2003 Mercury Sable
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Mercury › Sable › 2003
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2003 Mercury Sable. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
4 recalls name the 2003 Mercury Sable. Newest first.
Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads…
A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
On certain vehicles, the air filter paper in these vehicles can smolder or burn.
This can lead to damage to the air induction system on these vehicles and/or an underhood fire.
Dealers will replace the air filter element. owner notification began on march 10, 2004. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring. this malfunctioning could render the stop lamps inoperable or cause them to stay on all the time. this could cause confusion to a following driver, which could lead to a crash.
In addition, if the switch and/or associated wiring fail in the open position, the brake lights will not actuate and the driver will not be able to shift the vehicle out of "park" if they fail in the closed position, the brake lights will remain on, which will not allow the speed control to be activated. this could also cause the battery to discharge.
Dealers will remove the stop lamp switch and associated wiring assembly and install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly. owner notification IS expected to begin on april 5, 2004. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, "windshield mounting." the windshields may potentially exhibit increased wind noise, water leakage, and squeaks and rattles.
Potential loss of windshield retention may also reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
Dealers will replace these windshields. owner notification began on march 31, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford/mercury at 1-800-392-3673.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Sable. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle decelerated independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact parked on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
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. Searched intern net and found same numerous complaints of ford torque converters spline failures. Based on the type and number of complaints this appears to warrant an audit of this safety problem. There are other reported complaints that vehicles were traveling on highways and suffered transmission failures while in motion without any warnings. *tr
So sorry to bother you. I have a mercury sable 03 which has been accelerating by itself because the throttle cable gets stuck. I saw an article that said my year taurus and sable have this problem as well as saw that all those in the junk yard have the exact same problem. in the article it said ford agreed to fix those to stop further investigation. how would I go about getting this fixed? please and thank you. my vehicle started going 79 and wouldn't stop. even in neutral it went 4000 rpm until the throttle cable was unjammed. and continues to do so
I was driving my car on a city street and the car started accelerating on its own and I tried to brake but my brakes would not work. I had to put both feet on the break to slam hard enough to try to get it to slow down even a little. I found out that the throttle cable got stuck and could not go back in causing the car to keep accelerating.
2003 mercury sable. Consumer writes in regards to being charged for vehicle repairs that were under warranty. *Ld *js
Why was I charged $249.90 labor charges when the vehicle was only in my hands for a couple of days after being purchased from king buick but not for parts, shop materials and use of a loaner car. I should have paid nothing under a warranty and would like to know if ford has responsibility for that. please feel free to call my call on [xxx](c) or [xxx](h) if you need more information about this. I was right across the street from the community where I reside and drove the car to king buick GMC immediately. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6).
1. The hood closes apparently fine, it does not open if I try to, however keeps opening every 20 minutes after driving. I could not find the cause. 2. Very strong smell of gas keeps ocurring, no signs or drops or viisual leak puddle.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. While the vehicle was operated, it lost engine power without warning. The vehicle was towed to dom's getty service station (308 mercer st, hightstown, nj) where it was diagnosed as a transmission failure. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. The contact stated that the transmission failed. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle lost acceleration. The vehicle was towed to dom's getty station (heightstown, nj 08520, phone (609) 448-4146) for diagnostic testing, which located the failure at the transmission input shaft and torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 57,000.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. While stationary, the vehicle accelerated rapidly on its own without warning. In addition, the "check engine" indicator illuminated. Fairway ford in san bernardino, california determined that the speed control cable needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. ...Updated 10/23/17 *bf updated 11/1/2017*js
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. The contact stated that the vehicle independently idled between 3-4 rpms and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the interior lighting failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The contact took the vehicle to auto zone. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided case number: 12281999. The contact was informed of service bulletin number: sb-10052600-3673. The failure mileage was 164,000. the consumer stated the vehicle was under recall but, she was not notified. The consumer would like for the recall to be performed on the vehicle at no charge. Updated 05/31/2017*js
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. While driving various speeds, the vehicle began to accelerate independently without warning. The vehicle was able to stop with the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the motor mount and radiator hose failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,373.
TL* the contact owned a 2003 mercury sable. While driving 35 mph, another vehicle collided with the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt did not lock, which forced the contact to strike the steering wheel during the crash. The contact sustained a concussion, back, and neck injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home and then towed to a junk yard. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 100,000.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the lamp switch malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
I own a 2003 mercury sable, I replaced the brakes , and an assortment of problems followed. First they began locking , then the car would not stop at all. I replaced pads.rotors.tires ,bleed the breaks all in an effort to find the problem. I could not, so the car has been sitting about a year. Then I received the recall on the breaks , now everything makes sense.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. The contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck and could not move out of the park position. In addition, the brake lights failed to illuminate when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact mentioned that the brake wiring had to be pushed down to override the failure. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake light switch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was not notified. The vin and failure mileage were unknown.
I was driving east on I-70 from kansas city mo. cruise was set at 78. 4 lanes. was in left passing lane and had to slow down quickly because of vehicle in front was doing about 50mph. the right was clear and I started moving to the right to pass. The car instantly accelerated as I started to turn right. The acceleration actually pull the car forward so fast the rear end slid to the left. Car moved a crossed the right 3 lanes of traffic at about a 60 deg angle. I managed to turn the car into the skid to avoid the guard rails and started back across the lanes with complete loss of control of the car as it did a complete 360. as I was returned to facing east again I pulled off into the median as I was again in the far left lane now in front of the vehicle I had started to pass. having been in many emergency situation in my 67 years. I just road out the turn. I was no fun watching the vehicle I was trying to pass approach me while I was completing the 360. with so many vehicles surrounding the gap I was in, I am still amazed no one was killed, and no collision of any sort occurred. took to the dealer and it was suggested the pcv valve was plugged. replaced. around feb 2 2016 I was driving I 95 to florida. I noticed the cruise dropping out twice without braking and once accelerating without resetting. I understood now that the I-70 incident was actually the cruise control. I will have it disconnected so that it can not be used again. how I survived IS beyond belief. I am extremely glad no one was with me.
The vehicles stock jacking locations are no longer considered as safe. they have deteriorated due to corrosion and rusting away. should someone decide to trust any one of the affected jacking locations, the structural integrity of the frame may crumple and break causing the vehicle to drop onto anyone performing work underneath, which may result in severe injury, or even death.
Passenger floor rusted out completely in two spots on the front right of floor. two major holes. the remainder of the floor IS showing signs that it too IS deteriorating. this IS a safety concern as the structural integrity of the floor has been compromised and can allow someone to fall through should excess weight be placed in any of these weak places and or holes.
This car was repaired under nhtsa campaign 04v106000. the recall work failed, causing the brake lights to not come on, and the vehicle to not shift out of park.
No accident, but the seat belt on the driver's side has started "latching" only on sporadic occasions. It doesn't latch more times than it does latch. The are times when you have successfully latched the seatbelt, it will come unlatch end while the car IS moving. This has now been occurring for about a month.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable equipped with douglas x-trac 2 tires, size: p215/60/r16. While driving 65 mph, the front passenger side tire blew out. As a result, the vehicle veered but the contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle and tire were not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The dot number and vin were unknown. The vehicle failure mileage was 105,029 and the tire failure mileage was 5,159.
TL* the contact owns a 2003 mercury sable. While driving 45 mph, the contact attempted to decelerate; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact immediately shifted the vehicle into neutral and avoided a collision. The contact brought the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed of a customer service campaign. The manufacturer and dealer stated that the vehicle was not included because it was manufactured in another plant. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 123,000.
Car was completely stopped. when engaged into reverse, car made loud noise, tires squealed, engine raced and crashed into parked car behind it at high rate of speed. parked vehicle that was struck then struck car next to it since impact was so great. car was uncontrollable, could not be stopped via brakes.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
On June 21, 2013, Ford initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 13B04 to address a concern with Speed Control Cable damage in certain model year (MY) 2000 through 2003 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with 3.0L 4V Duratec engines and built at the Chicago assembly plant.In the dealer letter for the program, Ford indicates that the Speed Control Cables on affected vehicles may be susceptible to damage or becoming partially disconnected during under hood vehicle maintenance (e.g., replacing a battery or changing the air filter) and that a damaged Speed Control Cable could interfere with the throttle's full return to idle when the accelerator pedal is released.Ford's program instructs dealers to inspect the Speed Control Cables and replace any with any portion of either collar retention tab missing.Dealers will install a Collar Reinforcement Clip at the Speed Control Cable collar in all vehicles. Figure 1 shows the location of the Speed Control Cable in the engine compartment and the proximity of the battery and air filter.The failure mode of the cable assembly is associated with the plastic collar used to secure the cable to a bracket near the throttle body (Figure 2).Damage to one or both retention tabs used to secure the cable ferrule within the collar may allow the ferrule to become disconnected from the collar when the throttle is opened during accelerator pedal application.Additional examples of Speed Control Cables with damaged collar retention tabs and partial ferrule displacement are shown in Figures 3 through 5.If the displacement pulls the ferrule completely out of the collar, the ferrule end may contact the face of the collar when the accelerator pedal is released and the throttle is returning to idle (Figure 6).This results in a throttle stuck at approximately 26-29% open.Testing conducted at NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center found that brake booster vacuum may become depleted, resulting in reduced brake effectiveness, if the brake is applied repeatedly when the throttle is stuck at this position.Drivers who experienced this condition have reported being surprised that the engine speed did not drop as expected and in some cases misjudged the degree of braking required to slow the vehicle.Some drivers reported difficulty in braking the vehicle and responded by shifting to neutral or turning the engine off.One minor crash occurred when the vehicle contacted a roadside fence post after the driver responded to the stuck throttle by shifting the car to neutral, turning the engine off and coasting to the side of a roadway with no shoulder, resulting in approximately $400 damage to the vehicle.There were four crashes reported which were attributed to increased stopping distance caused by the increased engine power and/or reduced brake effectiveness, including two of the complaints to ODI.In one crash reported to ODI (VOQ 10516101), the subject vehicle allegedly hit the back end of a truck at approximately 40 mph causing about $2000 damage.In the other crash complaint to ODI (VOQ 10501834), the subject vehicle side-swiped a vehicle as the driver was unable to stop in time and attempted to maneuver around a line of vehicles stopped at a traffic light.When the tow truck driver subsequently started the incident vehicle, the engine was still racing and it was verified that the Speed Control Cable ferrule was stuck on the collar.After further investigation, ODI does not consider the crashes reported in VOQs 10456249 and 10159399 to be related to the Speed Control Cable problem.
To date, ODI is aware of 2,401 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect. In addition, ODI is aware of 1,411 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect. In total, ODI is aware of 3,645 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures. ODI is also aware of four minor crashes related to the alleged defect resulting in one minor injury.With greater than eight years of exposure, a large subject vehicle population and approximately 2,052 reported front tire punctures caused by fractured coil springs (at all speeds), there have been no reported severe crashes, deaths or injuries related to the alleged defect. The real world consequences of these defective coil springs have been a small number of minor control problems that resulted in minor damage; suggesting that the effect of the defect on vehicle control is minor.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See the EA08-018 Engineering Analysis Closing Report for more details.
On october 11, 2006, public citizen petitioned odi to investigate reports of engine stalls caused by E85 fuel in certain model year (my) 2003 - 2005 ford taurus flex-fuel vehicles (ffv). Odi's review of the petition and other available data found a low stall rate attributable to E-85 fueling and that the main concerns,prolonged engine start and rough idle during cold engine startup at winter temperatures, were resolved by an engine software update.to ensure that all subject vehicles receive this update, ford initiated a notification campaign to offer free engine computer recalibration.based on this information, this defect petition IS denied. This denial should not be construed as a finding that no safety defect exists.odi reserves the right to reconsider this issue if future data warrant.additional details can be found in the federal register notice posted in the dp06-005 public file.
Ford conducted a recall in march, 2001 to correct a defect affecting the brake light switch in my 2000 through early-2001 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with power adjustable pedals (recall 01v-078).rq03-008 was opened to investigate complaints concerning the remedy and scope of 01v-078.odi's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in recalled vehicles,failures in my 2001-02 vehicles with adjustable pedals that were not included in recall 01v-078, and failures in my 2000 vehicles with fixed pedals.(note: the manufacturer failure data in this resume includes all crashes and injuries, but the complaint information IS limited to my 2001-02 vehicles that were not included in the scope of recall 01v-078.)on march 1, 2004, ford notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 2000 through early-2003 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals and my 2000 subject vehicles equipped with fixed pedals (recall 04v-106).the notification identified three factors contributing to brake light circuit failures:(1) continuing grease contamination issues that prompted 01v-078; (2) misalignment of the booster rod pin and the brake light switch; and (3) wire assembly fatigue.the first two conditions were limited to vehicles with adjustable pedals and the latter condition affected vehicles with fixed pedals.ford will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the brake light switch and associated wiring replaced with a re-designed brake light switch and wiring assembly.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.