THEN SAID THEY HAVE TO INSTALL A RAIN HAT AND RESEAL THE AREA FOR A COST OF ABOUT 300.00. WHILE REPLACING THE RAIN HAT , THE TECH. PULLED OUT THE NEW BLOWER MOTOR (WHICH WAS FULL OF WATER) TO BLOW THE WATER OUT OF IT AND THEN REPLACED IT. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE FIRST BLOWER MOTOR TO GO WHICH COST 270.00 TO REPLACE. I'M SURE THE DEALER KNEW WHAT CAUSED THE BLOWER MOTOR TO BURN OUT BECAUSE THEY HAD THAT "SERVICE BULLETIN" AND SHOULD OF TOLD ME ABOUT THE DESIGN DEFECT THEN AND FIXED THE PROBLEM THEN. I ENDED UP PAYING DOUBLE FOR LABOR. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A RECALL AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. IT'S A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY. HOW MANY OTHER SABLE/TAURUS OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM? *NM
WATER LEAK ONTO THE PASS SIDE FLOOR. WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PERSON THAT THIS WAS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLES. THAT IT APPEARS TO BE THE WAY THE VEHICLES WERE PUT TOGETHER IN THE FACTORY. *NM
WATER LEAKED INTO THE A/C FAN MOTOR, CAUSING FAILURE TO THE A/C UNIT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
1. VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER'S 3 YR BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY BUT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR A RUPTURE IN THE BODY (FATIGUE?) WHICH HAS ALLOWED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK TO COME LOOSE. THE RUPTURE IS PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING. BROUGHT TO ATTENTION OF DEALER, MALL OF GEORGIA FORD IN BUFORD GA, TEL. 770-932-4060, ON 10-27-2003. DEALER PROMISED TO ORDER PART AND CALL MY WIFE AT HOME ON ITS ARRIVAL. I WENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR 4 MONTHS. MY WIFE NEVER REC'D ANY CALL. ON MY RETURN, I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD "SORRY! PROCEDURE HAS NOW BEEN CHANGED. BRING IN VEHICLE, WE'LL PHOTOGRAPH IT, SEND IT TO FORD FOR A DECISION. AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS PROCEDURE I WAS TOLD "FORD DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT" AND WILL NOT PAY. TALKED TO FORD MERCURY PEOPLE BUT THEY SAY THE DEALER DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER SAYS FORD MERCURY MADE THAT DECISION. I AM STUCK IN THE MIDDLE TRYING TO ARGUE WITH BOTH, WITH EACH SIDE PUTTING BLAME ON THE OTHER. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE BODY WHERE THE BODY RUPTURE EXISTS AROUND THE LOCK ASSEMBLY HOLE IN THE DOOR BODY: THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT, NOBODY TRYING TO JIMMY OPEN THE LOCK TO STEAL THE CART ( AN ALARM IS INSTALLED IN THE CAR) AND I CAN FIND NO OTHER REASON FOR THE BODY TO START SPLITTING AT THE HOLE WHERE THE LOCK ASSEMBLY FITS. I NEED YOUR HELP TO HAVE FORD MERCURY LIVE UP TO THEIR WARRANTY AND, IF APPROPRIATE, HAVE A NEUTRAL PARTY EVALUATE THE PROBLEM. 2. ON 5-31-2003 WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON I-75 ABOUT 30 MILE SE OF ATLANTA, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SKID WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED EVEN THOUGH IT HAS AN ABS SYSTEM INSTALLED AND A SCRUNCHING SOUND WAS HEARD AS THOUGH METAL WAS RUBBING AGAINST METAL. THE SAME EXACT SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN ONCE MORE ON HWY 29 NEAR MY HOME IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURS OCCASIONALLY, NOT EVERYTIME THAT THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND HAS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLICATE WHENEVER A MECHANIC HAS TRIED TO DIAGNOSE IT. *NM
WHEN OPENING DRIVER SIDE DOOR HINGE AND BOLTS THAT HOLD THE DOOR IN PLACE CAME COMPLETELY OFF. *AK
THE UPPER DOOR HINGE PIN FELL OUT, DUE TO THE PIN LOCK WASHER BREAKING, CAUSING THE DOOR TO FALL. THE HINGE IS INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE STOP GUARD ON THE BOTTOM DUE TO THE FENDER BEING IN THE WAY TO INSTALL IT RIGHT SIDE UP. AS SUCH THE FLIMSY LOCK WASHER WHICH HOLDS THE PIN BROKE OFF ALLOWING THE PIN TO WORK ITS WAY DOWN. UPON INSPECTION OF THE OTHER DOOR PINS, 2 OF THE REMAINING 3 WERE BROKEN BUT HAD NOT YET FALLEN OFF. THE DOORS ARE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL TO ANYONE OPENING THEM AND HAVING THEM DROP ON A CHILD OR SENIOR AS WELL AS THE POSSIBLE STRAIN IF HELD ONTO UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. DT
I RENTED A FORD SABLE FROM BUDGET RENT A CAR FROM 9-21-2002 THRU 10-01-2002. ON FOUR OCCASIONS DURING THAT TIME, I CUT MY LOWER LEFT LEG RATHER SEVERELY (ENOUGH TO PRODUCE RUNNING BLOOD) ON THE CAR DOOR. UPON CLOSELY EXAMINING THE DOOR, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LOWER PORTION OF IT PROTRUDES SEVERAL INCHES INWARD IN A SHARPLY CURVED FASHION WITH A VERY POINTED TIP. THE DOOR WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY WAY, AND IT OPENED AND CLOSED AS INTENDED. IT IS UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT IN 22 YEARS OF DRIVING, THAT I WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTER OR EXIT AN AUTOMOBILE. I'VE RENTED MERCURY SABLES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OVER PREVIOUS YEARS, AND HAVE NEVER HAD THAT PROBLEM BEFORE IN MY LIFE. I REPORT THAT THE CAR IS A 2002 MODEL, BUT IT MAY BE A 2003 MODEL. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT THE MATTER WARRANTS SOME INVESTIGATION IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE INJURIES. *PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**768041
I RENTED A FORD SABLE FROM BUDGET RENT A CAR FROM 9-21-2002 THRU 10-01-2002. ON FOUR OCCASIONS DURING THAT TIME, I CUT MY LOWER LEFT LEG RATHER SEVERELY (ENOUGH TO PRODCUE RUNNING BLOOD) ON THE CAR DOOR. UPON CLOSELY EXAMINING THE DOOR, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LOWER PORTION OF IT PROTRUDES SEVERAL INCHES INWARD IN A SHARPLY CURVED FASHION WITH A VERY POINTED TIP. THE DOOR WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY WAY, AND IT OPENED AND CLOSED AS INTENDED. IT IS UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT IN 22 YEARS OF DRIVING, THAT I WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTER OR EXIT AN AUTOMOBILE. I'VE RENTED MERCURY SABLES ON SEVERAL OCCAISONS OVER PREVIOUS YEARS, AND HAVE NEVER HAD THAT PROBLEM BEFORE IN MY LIFE. I REPORT THAT THE CAR IS A 2002 MODEL, BUT IT MAY BE A 2003 MODEL. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT THE MATTER WARRANTS SOME INVESTIGATION IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE INJURIES. MR
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 .