RoadVitals

2002 Mercury Sable Tires & wheels Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the tire or wheel system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Tires & wheels 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.
10
Latest Dec 29, 2009
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.
2%
of 440 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.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system. 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. 10 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 tire or wheel

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

SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Dec 29, 2009

RIGHT FRONT SPRING BROKE, PUNCTURING THE TIRE. THANKFULLY, WE WERE JUST PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE, NOT DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 70 MPH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10297282
Incident
Dec 28, 2009
Mileage
89,631 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 24, 2008

I BOUGHT THESE TIRES AND THEY ONLY HAVE A FEW THOUSAND MILES ON THEM. THEY WERE 60,000 MILES TIRES. WITH MY ALZHEIMER'S HUSBAND UNDER THE CARE OF HOSPICE I WENT TO RUN ERRANDS. I ALSO RECENTLY BOUGHT 2 NEW FRONT TIRES. WHEN PUTTING THEM ON THE TOLD ME THEY LOOKED DRY ROTTED AND TO TAKE THEM BACK. MERCHANTS TIRES HAS MOVED. IT COST MONEY TO DRIVE AROUND TRYING TO FIND WHERE THEY MOVED TO. HOSPICE ONLY GIVES ME 1 HR. TELL ME HOW I AM SUPPOSE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS? *TR

NHTSA ID
10232157
Incident
Jun 23, 2008
Mileage
55,000 mi
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed May 20, 2008

2002 MERCURY SABLE. 40K MILES. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING FAILED (BROKE) WHILE BACKING CAR FROM DRIVEWAY. SPRING FAILURE CAUSED RUPTURE OF FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. SPRING CAUSED THE FRONT WHEEL TO LOCK UP, DISABLING THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THE DAMAGED TIRE AND ALL 4 COIL SPRINGS WERE REPLACED AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY CORROSION ON THE BROKEN COIL SPRING. THE PAINT WAS INTACT, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PITTING OR BUBBLING, AND THE STEEL LOOKED LIKE A CLEAN BREAK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10228373
Incident
May 18, 2008
Mileage
39,863 mi
BrakesFuel systemSuspension+1 more
Filed Aug 20, 2007

CAR NOT HANDLING PROPERLY. BRAKES SQUEALING. VERY POOR GAS MILEAGE. CAR RIDING LOWER IN BACK. SOUNDED/FELT LIKE I WAS RIDING ON A FLAT, TIRE PRESSURE WAS DOWN, BUT NOT BADLY (3 LBS). TOOK TO MECHANIC FOR TUNEUP. ADVISED REAR TIRE BAD WITH FLAT SPOTS. PURCHASED TIRES TO BE INSTALLED. WHEN MECHANIC PULLED TIRE/WHEEL TO INSTALL, NOTICED REAR SPRING WAS BROKEN. PULLED TIRE/WHEEL FROM OTHER SIDE. IT TOO, WAS BROKEN. ONE BREAK WAS NEW, THE OTHER OLDER AS ENDS WERE RUSTED OVER. THERE ARE RUB MARKS AND WEAR ON THE RUBBER COVERING OVER BOTH SPRINGS AS WELL AS THE COATING COMING OFF. I HAVE THE BROKEN SPRINGS AND HAVE TAKEN PHOTOS THAT SHOW BRAKES AND DISCOLORATION. TWO (2) NEW TIRES, TWO (2) REAR SPRINGS AND ALIGNMENT COST $614.68. I FREQUENTLY HAVE MY GRANDCHILDREN WITH ME. EITHER ONE OR BOTH OF THEM COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED HAS THE PIECES COME THROUGH THE SEATS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10200149
Incident
Aug 17, 2007
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 16, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES ON HER VEHICLE HAVE NO TREAD. THESE TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE (CONTINENTAL, SIZE P215/60R16). THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAD A BULGE. THE VEHICLE IS RARELY DRIVEN. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AT THE SCHEDULED TIME, MOST RECENTLY ON JUNE 1, 2005. THE DOT# WAS NOT CONFIRMED; IT COULD BE FP-3F1213480AA. RECALL # 4512 WAS LISTED IN HER OWNER'S MANUAL, HOWEVER, IT INDICATED THAT IT WAS REPAIRED. THE FUEL SYSTEM AND TIRE PRESSURE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 18,000.

NHTSA ID
10196447
Incident
Jul 14, 2007
Mileage
18,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 24, 2007

I DROVE FROM MY HOME TO OXON HILL, MD, A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AND THE STEERING WAS BUMPY. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION, I DID A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TIRES AND NOTHING APPEARED UNUSUAL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES, I RESUMED DRIVING. ABOUT 11 MILES LATER AT EXIT 15 (214/CENTRAL AVENUE EAST) ON 95/495 NORTHBOUND, THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND LOOKED AT THE TIRE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 DETACHED. I GOT OFF AT THE 214/CENTRAL AVENUE EAST RAMP AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BY THIS TIME, THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED COMPLETELY FROM THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE HAD 20,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS A STARFIRE FLITE-LINE IV P21560R16. WE WILL GO BACK TO THE RETAILER WHO SOLD US THE FOUR TIRES AND PLAN TO GET ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10194085
Incident
Jun 23, 2007
Mileage
66,695 mi
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Mar 16, 2007

TL*- WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT 5 MPH IN THE 2002 MERCURY SABLE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT WHEN THE COIL SPRING SNAPPED , CAUSING THE SHARP END OF THE SPRING TO PUNCTURE THE INSIDE WALL OF THE FRONT TIRE. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 74,236 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID
10185287
Incident
Mar 14, 2007
Mileage
74,236 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 13, 2006

ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 26TH, I WAS DRIVING HOME AND HAD A FLAT ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. I REPLACED THE TIRE. TWO WEEKS LATER ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 I HAD ANOTHER FLAT (REAR PASSENGER) TIRE. BOTH OF THESE TIRES WERE CONTINENTAL TOURING CONTACT AS P215 S60/16. MY CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE TIRES. I HAVE 2 MORE LEFT. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM CARMAX IN RICHMOND, VA IN JULY 2005 (2002 MERCURY SABLE LS). CURRENTLY THERE ARE 39,981 MILES ON THE CAR. *JB

NHTSA ID
10150100
Incident
Jan 26, 2006
Mileage
39,989 mi
ElectricalTires & wheelsTransmission
Filed Oct 17, 2003

I HAVE A 2002 MERCURY SABLE W/ 40,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAD TO BE TAKEN BACK NUMEROUS TIMES THE HUB CAPS FELL OFF AFTER THE 6TH TIME THEY REPLACED WITH ALLOY WHEELS. THE RIGHT & LEFT SWAY BAR END LINKS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE ALTENATOR WENT OUT AND WAS REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO COMPLETELY BE OVERHAULED. THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE REPLAED, THE SPARK PLUG WIRE REPLACED, REPLACED PROCESSOR AND KEY. #4 PLUG WIRE SHORTING OUT CAUSED COIL TO GO BAD AND FOULED #3 AC COIL ASY-IGN REPLACED AFTER FIXING $3 & #4 SHOWED UP ON POWER BALANCE RETEST,BUT SAID ROAD TEST WAS OK AT THIS TIME SUGGESTED FEL MANAGEMENT. IT SCARES ME THAT SO MUCH CAN GO WRONG ON A 2002 AUTO. I DID HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ALTENATOR AND TRANSMISSION, BUT I WOULD HAVE HATED TO PAY THE $3028.00 CHARGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I WASN'T REAL HAPPY TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GOT STUCK PAYING EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE CAR IN UNDER ORIGNAL WARRANTY FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *LA

NHTSA ID
10043084
Incident
Oct 16, 2003
Mileage
33,394 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 22, 2002

PLEASE ADD DETAILS. MR

NHTSA ID
8021377

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

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .