RoadVitals

2004 Mercury Sable Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) 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.
8
Latest Jan 12, 2015
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.
15%
of 52 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

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 powertrain

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

BrakesExterior lightingPowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 12, 2015

THE CAR WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK, NOR DO THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK AND SOMETIMES THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. RECALL #04S12 OR 04V106000. HOWEVER THE RECALL STOPS AT 2003. MY VEHICLE HAS THE SAME DEFECTIVE SWITCH IN IT BUT FORD IS REFUSING TO REPLACE IT. THEY CLAIM MY VEHICLE WAS MADE A FEW DAYS AFTER THE RECALL STOPPED. WELL THAT DOESN'T MAKE MY BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH ANY SAFER. I'M BEING HANDED A LINE OF CRAP BY FORD. THEY INSTALLED A DEFECTIVE SWITCH AND HAVE ADMITTED ITS DEFECTIVE AND WONT FIX MINE BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURE DATE. WHAT COURT WOULDN'T PROSECUTE FORD IF I HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECTIVE SWITCH THAT THEY KNOW IS DEFECTIVE BUT REFUSE TO FIX IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10671773
Incident
Dec 16, 2014
Mileage
99,300 mi
BrakesElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Dec 12, 2014

CAR WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK, NOR WILL BRAKE LIGHTS OPERATE WHEN PEDAL DEPRESSED. EXACT SYMPTOMS AS DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR RECALLS. ONLY WAYTO GET CAR OUT OF PARK IS TO PLACE IN NEUTRAL AFTER TURNING KEY IN IGNITION TO FIRST AVAILABLE POSITION, THEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL TO RELEASE SHIFT LOCK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10663755
Incident
Dec 6, 2014
Mileage
54,000 mi
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed May 6, 2014

WHILE DRIVING AND I GO OVER 50 MPH MY CAR WILL SPEED UP WHICH CAUSE THE THROTTLE CABLE TO COME APART AN D THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION SPEEDS UP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10586796
Incident
May 25, 2013
Mileage
11,867 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 13, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 8 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MOVE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT NO WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

NHTSA ID
10461620
Incident
May 30, 2012
Mileage
59,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 11, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

NHTSA ID
10454805
Incident
Apr 6, 2012
Mileage
155,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 8, 2012

WITHOUT WARNING I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WITH MY 2004 MERCURY SABLE. AFTER DRIVING MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 46 MILES (I LIVE 47 MILES FROM JOB) I CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND WHEN I WENT TO PROCEED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN, I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. I HAD LOST FORWARD AND REVERSE GEARS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. NO SLIPPING, NO BANGING, NO GRINDING OR ANY OTHER NOISES THAT ALMOST ALWAYS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP (AAMCO OF MINEOLA, NY) AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. I NEVER IN ALL MY 32 YEARS OF DRIVING HAD A TRANSMISSION FAIL IN THE MANNER THAT THIS TRANSMISSION DID. I ALSO TRULY FELT IT WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER OR INPUT SHAFT FAILURE BUT I AM NOT A MECHANIC (I DO HAVE A GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF HOW A CAR AND IT'S COMPONENTS WORK) AND JUST DECIDED TO GET THE TRANSMISSION FIXED. I DID NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT THIS UNTIL I RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT MY FORD FREESTAR IS INVOLVED IN A RECALL (11S25/NHTSA RECALL 12V-006) WHICH DESCRIBED THE SAME FAILURE. IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT IT IS ALSO A MODEL YEAR 2004 AND IS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME MODEL TRANSMISSION (AX4S). I AM NOW VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE TRANSMISSION'S TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED JUST AS IT IS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL FOR MY FORD FREESTAR. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE SPLINES IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER WHEN IT IS MANUFACTURED AND A POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE INPUT SHAFT (WHICH THE TORQUE CONVERTER SPINS ON). *TR

NHTSA ID
10454443
Incident
Jun 10, 2010
Mileage
61,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 3, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ID
10453912
Incident
Mar 11, 2012
Mileage
58,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 5, 2011

2004 MERCURY SABLE LS PREMIUM WITH DOHC V-6 AUTOMATIC ENGINE. BAD SLIPPAGE OCCURS WHEN REVERSE IS ENGAGED WITH THE TRANSMISSION BEING WARM. ONLY OCCURS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS WARM. MILEAGE IS CURRENTLY AT 61,000. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2007 WITH 48,000 MILES WITH FULL FACTORY WARRANTY. I NOTIFIED FORD.MERCURY. BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WONT DO A FIX ... ONLY UNDER THE FULL COST OF REBUILDING OR REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10438661
Incident
Dec 1, 2011

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 .