2005 Mercury Sable
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
Vehicles › Mercury › Sable › 2005
These records cover every 2005 Mercury Sable. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 2005 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…
Risk and remedy
Risk
A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.
Owner complaints
83 complaints3 involved a crash3 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Vehicle speed control
Im owner of Mercury Sable 2005 only 79000 miles..The car problem speed control idle over 2200 so high when stop red light have to brake pedal to slow the vehicle down, and the vehicle failed to accelerrate..
- Vehicle speed control
Purchased vehicle from a private seller 10 days prior to incident. Seller informed me they had replaced throttle body sensor to fix unintended acceleration issues. Drove vehicle home on 4/10/22 with one incident on highway where I attempted to slow vehicle after reaching approx 70mph, and vehicle…
Purchased vehicle from a private seller 10 days prior to incident. Seller informed me they had replaced throttle body sensor to fix unintended acceleration issues. Drove vehicle home on 4/10/22 with one incident on highway where I attempted to slow vehicle after reaching approx 70mph, and vehicle seemed to jolt/shudder as if unable to brake smoothly. Did not drive again til 4/18/22: I attempted to drive vehicle to tire shop to have new tires installed. After backing out of driveway, I accelerated quickly to approx. 25mph. Acceleration continued past 25mph despite me letting off the gas pedal. I hit the brakes and felt the acceleration continuing to push against them, causing the car to jolt/shake with the application of the brakes. I slowed to a stop at a nearby traffic light, where the engine continued to rev at approx. 2000rpm. When I let off the brakes and drove through the intersection, the car continued to accelerate to around 30-35mph without me pressing the gas pedal at all. I again applied the brakes to regain control of the vehicle, and it again jolted against them as the engine continued to rev excessively. After the next light, I pulled over and placed the car in park. Here, engine stopped revving high, and when I put it in drive again, the issue had ceased. Reading up on complains, have found dozens of similar driver issues with uncontrollable acceleration on similar model-year Mercury Sables and Ford Tauruses, with no clear solution to the issue to allow me to safely drive this vehicle with my child inside. My and my child's safety is placed at risk with increased chance of brake failure, without recourse from manufacturer or NHTSA, who've concluded their investigation despite frequent complaints. Problem has not yet been confirmed by dealer/ISC. Vehicle has not been inspected. No check engine lights or other warning of issue from vehicle. At no point was gas pedal physically stuck in the acceleration position. Issue is known to NHTSA, but not resolved.
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently to 80 mph, without warning. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle down. In addition, the vehicle then failed to accelerate. The…
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently to 80 mph, without warning. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle down. In addition, the vehicle then failed to accelerate. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact contacted an independent mechanic and informed them of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. The vin was not provided.
- Air bags
The air bag on the front passenger side has partially inflated
- Power train
After leaving a stop, the car was able to move, then all of a sudden, the car would not change gears and stayed in a nuetral position. After safely parking the car, it will not shift into drive or reverse. Looking online I see numerous consumer with the same issue and the cost IS more than the car IS worth, but IS a known issue that the manufacturer will not take the blame on.
- Vehicle speed control
Gas pedal sticks. Cruise control randomly turns itself on vehicle accelerates on it's own without warning. Have had to shut the car off or shift into neutral while driving. It's absolutely terrifying.
- Structure › Body
The cars underbody has fully rusted every since I bought it back in 2015 my floor panels are completely rusted. The cars side skirts came off the car on both sides because I hit a pothole in the street, under that IS full of rust. The car was driven to and from work. I feel like this IS posing a threat to me as well as other drivers. Anything can come a loose and I can crash and who knows what else can happen.
- Service brakes · Vehicle speed control · Visibility/wiper
Can not see out my front and back windows. I will clean the windows 3-4 times a day. Improper codes requesting repair and once repaired still the same thing. Starts no cranks. Very dangerous conditions, could not continue to work due to vision issues. Anti theft functions preventing me from operating my car.
- Power train
I drived it on highway and suddenly there was noise and rmp passed 4000 but no accelerated. I managed to stopped on shoulder, and restarted the car, engine run ok, and car wasn't moving, either forward or backward. I could be hit by other cars if I didn't manage to shoulder. I searched online and I…
I drived it on highway and suddenly there was noise and rmp passed 4000 but no accelerated. I managed to stopped on shoulder, and restarted the car, engine run ok, and car wasn't moving, either forward or backward. I could be hit by other cars if I didn't manage to shoulder. I searched online and I found out a lot of complaints about mercury sable's transmission issues. This IS very dangerous and people may get killed because of sudden transmission failure without any warning. My car has about 88700 miles on it.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Shortly after buying this car last year, the throttle body failed at speed (approx 55), causing the car to accelerate uncontrolled on a curvy 2 lane highway. Had to break very hard against the surging engine to slow, and turn off engine with key to get car to stop. Very scary. Very dangerous. The ford dealer in kingston, ny, did not tell me this was a known problem! Towed, rented a car, and paid $420.00 to repair.
- Power train
When entering the car after a basketball game I started the vehicle and tried to go into reverse but the car remained in neutral as it would not shift into gear. Prior to this I had never noticed any issues with the transmission. I was told by our mechanic the torque converter had given out and…
When entering the car after a basketball game I started the vehicle and tried to go into reverse but the car remained in neutral as it would not shift into gear. Prior to this I had never noticed any issues with the transmission. I was told by our mechanic the torque converter had given out and needs to be replaced. After doing extensive research I found there are hundreds if not thousands of other mercury sable owners that have experienced the exact same issue with their transmission. Ford recalled the same part on other similar make and models vehicles. This needs to be recalled of mercury sables as well.
- Air bags · Service brakes · Suspension
I bought this car about two months ago drove it to rome ga.from centre al on way back the tires on back was eat down to wire belts
- Unknown or other
Check transmission light on. Seeing higher rpm but not shifting hard. fluids checked - ok. transmission codes p0723 and p0733 these are codes for slipping issues. they rebuilt the transmission. mileage was only 68769 on car.
- Engine · Service brakes
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. While driving various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop as the rpms increased. The contact stated that the failure would occur occasionally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The…
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. While driving various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop as the rpms increased. The contact stated that the failure would occur occasionally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred prior to purchasing the vehicle. The contact requested that the dealer repair the vehicle before the sale was finalized, but the issue persisted. The contact was unaware of the repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
- Power train
Transmission died while driving down the highway.
- Power train
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle began to suddenly decrease in speed. The contact stated that the vehicle reacted as if it were in neutral. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
- Engine · Power train · Service brakes
Purchase vehicle used in june of 2015, one repair after another. Owned 1YR and here are repairs that we have had to do: drain plug replaced, trans filter, additive & fluid, re-built transmission, fluid, replace rear brake shoes, replace valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, egr sensor. Cost incurred $3,275.20 way more than any car should have in one year! anybody going to reimburse these expenses?
- Power train
While traveling down the interstate 90 highway southbound on 10 june, 2016 the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost forward motion power and the rpm level of the car shot up suddenly. the vehicle rolled to a stop on the side of the highway while still running, but there was no vehicle…
While traveling down the interstate 90 highway southbound on 10 june, 2016 the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost forward motion power and the rpm level of the car shot up suddenly. the vehicle rolled to a stop on the side of the highway while still running, but there was no vehicle movement provided in any of the automatic transmission gears, including reverse. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop in spooner, wi where a repair bill estimate of $3-$4K was provided.....rebuild current or replace with remanufactured.
- Electrical system
The check engine light keeps coming on. Each time I have the part repaired or replace only to have it come again with a new code. I have replaced numerous parts and have spent over $2000 so far. The check engine light still keeps coming on. The car runs good. Sometimes the transmission acts up but everything seems to be working fine. I just cant stop the check engine lite to stay off.
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. While driving at approximately 15 mph and making a right turn, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration without warning. The brake pedal was depressed, but failed to stop the vehicle. The failure mileage was 142,780. updated 8/19/15*cn
- Engine · Power train
This 2005 mercury sable (LS premium) just fell out of gear as I was on the road. Totally out of the blue with no warning whatsoever. I know now the transmission must be replaced for upwards of $1800.00. This car has just 30,000 miles on it. I find it completely unacceptable for a mildly driven car…
This 2005 mercury sable (LS premium) just fell out of gear as I was on the road. Totally out of the blue with no warning whatsoever. I know now the transmission must be replaced for upwards of $1800.00. This car has just 30,000 miles on it. I find it completely unacceptable for a mildly driven car, owned by an elderly woman, should fail so badly after only 30,000 miles. This seems to be a common occurrence with this particular transmission also involving the ford taurus and the windstar...which I understand was recalled. This particular transmission IS known to fail prematurely and without notice. This IS an accident waiting to happen and I hope this IS taken seriously. This IS a defect that IS way too common in these models and I will be looking into legal recourse against any and all involved. Please check into this unfortunate public safety hazard. Thank-you. *tr
- Engine · Vehicle speed control
I was driving along and all of a sudden my car begin to accelerate on it's on. The engine was revving and when I went to apply the brakes the car didn't at first slow down. When I finally reached home and put the car in park the engine was still revving as if I was stepping on the gas. It was very…
I was driving along and all of a sudden my car begin to accelerate on it's on. The engine was revving and when I went to apply the brakes the car didn't at first slow down. When I finally reached home and put the car in park the engine was still revving as if I was stepping on the gas. It was very scary and intimidating. The same identical thing happened to my husband when I asked him to drive the car around the block. *tr
- Vehicle speed control
My 2005 mercury sable suddenly had the cruise control stop working approximately 30 days ago. The next day some serious issues began to happen. I was traveling down a curvy 4 lane road at the posted speed limit of 45mph. Knowing there was an up coming light I took my foot off the brake and…
My 2005 mercury sable suddenly had the cruise control stop working approximately 30 days ago. The next day some serious issues began to happen. I was traveling down a curvy 4 lane road at the posted speed limit of 45mph. Knowing there was an up coming light I took my foot off the brake and anticipated the normal deceleration. Suddenly rather than slowing down my engine independently revved up to 3/4 rpm causing me to instantly jump to 50/55 mph. apart from the immediate panic I have never had a vehicle react in this manner and was at a loss for what to do. I hit the brakes extremely hard to combat the acceleration while putting the car into neutral (still going 40+ mph). despite having the car in neutral it was still revving itself at around 3 rpm. After slowing down to a safe speed I turned into a parking lot and immediately turned the car off. I left the car resting for about minutes and when started again, it immediately began revving the same as before. I am very concerned and have been since troubleshooting with my mechanic. This IS clearly a very dangerous issue and significantly lowers my mpg while putting triple the stress on my brakes. *tr
- Electrical system · Steering
This was the third incident in which the car stopped on me. once before I was leaving my apartment and another time when I was driving on my way to church. during all three incidents, I had to coast to the side of the road and try to restart the car. The third time I was driving on the highway…
This was the third incident in which the car stopped on me. once before I was leaving my apartment and another time when I was driving on my way to church. during all three incidents, I had to coast to the side of the road and try to restart the car. The third time I was driving on the highway, the dash board all of a sudden lite up and one of the messages was "low pressure". the steering wheel locked up and so did the gas pedal. I had just enough times to coast to the side of the road (good thing there side strip. I had my 5 year grandson in the car so that was really scary. the car has been parked ever since,i had it towed to a repair shop, the diagnostic suggests replacement of the ignition switch, ignition cylinder, anti-theft and ignition. *tr
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the air bag deployed independently. The contact stated that she sustained a contusion to the upper lip, right eye and burns to the right arm. The contact stated that the vehicle was not in a crash however, one…
TL* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the air bag deployed independently. The contact stated that she sustained a contusion to the upper lip, right eye and burns to the right arm. The contact stated that the vehicle was not in a crash however, one month prior to the air bag deployment, there was a flood in her city that shorted out some of the electrical units in the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 237,000.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Stuck throttle
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)12-005 was opened to investigate allegations of speed control cables detaching from the throttle body and subsequently interfering with the throttle closing fully to the idle position in model year (MY) 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus vehicles.The speed control cable, throttle body attachment arm…
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)12-005 was opened to investigate allegations of speed control cables detaching from the throttle body and subsequently interfering with the throttle closing fully to the idle position in model year (MY) 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus vehicles.The speed control cable, throttle body attachment arm (?nail head?) for the speed control cable, cable mounting bracket and cable routing for the MY 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus are common to all MY 2004 through 2006 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles equipped with either the 155 HP 3.0L 2-valve Vulcan engine or the 200 HP 3.0L 4-valve Duratec engine (the ?subject vehicles?). Figures 1 and 2 show the throttle body cam and speed control cable installed and a cable interference condition caused by contact between a detached cable and the ?nail head.?Ford?s assessment of the condition in incident vehicles noted that the interference conditions produced tended to be short in duration as the cable end tended to dislodge itself from the throttle body due to vibration, road loads or engine roll in addition to tapping the acceleration pedal.Ford inspected three incident vehicles and measured maximum throttle openings of 5.8% to 14.9%, resulting in engine speeds ranging from 1600 to 2200 rpm with the transmission selector in Drive.A Ford stack-up analysis of the speed control cable length from the attachment bracket to the throttle body indicated a maximum theoretical throttle opening of 16.4% that could result from the alleged defect. Engineers at the NHTSA Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) inspected an incident vehicle to evaluate throttle positions and engine speeds that could result from the alleged defect and performed brake testing of a vehicle with the throttle stuck at the worst case throttle opening that could result from the condition.The VRTC vehicle inspection noted that, depending on the orientation of the detached cable end, the amount of throttle opening that could result from interference by a detached speed control cable end varied from 4.8% to 11.3%.VRTC brake testing of a MY 2006 Taurus with a Vulcan engine and the throttle held open at 16% found that, even with multiple brake applications, sufficient vacuum was available for the brake booster assist and the brake pedal efforts required to stop the vehicle did not increase significantly from normal operating conditions. ODI?s analysis of 100 complaints related to the alleged defect found that drivers were generally able to free the interference condition or safely brake to a stop without incident.Approximately one-third (32) reported that the stuck throttle condition was corrected with no action or by tapping the accelerator pedal while the vehicle was still moving, another third (34) reported braking to a stop with the vehicle in Drive prior to correcting the condition, and the remaining third (34) reported that the driver responded to the incident by shifting to Neutral before stopping the vehicle.One complaint alleged that stuck-throttle type symptoms caused the vehicle to pass partially through a traffic light and into an intersection before stopping, however,ODI was unable to contact the owner to verify the cause or relationship to the alleged defect condition.ODI has not identified any crashes related to the alleged defect. Tables 1 and 2 provide a breakdown of complaints and warranty claims related to the alleged defect by engine and model year.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 do
- Engine stalling ffv
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…
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.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10177863This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended.
- 10156863Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
- 10155551Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition
- 10022203Extended warranty coverage for vehicles with hard start when operating on E85 fuel, powertrain control module (pcm) calibration. Warranty extended for 10 years or 100,000 miles which ever comes first. Sample consumer letter attached.
- 100214603.0L 4V - mil on - with multiple coil dtc codes.
- 10019807Tenths digit not displayed on odometer after 10,000 miles/kilometers.
- 10019382Camshaft tick noise - 3.0L 4V engine only.
- 10018749Spark knock, hesitation above 3000 rpm, loss of power, misfire, and possible engine damage due to detonation and pre-ignition - 3.0l-2v vulcan gas/ffv.
- 10018745Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running.
- 10018742Power window concerns - service tip.
- 10018738Power lock concerns - service tip.
- 10017916Surge, idle roll, rough idle only when the engine cooling fans are operating.
- 10016815Various driveability conditions-3.0l 2V and flex fuel engine.
- 10016808Erratic fluid level reading on transaxle dipstick-leaks-4f50n, AX4N, AX4S transaxle.
- 10016806Dtcs p0760 and p0763-4f50n transaxle-vehicles built before 3/15/2005. This may be due to a shorted transaxle internal harness, caused by a sharp edge on the inside of the side cover casting.
- 10014663Rke inoperative.
- 10014310Weld bonding procedure.
- 10014264No crank - battery discharged on 3.0L 4V engine.
- 10014138Safety belt retraction speed.
- 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10014062Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
- 10013397Acceleration pedal vibration. Updates.
- 10013369General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
- 10012954Safety belt web stop button service.
- 10012942Hard start, excessive oil pressure, oil leaks at oil filter o-ring on 3.0L 2V engines build dates 9/27/2004 and 9/28/2004 only.
- 10011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
- 100111574F50n transaxle no 1-2 upshift and diagnositc trouble code p0732.
- 10008183Groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector IS in park with the vehicle parked on an incline. This bulletin updates previous bulletin 17358, dated 11/01/2003 to include 2005 models.
- 10008117Air bag system warning light on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) b1884.
Every Mercury Sable model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.