mercury sable Problems

mercury sable 2008 Complaints

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1. trans fails to downshift,intermittently, when accelerating from appr. 50 mph on and incline, revs to 5500 rpm but car slows down. almost got hit by truck on freeway yesterday. 2. the car ground to a halt while making a left hand turn and accelerating at about 15-20 mph. occurred one time, almost rear ended. 3. on slight incline, in drive, car will roll back as if in neutral, almost hit car behind me several times and difficult to park vehicle. there are other trans related issues, but these three are safety concerns. car has been at dealer several times, for days, they test drove it, had an engineer from ford drive it, state unable to duplicate any of my concerns. in other words, nothing was done to correct the problems. these problems continue to be easy for me to re produce, along with other problems, shifting late and hard, etc.. i have called the regional service person abe bush, twice in the last 3 1/2 weeks, and received no reply from him.

Reported in: THOUSAND OAKS CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W28G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL

tl*the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the day after the vehicle was purchased, the contact could not see the instrument panel gauges. he stated that in the mornings he cannot see how fast he is driving, but in the evenings, when the instrument panel lights illuminate, he can see the speedometer. the dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the instrument panel and could not provide a remedy. the failure mileage was 15. updated 5/19/08 *cn updated 05/19/08. *jb updated 07/30/08. *jb

Reported in: ST. LOUIS MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W38G

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

the vehicle spontaneously caught on fire with no warning and burned.

Reported in: SAN ANGELO TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W28G

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

ltr from consumer re problem with the hood latch on his 2008 mercury sable. *nj the consumer believed the hood latch released because the parking brake was located below the hood latch release handle. when pushing on the parking brake pedal, to set or release the parking brake, his shoe would come in contact with the hood lease handle. *jb

Reported in: ALBUQUERQUE NM || Crash: N || VIN #:

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL

human machine interface is defective in sunlight. the instrument panel is composed of gray background with silver numerals on tachometer and speedometer and green led readout of odometer, direction, and miles to empty. sunlight washes out the instrument panel making it unreadable. driver must shade instrument cluster and lean close to determine data thus taking attention from roadway, an extremely dangerous practice on high-speed, multiple-lane highways. under certain conditions, even this effort is fruitless. manufacturer acknowledges problem but states it is not their policy to reengineering such defects.

Reported in: BEDFORD TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W88G

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed,the consumers wife crashed into a parked vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. she sustained injuries to her chest and face. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop for further inspection, no conclusion has been made regarding the air bag failure. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 10/13/09. *lj updated 10/15/09.*jb

Reported in: DETRIOT MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 1ME8M42W28G

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

on a 2008 mercury sable, on two separate occasions when the accelerator pedal has been fully or near fully depressed, it has become caught under the driver's floor mat, causing the engine to continue to race even when all pressure has been removed from the accelerator pedal.

Reported in: PORTSMOUTH NH || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

automatic transmission - when the vehicle is in drive and stopped on a hill the car will roll back when you remove your foot from the break even when in drive. this is an ongoing issue. you need to use both feet when on a hill, one on the brake and the other on the gas to avoid rolling back into another car. when the local dealer was in business they indicated this was normal. at this time i have no local mercury dealer to review this situation.

Reported in: BURLINGTON NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W18G

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. while driving at speeds of 10 mph, the vehicle exhibited a grinding noise and the front brakes became inoperable. the dealer inspected the vehicle but could not duplicate the failure. there were no additional failures. the approximate failure mileage was 21000 and the current mileage was 21,050. updated 05/06/10. *lj updated 06/18/10.*jb

Reported in: GENEVA NE || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W08G

SEATS

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. while driving at speeds of 55 mph, the rear passengers seat suddenly caught fire without warning. the contact was able to extinguish the fire and the fire department was not called. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer; however, there were no repairs made to the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 23,000. updated 05/11/10. *lj

Reported in: CHEROKEE IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W88G

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

tl*the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. while driving at approximate speeds of 3 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated without warning. the contact depressed the brake pedal but the brakes would not engage. the vehicle proceeded to crash into two other vehicles. the police arrived to the scene and a police report was filed accordingly. there were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants. the contact confirmed the failure had occurred at least three times prior to the crash. the current and failure mileages were 8,000. updated 05/19/10. *lj

Reported in: LAKE FOREST FL || Crash: Y || VIN #: 1MEHM42WX8G

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2008 mercury sable awd had an electrical issue[melt down] that required replacement of the main electrical harness. then in september of 2008 a sudden acceleration problem caused it to jump a concrete parking lot barrier and travel down into a drainage basin--40 feet. $9000+ damage. repeated attempts to ford has fallen in deaf ears. updated 05/12/10 *bf updated ivoq 05/17/10.*jb

Reported in: SUMMIT HILL PA || Crash: Y || VIN #: 1MEHM43W08G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Reported in: SUMMIT HILL PA || Crash: Y || VIN #: 1MEHM43W08G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

tl*the contact leased a 2008 mercury sable. while driving 20 mph up a hill, the contact smelled a strong odor inside the vehicle. she stopped the vehicle to inspect it and found no evidence related to the odor. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer four times but the failure could not duplicated. the odor seemed be inside of the vents which made it impossible to use the air conditioner. the vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was 231. the current mileage was approximately 18,000.

Reported in: WYANTSKILL NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM41W68G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

my 2008 mercury sable, when at highway speed, speedometer has moved higher and lower on its own. when in cruise control car suddenly accelerated when speedometer dropped to erroneous low speed. this could have caused a crash into car ahead of me if i were not alert. it could have caused a speeding ticket.

Reported in: WEST BABYLON NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W78G

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine maintenance when the technician advised that the rear brakes needed to be replaced. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a second opinion where the failure was confirmed. in addition, the contact was advised to replace the rotors. the rear driver and passenger side brake pads and rotors were replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 30,400. updated 07/21/11 *bf updated 07/29/11

Reported in: WESTLAND MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W78G

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal became stuck when it was depressed to the floor. in order to release the pedal, the contact had to shift the vehicle into neutral. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 108,000.

Reported in: NEWTON IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W28G

STEERING

tl* the contact owns 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated while driving, the steering failed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told the rack and pinion failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact was concerned because the failure occurred without warning. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 61,000.

Reported in: WAYNE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM43W68G

PARKING BRAKE

i own a 2008 mercury sable. the first month i had it i drove 2300 miles round trip to yellowstone. almost every time i stopped i found the hood unlatched (partially open). i discovered that the unfortunate location and orientation of the hood release (directly above the emergency brake pedal and pivoting upward rather than pulling up or out) must have snagged my tennis shoe each time. it hadn't happened since i trained myself to move my foot sideways as i release the parking brake. the hood pull needs to be relocated or reoriented.

Reported in: HOUSTON TX || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

2008 mercury sable. consumer states problem with power steering *tgw the consumer stated the power steering failed as he was making a right turn.

Reported in: LOUDON TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W98G

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

on the above date - september 28, 2011, i became aware that the gas in the gas tank was moving around (sloshing) whenever the vehicle stopped or started moving from a dead stop. i contacted ford customer relationship in florida and they were not helpful at all. i talked to them 3 different times - - -they couldn't tell me if there are baffles in the tank to prevent the sloshing - they didn't even know what a baffle was - -would not direct me to someone with more technical knowledge. last contact was thursday, oct. 13,2011, yesterday - - was on the phone 32 minutes with an individual who couldn't find the answer and wouldn't try to find someone who could give me an answer. a gas tank should not have a problem such as this in 39 months of ownership. gas tanks don't "wear out" in this period of time. and i can't get any answers. there has been no accident or damage to this vehicle. does my vehicle have baffles in the gas tank?? is there a safety issue here with the sloshing of the gas? if there are baffles why would they suddenly stop functioning? would this problem be covered in the vehicle warranty?

Reported in: FALMOUTH MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W88G

POWER TRAIN

car would jerk going interstate speed of 70mph. felt like it was going into neutral and back in to gear. did this about four times and i mean it is hard, will scare you to death if your in the car. after it did this about four time over an hour, the traction control and service light came on and stayed on the rest of the trip. this is a used car i just bought, so im not sure if it will continue to do this. but i am afraid to drive it on the interstate now.

Reported in: SHREVEPORT LA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W68G

STEERING

the wheel stiffens up while making a turn. also when sitting still/stopped the wheel completely freezes up. the ball joints, bearings, and racket pinion was checked out by a mechanic and the conclusion he came to was he thinks it could be the power steering pump has faulted. this started in the beginning of november and currently is getting worse. due to the car only having 16,000 miles and he heard of this happening to other mercury's we were wondering if there is any sort of recall, and if there isn't if this problem could be noted for future reference.

Reported in: SAINT CLAIR SHORES MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42WX8G

SUSPENSION

Reported in: SAINT CLAIR SHORES MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42WX8G

STEERING

recently i wrote you about my 2008 sable it has only 16,000 mile on it and i was having problems with the steering stiffens up while driving. i did some investigating and had it diagnosed by a reputable person. it was the power steering pump and racket pinion bar. i did not go to the dealer because it was out of warranty. you in turned sent my complaint to ford and they wrote back saying they were sorry and i should of taken to a dealership so they can document it. i just felt since it was out of warranty i would go to someone reputable because it wouldn't so costly to have repaired. i just wanted to pass some info to the nhtsa on for safety reasons. maybe the problem documented [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Reported in: SAINT CLAIR SHORES MI || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph and making a turn the steering became had become very difficult to maneuver. after shutting off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering seemed to have reset but the failure recurred after attempting to park the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they advised him that front tie rods failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 18,600.

Reported in: CHARMCO WV || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W48G

STEERING

beginning about the first of march, 2012, i noticed a problem with my steering feeling stiff, jerky and hard to turn. the first incident involved turning right onto the highway from a side ride and feeling the front of the car jerk slightly to the left. since then, i've noticed the steering remains stiff.

Reported in: LEE ME || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

car developed a knock in steering. most notable when stopped and turning steering wheel a few degrees left and right. took it to dealer who said steering core failed. refused warranty coverage. said it was caused by accident about 1500 miles previously. the accident was a low speed fender bender without air bag deployment. front bumper cracked, but head lights were not broke, grill was not broke. insurance company that fixed accident damage denied a claim against them for steering core failure. stating it was a failure that warranty should cover (extended ford warranty.) i need to find out if an accident such as mine could cause a rack core failure. dealer charged $900.00 to replace the rack core. would not give me the core saying it was under pressure and had to be returned as an exchange. (this car was purchased new in 2009 1 year old leftover).

Reported in: EDEN NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40WX8G

STEERING

while driving last week my wife noticed that when turning into a parking spot the steering stiffened up and had to make a sudden stop as to not hit the vehicle to her left . i checked the car out and noticed it is mostly affected at low speed while making turns either left or right this had no warning and could be very dangerous.it is just luck that a walker or jogger were not on the streets at the time .this needs immediate attention i will attempt at repair myself as it is out of warranty possible rack and pinion also transmission slippage at times.

Reported in: HANOVER MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM43W18G

POWER TRAIN

Reported in: HANOVER MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM43W18G

POWER TRAIN

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that when starting his vehicle in colder weather, it would jump or lunge from first to second gear without any warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him they would look into the matter further. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the current mileage was approximately 59,000. the vin was unavailable.

Reported in: WHITE STONE NY || Crash: N || VIN #:

POWER TRAIN

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that while trying to accelerate on an incline while at a stop sign, the vehicle continued to roll backward. the contact stated that the torque converter engaged and the vehicle stalled, causing the power steering to also fail. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 79,000. the current mileage was approximately 81,000. updated 6/4/13 *cn updated 06/11/2013 *js

Reported in: ALEXANDRIA VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W98G

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2008 ford mercury sable. consumer writes in regards to power steering failure. *smd the consumer stated the power steering rack and pump failed. also, the rear brakes were severely worn and needed to be replaced.

Reported in: NOVATO CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

STEERING

Reported in: NOVATO CA || Crash: N || VIN #:

ENGINE

accelerator stopped responding and vehicle stalled shortly after.

Reported in: GUTTENBERG IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W18G

STEERING

accelerator stopped responding and vehicle stalled shortly after.

Reported in: GUTTENBERG IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W18G

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

accelerator stopped responding and vehicle stalled shortly after.

Reported in: GUTTENBERG IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W18G

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

accelerator stopped responding and vehicle stalled shortly after.

Reported in: GUTTENBERG IA || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W18G

POWER TRAIN

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that the vehicle jerked while driving 35 mph, the vehicle was taken to a mechanic where a diagnostic was performed, which located the failure at the continuous variable transmission. the vehicle was repaired and the transmission was rebuilt. the failure and current mileage was 52,850.

Reported in: HOUSTON TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W88G

POWER TRAIN

transmission intermittently would stay in 5th gear and not shift -- limp home mode. dealership replaced output shaft sensor and turbine sensor, and this resolved the problem.

Reported in: CLIFTON PARK NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM43W98G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

on thursday around 11:30 pm, on sept.12, 2013, while my 77 year old mother slept her 2008, mercury sable premier mysteriously caught fire and burned while parked under her car porch attached to her home. the vehicle was totaled and damage occurred to her home. were it not for her little dog barking and running back and forth from her bedroom to the car porch door, she likely would not have awaken. she looked out the peep hole of her door to the car porch and say smoke and fire emitting it is very likely her home and she could have been lost in the fire. although shook up emotionally, we are thankful only her car was lost. fortunately, my mother remained calm enough to call emergency services (police and fire department) that arrived in very short time to put the fire engulfed vehicle out. according to feedback from the local law enforcement arson investigator and investigators representing our auto and home insurance companies, it appears the fire likely started in the trunk of the sable in the electrical wiring system or reverse sensing module as i believe it might be referred to for my mother¿�s vehicle. the incident had a considerable degree of emotional and psychological impact on my mother given as a senior citizen this vehicle represented a last vestige of freedom and independence. .

Reported in: COLUMBIA SC || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W78G

SEATS

not long after i bought this car, the element on the drivers side heated seat stopped working. it was under warranty and it was repaired. then it went again and it was under the extended warranty and again it was repaired. now this winter, i went to use it and again the element went for the third time. i feel that something has to be causing this problem because it could possibly be dangerous and start a fire. the car dealership says that they will repair it for $429.00 (this is a 10% discount) but i feel that since this has happened three times already ford should be responsible for the repair and also find the problem that is causing this element to fail in the first place.

Reported in: OAK RIDGE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W58G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

the information center at the instrument cluster failed. no information shows. checked website, it appears that this problem is quite common for a lot of owners. ford should be investigated for a recall.

Reported in: SAN ANTONIO TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40WX8G

STEERING

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, she heard a popping noise as the vehicle veered to the right and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact can no longer turn to the right. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

Reported in: STREATOR IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W38G

STEERING

steering wheel was difficult (very hard) to turn. took the car to a ford service agent and the diagnosis was that the steering rack was loose. a new rack was installed and retested. ford service told me that the car was hazardous and it had to be repaired right then and there. asked ford manufacture to be reimburse and was denied. repair was done on december 31, 2012.

Reported in: MONTGOMERY AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM40W98G

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. the contact stated that it became difficult to steer the vehicle. the dealer stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 29,650. updated 8/28/14*cn

Reported in: MERRITT ISLAND FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42WX8G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

the drivers side heated seat died shortly after i purchased this vehicle. this was one of the selling points for me, i had it replaced and the replacement didn't make it through the winter of that year. i didn't realize this was a problem common with the sable. i cannot affort to have it replaced again. is this a fire hazard. i am also having a terrible peeling and chipping problem with the paint.

Reported in: PLOVER WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 1MEHM42W98G

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