2004 Mercury Sable Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 13%of 52 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 97,150miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2004 Mercury Sable, 13% of the 52 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 97,150 miles.
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.
“While parked, tried to put car in reverse to back out of driveway but car will not shift out of park. Only way to get car to shift out of park is to apply emergency brakes then shift car into neutral while key turned to off position. Break lights will not illuminate when brake pedal applied. I checked all the fuses and replaced the break lamp bulbs to troubleshoot issue according to owners manual however problem still exists. When researching online I read about the same exact issues occurring in same model and make that were recalled. …”
NHTSA complaint #11119888, filed 2018-08, 172,000 miles“I have a 2004 Sable and the brake lights will not go off. I've tried changing the fuse to no avail. After researching, it seems that the 2000-2003 ford taurus and Mercury sables had recalls for faulty brake light switches. It appears that this is still a problem in the 2004 model!”
NHTSA complaint #10215404, filed 2008-01, 34,000 miles“Brake light switch at pedal faulty with same symptoms as recall NHTSA I.d. # 04v10600...brake lights won't activate when pedal depressed while driving or parked and when parked transmission range selector is stuck in park position. These symptoms could cause an accident from the rear and or leave family members stranded. Curiously this recall doesn't list the recalled switches part number and certainly ford motors won't admit that a few were installed on 2004 models.”
NHTSA complaint #10494895, filed 2013-01, 137,590 miles“Car will not come out of park, nor will brake lights operate when pedal depressed. Exact symptoms as described in previous model year recalls. Only wayto get car out of park is to place in neutral after turning key in ignition to first avaialble position, then applying brake pedal to release shift lock. This is a recurring problem w/ a failed brake light switch assembly. It's too dangerous of a problem to not have a recall. Many other model vehicles have been recalled for the same exact problem. Why not this model?”
NHTSA complaint #10717640, filed 2015-05, 95,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that the rear tail lights remained illuminated when the brake pedal was not depressed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10683146, filed 2015-02, 90,000 milesExterior lighting: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 7 | 13% |
| 2003 | 12 | 6% |
| 2002 | 13 | 3% |
| 2001 | 13 | 3% |
| 2000 | 54 | 12% |
| 1999 | 7 | 3% |
| 1998 | 5 | 3% |
| 1997 | 8 | 4% |
| 1996 | 13 | 4% |
| 1995 | 9 | 3% |
| 1994 | 27 | 7% |
| 1993 | 63 | 9% |
| 1992 | 13 | 4% |
| 1991 | 4 | 2% |
| 1990 | 8 | 5% |
| 1989 | 4 | 2% |
| 1988 | 3 | 2% |
| 1987 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2004 Mercury Sable
15 complaintsBrakes
12 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
12 complaintsElectrical system
6 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Mercury Sable
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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