Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 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
1. THE HOOD CLOSES APPARENTLY FINE, IT DOES NOT OPEN IF I TRY TO, HOWEVER KEEPS OPENING EVERY 20 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING. I COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. 2. VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS KEEPS OCURRING, NO SIGNS OR DROPS OR VIISUAL LEAK PUDDLE.
THE VEHICLES STOCK JACKING LOCATIONS ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED AS SAFE. THEY HAVE DETERIORATED DUE TO CORROSION AND RUSTING AWAY. SHOULD SOMEONE DECIDE TO TRUST ANY ONE OF THE AFFECTED JACKING LOCATIONS, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME MAY CRUMPLE AND BREAK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DROP ONTO ANYONE PERFORMING WORK UNDERNEATH, WHICH MAY RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY, OR EVEN DEATH.
PASSENGER FLOOR RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY IN TWO SPOTS ON THE FRONT RIGHT OF FLOOR. TWO MAJOR HOLES. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLOOR IS SHOWING SIGNS THAT IT TOO IS DETERIORATING. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FLOOR HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND CAN ALLOW SOMEONE TO FALL THROUGH SHOULD EXCESS WEIGHT BE PLACED IN ANY OF THESE WEAK PLACES AND OR HOLES.
CAR WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED. WHEN ENGAGED INTO REVERSE, CAR MADE LOUD NOISE, TIRES SQUEALED, ENGINE RACED AND CRASHED INTO PARKED CAR BEHIND IT AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. PARKED VEHICLE THAT WAS STRUCK THEN STRUCK CAR NEXT TO IT SINCE IMPACT WAS SO GREAT. CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE, COULD NOT BE STOPPED VIA BRAKES.
FLOORBOARDS RUSTED THROUGH, I WAS GETTING SPLASHED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN UNAVOIDABLE PUDDLE IN THE ROAD. LOOKS TO BE FOUR SEPARATE SPOTS, ALL FOUR SEATING AREAS AFFECTED. *TR
THE FLOOR BOARDS ON MY VEHICLE ARE RUSTED THROUGH. *TR
MERCURY SABLE WAGON 2003 LEAKS INTO PASSENGER CABIN WHEN IT RAINS. THIS IS A PROBLEM NUMEROUS OTHER SABLE AND TAURUS OWNERS HAVE HAD. CABIN FLOODS WHEN IT RAINS. *TR
I OWN A 2003 MERCURY SABLE, IN 2007, I NOTICED THE PAINT ON THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL-WELL WAS STARTING TO BUBBLE RUST, MY HUSBAND AND I MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALERSHIP, AT THE TIME, THEY WERE UNDERGOING A BUYOUT AND WE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING ANY ANSWERS FROM ANYONE, ONCE THE BUYOUT HAPPENED, WE WERE THEN TOLD ALL THE COMPUTER FILES WERE BEING UPDATED, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY RECORD OF THE ISSUES WE REPORTED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNERS, SO WE STARTED OVER...IN JULY OF 2008, FINALLY GOT THE MANUFACTURER TO SHARE IN THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIRS AS THIS HAD NOW PASSED THE WARRANTY TIMEFRAME, HOWEVER, WHEN THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS REPORTED, WE WERE QUOTED A REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $250.00, BY THE TIME WE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM FORD TO GO AHEAD WITH THE REPAIRS AND THEY STATED THE REPAIR ESTIMATE HAD INCREASED TO $ 550.00 BECAUSE THE RUST AREA HAD WORSEN. IT IS NOW 8 MONTHS LATER, AND THE BUBBLING AND RUST IS STARTING TO APPEAR AGAIN. I HAVE READ SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT FORD HAVING ISSUES WITH THE PAINT USED ON THEIR VEHICLES DURING THE 200 - 2005 PERIOD.. APPARENTLY - NOT TOO MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED TO WARRANT A RECALL, THIS IS THE BASIS FOR MY COMPLIANT NOW. MY CAR IS TAKEN CARE OF, GARAGED, ETC.... I HAVE NEVER HAD A RUSTING PROBLEM WITH AN VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED, AND THIS DOES NOT SEEM FAIR THAT THIS CAR SHOULD BE RUSTING, AND FOR A SECOND TIME WITHIN 8 MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIRS. *TR
WHENEVER THE CAR IS RAINED UPON, WATER RUNS INTO THE FAN MOTOR AIR INTAKE, THEN INTO THE FAN BLOWER MOTOR, WHICH IS INSIDE THE CAR BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX, AND THEN RUNS OUT ONTO THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ONE BLOWER MOTOR THAT SHORTED OUT FROM THE WATER IN IT, AND HAVE TO PULL THE CARPET UP SO IT CAN DRY OUT. ALSO, AFRAID OF THE POSSIBILITY OF MOLD GROWING EITHER IN THE AIR VENTS OR IN THE CARPET. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME HE HAS SEEN OTHER CARS LIKE MINE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP SELLS A PART TO INSTALL UNDER THE HOOD OVER THE AIR BLOWER INTAKE TO CHANNEL WATER AWAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR
WATER LEAKED INTO CAR INTERIOR FOOT AREA AND SHORTED OUT AC/HEATER BLOWER MOTOR. *TR
FORD TAURUS AND THE MERCURY SABLE'S HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WATER LEAKING INTO THE HEATER CORE BOX WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSES THE HEATER MOTOR AND STOP WORKING. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING POST ON THE INTERNET THAT IS APPARENTLY A DESIGN FLAW. MY CAR HAD 44,000 MILES AT THE POINT WHERE THE MOTOR QUIT WORKING. THE BILL TO REPAIR THE CAR WAS $471.28. THE WARRANTY HAD OBVIOUSLY EXPIRED BUT I FELT LIKE FORD MOTOR CO SHOULD RE-IMBURSE THE COST OF THE REPAIR SINCE IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THEY DECLINED TO HELP WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIR. *TR
MERCURY SABLE 2003 LEAKS WATER ONTO THE PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD ALSO CAUSING MY AC BLOWER MOTOR TO SHORT OUT. *TR
DO ANY NEW CARS OFFER AN AUTOMATIC RELEASE OF THE REAR DOOR CHILD LOCK DEVICE. THIS MEANS THAT THE CHILD LOCK WILL AUTOMATICALLY UN-SET UPON IMPACT OF AN ACCIDENT SO PEOPLE IN THE BACK SEAT CAN QUICKLY GET OUT. I HAD AN INCIDENT IN A MERCURY SABLE WHERE THE BACK SEAT PASSENGER WAS NEARLY BURNED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE BACK SEAT (GET THE REAR DOOR OPEN). THIS KIND OF PROBLEM IS DESCRIBED ON A WEBSITE WWW.CARSAFETYUSA.COM IN DETAIL. DOES ANY CAR HAVE THIS FEATURE FOR AUTOMATIC CHILD LOCK RELEASE AFTER AN ACCIDENT ? I WOULD LIKE FOR MY NEXT PURCHASE TO HAVE THIS FEATURE. *JB
WATER AND RAIN LEAK INTO BLOWER HOUSING AND THEN ONTO PASSENGER FLOOR. IN HEAVY RAIN THE BLOWER CAN BE HEARD AGITATING THE WATER. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS THAT THIS WILL EVENTUALLY DISABLE THE BLOWER MOTOR AND THEREFORE THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE NO DEFROSTER, CREATING A POTENTIAL HAZARD. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WATER LEAKED INTO THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM, ONTO THE FLOOR, AS THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AT 45 MPH, WHILE IT WAS RAINING. THE SERVICE DEALER HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.*AK
WATER LEAK IN THE FRONT PASSENGER COWL AND HAS CAUSED MY BLOWER MOTOR TO SHORT AND AM NO LONGER ABLE TO USE IT. *JB
NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO INCIDENT. WHENEVER IT RAINS, WATER LEAKS ONTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD. WATER ALSO LEAKS ONTO BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTOR CAUSING FAILURE. CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER DESIGN FLAW IN A PLASTIC COWLING IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *NM
WATER COLLECTED IN THE HEATER BLOWER MOTOR CAUSING IT NEED REPALCEMENT. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. *NM
THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V105000 REGARDING AIR FILTER PAPER. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE RECALL PART WAS REPLACED, BUT THE CONSUMER INSISTED THAT IT WASN'T REPLACED. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE ORIGINAL AIR FILTER WAS STILL IN THE VEHICLE. *AK THE SERVICE DEALER FIXED THE AIR LEAK IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND REPLACED THE AIR FILTER. *SC *JB
CONSUMER HAS PROBLEMS SEEING THROUGH WINDSHIELD WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING. THE REFLECTION IS SO BAD THAT IT DISTORTS VISION. WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, INSTEAD OF SEEING WHAT IS ON THE OUTSIDE, THE CONSUMER SEES THE REFLECTION OF THE DASHBOARD. THE REFLECTION IS VERY STRONG. *AK *TS *NLM
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
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