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EnginePart report

2001 Mercury Sable Engine Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
1%of 430 total for the year
Median mileage
110,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the engine of the 2001 Mercury Sable, 1% of the 430 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 110,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Throttle got stuck forcing car to accelerate even when not touching the gas pedal. Thankfully the brakes worked and I was able to stop the car and put it into park, at which point the engine revved to 4000 RPM. Once the car was turned off, it let off some white smoke with a burning oil smell. According to my mechanic, the speed control cable collar fractured. I was on the highway when this happened, doing 65 miles per hour.”

NHTSA complaint #10882952, filed 2016-07, 130,000 miles

“My 2001 Mercury Sable accelerated as I entered the highway. The car would not stop even when I applied the brake. I called 911. The 911 operator suggested that I apply the parking brake which I did. I went about 15 miles riding the shoulder going between 60-70 miles per hour. I eventually exited the highway but could not stop even at the end of the exit ramp. I made a right hand turn. At this point I had reduced my speed to approximately 30 miles per hour. The car eventually landed in a ditch. At that point, I ended my call with 911. …”

NHTSA complaint #10482375, filed 2012-10, 90,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2001 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that while the brakes being depressed, the engine rmps increased. The brake pedal was released and the vehicle accelerated. The contact was able to place the vehicle in park and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,133 and the current mileage was 68,136.”

NHTSA complaint #10609851, filed 2014-07, 68,133 miles

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2009525%
200858%
200556%
200436%
200384%
200241%
200141%
200051%
199621%
199510%
199410%

Other parts of the 2001 Mercury Sable

Suspension
204 complaints
Vehicle speed control
61 complaints
Brakes
40 complaints
Air bags
27 complaints
Electrical system
26 complaints
Engine cooling
23 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
22 complaints
Exterior lighting
13 complaints
Fuel system
13 complaints
Seat belts
12 complaints
Equipment
11 complaints
Body and structure
11 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2001 Mercury Sable

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology