2003 Mercury Sable Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe broken front or rear coil springs, frequently found after the car was parked, with the fractured spring sometimes cutting a tire. Transmission complaints center on sudden loss of drive traced to the torque converter, and a separate group of complaints describes unintended acceleration or a throttle that stays open after the pedal is released.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front or rear coil spring breaks and can cut the tire

   • 42 complaints (21%)
   • median 75,500 mi at 7.5 yrs old (38 state mileage)
   • filed 2006–2015

   Complaints describe a loud bang or scraping noise, then finding a piece of coil spring broken off and, in many cases, the spring end pushed through a tire sidewall. Several owners say it happened while the car was parked or moving only a few miles per hour, and a few report the opposite side spring failing shortly afterward. Repair shops replaced springs, struts, tires and related linkage, and owners who contacted the manufacturer were told this model year was not covered by the earlier spring campaign. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 110,000 miles, often on cars that spent years in the Northeast or other winter-salt areas.

   What to check: Have the springs inspected on a lift for broken coils, heavy corrosion or a spring end contacting the tire, and check both sides plus the rear. Ask whether any spring has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford springs. On saturday, january 5, 2010, the front drivers side coil spring on my 2003 Mercury Sable gs snapped and punctured my tire. (car has 70k miles). There is corrosion on the coil but only were it failed. I have saved the piece of coil that was in my tire. My brother is a mechanic and told me that there may be a recall on the spring. He did the work on the car because I needed to be at work on monday morning but told me to check it out. I found many complaints on the consumer affairs website but none for my model year. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10298760, filed 2010-01, 70,000 miles

   “2003 Mercury Sable with the first 5 years of service in the northeast. The car is now in tampa florida. At thanksgiving one of the front coil springs snapped, puncturing a tire...fortunately the car was parked at the time. As a result both front coils and suspension had to be replaced along with a tire. We were told that the previous 2 years were recalled for this same problem in the northern states(winter salt leads to this problem).”

   NHTSA complaint #10297676, filed 2009-12, 63,000 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Throttle or speed-control cable sticking, engine stays

   • 24 complaints (12%)
   • median 118,478 mi at 10.0 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2019

   Owners describe the engine holding high rpm or speeding up after the accelerator is released, sometimes while braking, and in some cases a rapid acceleration from a stop. Complaints mention the throttle cable or the cruise-control cable binding at its bracket, and some say a dealer replaced the cable or the idle air control valve. Several owners report being told their vehicle was not included in a related campaign. Spread from about 39,000 to 170,000 miles, and complaints describe it as intermittent rather than constant.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the speed-control cable and its bracket have been inspected or replaced, and check that the throttle returns freely by hand with the engine off. A service bulletin describes cable damage and interference with throttle return on this model.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving on I-25 northbound, at 50 MPH, the vehicle started to accelerate, with my foot off the accelerator. Went from 50 to 65...stepped on brake, brakes slowed/stopped the acceleration...pulled off at the first exit ramp. Looked under hood, for anything not correct...nothing visually detected. Did this one more time...3 days later. Have not experienced since.”

   NHTSA complaint #10467560, filed 2012-07, 74,200 miles

   “My car is trying to kill me! I was driving at approximately 40 MPH, when I started to brake for a stop before turning . The car slowed down, as I held my foot on the brake, but suddenly the car started to accelerate. I already had my foot on the brake, and the brake held, but I had to take the car out of gear, and shut the engine off. The engine was racing at a speed I would estimate at 80 MPH. It was a frightening and dangerous experience. I checked to see if a floor mat was pressing on the gas pedal. It was not. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10683746, filed 2015-02, 220,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission stops driving, torque converter blamed

   • 19 complaints (9%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 10.2 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $1,863 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2021

   Complaints describe the car losing forward motion without warning, sometimes revving as if in neutral, and needing a tow. Shops and dealers most often identified the torque converter, with some owners reporting metal debris in the transmission and a rebuild or replacement. In several cases the car had relatively low miles and the fluid had been serviced on schedule. Reported from about 30,000 to 130,000 miles, with several of the lowest-mileage failures described as sudden.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check transmission fluid level and color, look for a recent fluid service record, and drive the car long enough to confirm it engages firmly in both drive and reverse. Ask whether the torque converter or transmission has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving the car. Came to a stop and pressed the gas pedal to accelerate. The car started out ok and the MPH reached 15mph and then there was nothing. It was like the car was in neutral. I had to coast off the side of the road. Had t have the car towed home. Spoke with several ford dealerships service mechanics and everyone of them said that they were almost 100% that it was the torque converter (inside the transmission). And could also be the whole transmission. The car wont go into gear. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10455009, filed 2012-04, 130,000 miles

   “Idriving under normal conditions on a city street in 2003 merc Sable with 33k miles. While in motion, the transmission fails with no forward or reverse working or any other mechanical warnings.( no transmission codes on obdii. I was immediately able to coast into a drugstore parking lot. Car towed to local ford dealer. Dealer informed that the torque converter splines have failed and torque converter needs to replaced for $ 1726.00. Dealer repaired vehicle, replaced with ford re-manuafactured torque converter. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11328198, filed 2020-06, 33,277 miles
4. 4
   Exterior lighting

   Brake lights stay on or stop working, shifter stuck in Park

   • 11 complaints (5%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 7.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2016

   Complaints describe brake lights that either stay lit constantly or do not come on, and in several cases the shifter would not move out of Park even with the brake pedal pressed. Owners point to the stop lamp switch and note that their vehicle was excluded from the related recall; some dealers declined repair coverage. Reported from about 48,000 to 157,000 miles.

   Recall 04V106000

   What to check: With the car running, have someone watch the rear lamps while you press and release the brake, and confirm the shifter releases from Park. Ask whether the stop lamp switch was replaced under the recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I just bought this car and was having a problem with my brake lights not working and then every time I tried to take the car out of park it got stuck. My battery also went dead. All within days of my purchase. I researched online and found that there was a recall that had all of these problems and they were connected. When I went to the ford dealership they told me there was no recall for this car which I find hard to believe because it is the exact same problem as listed in the recall. My car is a 2003 Mercury Sable. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10284132, filed 2009-09, 105,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that he is experiencing brake light failure. He also stated that he could start the vehicle, but it failed to shift out of the park position. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer stated that they would not pay for the repairs, although a recall was issued for the component. The current mileage is 51,000 and failure mileage was 48,000. Updated 07/16/08. Updated 07/16/08”

   NHTSA complaint #10195503, filed 2007-07, 48,000 miles
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Water leak soaks blower motor, heater and defroster fail

   • 22 complaints (11%)
   • median 51,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $400 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2012

   Complaints describe the heater blower motor stopping, with shops finding the motor sitting in water that entered through the cowl area or a clogged drain. Owners report fogged windows and no defrost heat in cold or wet weather, and repair bills for the blower and the leak. Mostly reported between roughly 18,000 and 71,000 miles, often in wet or winter conditions.

   Recall 03V087000

   What to check: Run the blower on every speed setting and check the passenger footwell and blower area for dampness or water stains. Ask whether the cowl or drain has been resealed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10213122, filed 2007-12, 44,000 miles

   “The blower motor on my 2003 Mercury Sable was sitting in a pool of water, ruining the motor. Caused by faulty design by ford motor co. Water gets into this area by improper design, allows water to reach area when the wiper cowl eventually warps, or when the A/C drain clogs or water leaking thru the firewall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10408622, filed 2011-06, 71,000 miles

Buying note. On a car of this age, have the coil springs and tires inspected closely and confirm the brake lights and shifter work, since those are the most commonly described problems. Also check the transmission's behavior on a longer test drive and look for water around the blower motor before buying.

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.