2003 Mercury Sable Suspension Problems
- Complaints
- 47about this part
- Share
- 23%of 201 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 78,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 47 complaints about the suspension of the 2003 Mercury Sable, 23% of the 201 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,000 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Originally, 2 days prior, car felt like I was dragging something underneath. Got out and looked around car, didn't see anything. Left car for 2 days, then started to head to work. Was going only about 20mph when smoke poured out from under my car. A moment later my front passenger side tire blew. Had a friend come to help me change to the spare. He drove the car about 2 minutes back to my house and as soon as he parked it, he took the spare off because we heard a weird popping noise when he was jacking the car back up. …”
NHTSA complaint #10701460, filed 2015-03, 105,000 miles“Mercury Sable 2003 front coil spring broke. Will have repaired at Mercury dealer and will keep failed part. This is the same recall we had on our 1999 Mercury Sable 2 years after we paid to have its coil springs fixed. This seems to be an on going problem with Mercury sables as well as the ford taurus.”
NHTSA complaint #10157703, filed 2006-05, 42,900 miles“My wife was backing out of our driveway when there was a popping noise and then a blowout on the left front tire.I was standing next to the mv at the time. The coil spring broke/shattered and a piece of it went thru the side wall of the tire putting a 6-8 gash in the tire. We have the pieces of the spring. Ford refused to reimburse us for the repair which was made at a ford dealer(northampton ford ). The vehicle had 50577 miles. …”
NHTSA complaint #10213691, filed 2008-01, 50,577 miles“I recently had a tire blow out on my vehicle. Upon removing the tire it was discovered that the right front spring snapped, which had ruptured the tire. I was able to get the car to a local shop to replace the spring and tire at my expense, with a used spring to keep the cost down. I contacted ford ,and ford advised they would not cover any expenses related to this. The carwas a 2003 Mercury Sable with low miles on it. …”
NHTSA complaint #10194132, filed 2007-06, 34,800 miles“My 2003 Sable suffered a front left coil spring fracture that destroyed the front left tire and caused me to veer into a fence post while driving in a parking lot. The coil spring that sliced into the tire was pinpoint sharp, as was the smaller portion of the spring that fell off the car. The front left tire was destroyed, the strut an spring assembly needed to be replaced after the car was towed to a repair facility. The car was not drivable. The fence post damaged the left door of the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10327648, filed 2010-04, 123,070 milesSuspension: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 3 | 15% |
| 2008 | 3 | 5% |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% |
| 2004 | 1 | 2% |
| 2003 | 47 | 23% |
| 2002 | 239 | 54% |
| 2001 | 204 | 47% |
| 2000 | 158 | 34% |
| 1999 | 48 | 19% |
| 1998 | 22 | 12% |
| 1997 | 17 | 7% |
| 1996 | 11 | 4% |
| 1995 | 30 | 9% |
| 1994 | 15 | 4% |
| 1993 | 52 | 8% |
| 1992 | 17 | 5% |
| 1991 | 10 | 5% |
| 1990 | 11 | 7% |
| 1989 | 5 | 2% |
| 1988 | 3 | 2% |
| 1987 | 3 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2003 Mercury Sable
30 complaintsVehicle speed control
28 complaintsBody and structure
20 complaintsEngine cooling
19 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
19 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsExterior lighting
12 complaintsElectrical system
10 complaintsAir bags
8 complaintsEngine
8 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsSeat belts
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Mercury Sable
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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