2002 Mercury Sable Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report broken front or rear coil springs that can pierce a tire, frequently noticed while reversing out of a driveway or after the car has been parked. Complaints also describe cruise-control and throttle-cable problems where the engine continues to rev or the car speeds up after the pedal is released. Many of these reports come in between roughly 35,000 and 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Broken coil spring punctures tire

   • 222 complaints (50%)
   • median 77,000 mi at 7.4 yrs old (208 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $662 (median of 30 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2020

   Complaints describe a loud pop or bang, often at very low speed while backing out of a driveway or after the car has been sitting, followed by a flat tire and the front end dropping. Owners who inspected the tire found the coil spring had fractured and the broken end had cut or pierced the tire sidewall; some had rear springs fail as well. In several cases owners were told their vehicle was not covered by a coil spring campaign, and repairs typically involved replacing both front springs, sometimes struts, sway bar links and tires. Reported from about 25,000 to 130,000 miles, most often around 55,000 to 75,000 miles, and frequently at very low speed or while the car was parked.

   What to check: Ask whether the front and rear coil springs have been replaced and have a shop inspect them for cracks or fresh fractures, especially on cars from road-salt regions. Check the inner sidewalls of all four tires for cuts or rubbing marks.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2002 Mercury Sable had a coil spring break while it was parked in my garage. There were no injuries, however it blew out the tire and if we would have been going down the road somebody could have been hurt or killed. I have gotten no satisfaction from my local dealer or ford.”

   NHTSA complaint #10184925, filed 2007-03, 75,000 miles

   “Front and rear coil springs broke on 2002 Mercury Sable. Both breaks occured within 10 days of the other. Both caused blowout of tires. I have replaced the front tire and coil spring. I will have to replace the rear coil spring and tire next week.”

   NHTSA complaint #10186658, filed 2007-04, 85,000 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Engine revs or car speeds up on its own

   • 65 complaints (15%)
   • median 86,558 mi at 10.6 yrs old (54 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2022

   Complaints describe the car continuing to accelerate or holding high rpm after the accelerator is released, sometimes with the cruise control engaged and sometimes after simply turning the key. Owners report having to brake hard, shift to neutral or shut off the ignition to slow down. Several mechanics traced the problem to a damaged or disconnected cruise control or throttle cable, and in some cases the cable was disconnected or replaced. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 120,000 miles, often while cruising at highway speed or after starting the engine.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have the cruise control and accelerator cables inspected for fraying, damage or a loose connection at the throttle body; a service bulletin describes this cable issue for 2000-2003 models. Ask whether the cruise control cable has been replaced or disconnected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on route 31 west in medina ny and the car would not stop I had to put my car in park and my transmission was really grinding. Thank god no one was in the area or someone would have been really hurt ? I brought the car to the repair shop and the cause was the cruise control and it was removed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10482663, filed 2012-10, 121,000 miles

   “While I was driving to work, my car suddenly began to accelerate by itself. It was full throttle, and I could not stop it from speeding up. Thank god I was entering the highway when this happened, because I could not slow the car down. While on the highway, I held my foot all the way down on the brake, and the car would still not go below 65 MPH. Without my foot on the brake, it got up to 95 MPH and would have kept getting higher. So I drove with my foot on the brake at 65 MPH, weaving in and out of traffic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10488750, filed 2012-12, 120,000 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Water leak into blower case and passenger floor

   • 27 complaints (6%)
   • median 58,021 mi at 5.4 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2014

   Owners report water dripping from the blower motor area onto the passenger floorboard, often after heavy rain, along with a squealing blower motor, a motor that only works on high speed, or windows that fog up quickly. Some complaints also describe water entering at the windshield and soaking the interior. Complaints indicate the source was sometimes traced to a leaking windshield seal or the blower case. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 113,000 miles, typically after rainstorms and more noticeable as the vehicle ages.

   Recall 03V0870003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the passenger floor and blower motor housing for dampness or water marks after rain, and ask whether the windshield has been resealed. A service bulletin covers water in the blower case for vehicles built in this period.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Leaking connection between windshield water and blowing motor of heating/ventilation causing windows to fog up after starting and beginning driving. When opening the blower motor compartment you can actually water see dripping out. Also a soaking wet floor will occur right after a severe rainstorm. This is a mayor safety issue due to bad visibility!”

   NHTSA complaint #10286119, filed 2009-10, 140,000 miles

   “Consumer received recall 03v087000 concerning windshield mounting. The vehicle has severe noise from the windows. Also the windows squeak and rattle severely. The recall did not cover consumer's vehicle due to VIN.”

   NHTSA complaint #10067409, filed 2004-05, 39,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips or fails to engage

   • 41 complaints (9%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2022

   Complaints describe the automatic transmission slipping between first and second gear, failing to engage when pulling into traffic, or jerking and surging during acceleration; one owner reported the transmission freezing and breaking an axle. In some cases the dealer replaced the transmission, and at least one owner said the dealer could not supply the removed parts. Reported from about 26,000 to 120,000 miles, often during acceleration from a stop or during gear changes.

   What to check: Test drive from a stop and watch for delayed or harsh 1-2 shifts, and ask whether the transmission has been serviced or replaced. Check the fluid level and condition on the dipstick.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This mechanical problem has happened two times. The first time was at approximately 120,000 miles.the car is always serviced, well maintained and runs terrific. I was driving for about 30 minutes on the parkway. Suddenly I experienced the car sticking like it was choking, losing power and then surging ahead. I was shocked, continued to drive and it eventually cleared itself. I have never had any other symptoms or incidents like this in the past. I thought it might be a clogged fuel injector so I immediately added some fuel injector cleaner. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10484739, filed 2012-11, 120,000 miles

   “The contact stated that the vehicle jerked forward at an alarming rate of speed whenever the accelerator was depressed. The sudden acceleration caused an accident with another vehicle and a police report was filed. The vehicle was inspected by the service dealer who determined that the transmission was the cause of the problem. The transmission was replaced. The contact asked for the old parts and the service dealer refused to supply those parts. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10164084, filed 2006-08, 54,796 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Brake lights stay on or headlights cut out

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report brake lights coming on by themselves and staying lit until the battery drained, and in other cases headlights that would not stay illuminated while driving. Complaints note that the vehicles were not included in a stop lamp switch campaign, and some owners paid for repairs themselves; one report described chafed wiring in the liftgate boot on wagon models affecting rear lights and defroster. Reported from about 35,000 to 102,000 miles, with some owners describing the problem persisting for years.

   Recall 04V106000

   What to check: With the car parked, confirm the brake lights go out when the pedal is released, and check that headlights stay on over a few minutes of driving. Ask whether the stop lamp switch or its wiring has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Automatic headlights relay soddard into backside of fuse panel (gem) was bad location for a person with no experience to fix or locate most people never got it fixed because of no experience and amount of money to have an electrical mechanic to fix. I understand there was a few people did get it fixed through a recall but I didn't and I never got a recall for this in the mail. I would like ford motor company fix this because I was never notified of this problem. My car has had this problem for about 12 years.”

   NHTSA complaint #11100705, filed 2018-06, 35,000 miles

   “Wire harness failure in rubber boots from body of car to rear lift gate on station wagon model. Insulation cracking and wire breaking completely in flexible rubber boot causes erratic behavior and ultimate failure of high brake light, back up lights, license plate lights, rear windshield wiper, rear window defroster, open lift gate and open rear window safety sensors and stereo speakers. Insulation and wiring within boot has become brittle and fatigued. Clean breaks in wires from opening and closing lift gate are evident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10457115, filed 2012-05, 90,000 miles

Buying note. Have a shop inspect the coil springs and tires before purchase, since spring fractures are the most common report for this model year and often show up at low mileage. Also check the throttle and cruise control cables and test the brake lights and transmission on a road test.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.