- The problem
- 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, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shim may shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.
- The risk
- A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2002 Mercury Sable Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 457 complaints about the 2002 Mercury Sable with NHTSA, most often about the suspension (242) and the acceleration & cruise control (56). Those complaints describe 32 crashes, 5 fires, 23 injuries and 1 death. It is covered by 4 recalls, the latest in April 2016 for the pads. For comparison, the 2001 has 430 and the 2003 has 201.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Sable year, for its age
#25 most complained-about 2002 vehicle
- Complaints
- 457
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes
- 32
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
- 23
- Deaths
- 1
Most common 2002 Mercury Sable problems
Share of all 457 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2002 Mercury Sable recalls 4
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- 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.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- Potential loss of windshield retention may also reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
- The fix
- 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 problem
- Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous application of both the brake and accelerator pedals could result in an increase in engine rpm.
- The risk
- This could result in a customer experiencing an "unintended vehicle speed increase" or a perceived "unable to stop" condition.
- The fix
- Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured. If the spacing is found to be less than 50 mm, the dealer will adjust the pedals to increase the distance between them to greater than 50 mm. Owner notification began october 28, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
What owners say
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457 complaints about the 2002 Mercury Sable
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 19.
10/2/2022 was on I 94 east bound lost momentum rpms jump to 6k then lost all gears in transmission car has 88639 miles on it hardly driven changed trans fluid hoping to get trans working again and still won't move in any gear had to wait 4 hours on freeway for a tow just to get it off the freeway had to fight with AAA for the 4 hours to get it towed now in my driveway and still won't move at all
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light and transmission symbol remained illuminated. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered and stalled occasionally. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. The contact stated while attempting to shift the vehicle out of park, the gear shifter failed to move out park. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken into a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the front driver's side tire exploded. The suspension coil spring on the driver's side fractured and slashed the tire causing the tire to explode. The contact stated that the suspension needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,500.
Car fire due to recalled fuses had this car for 5 years and had no issues
Automatic headlights relay soddard into backside of fuse panel (gem) was bad location for a person with no experience to fix or locate most people never got it fixed because of no experience and amount of money to have an electrical mechanic to fix. I understand there was a few people did get it fixed through a recall but I didn't and I never got a recall for this in the mail. I would like ford motor company fix this because I was never notified of this problem. My car has had this problem for about 12 years.
Driving(in motion) on busy road(city street) near home, accelerated to 45mph, tried to slow down for light, removed foot off gas and car did not slow. Had to slam on brakes in order to avoid car stopped at light. Took all my strength on brake to keep car stopped. Put in neutral, no change. Put in park no change,still 4000 rpms. Wanted to get vehicle home so I put on flashers drove home while applying brakes.I was scared to death. Should have pulled over and turned car off but wanted to get it home so I could avoid...
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a tow. I am pretty handy and am doing research in order to fix myself.Popped the hood at home and immediately saw that the cable going to the throttle body was broken and hung up on a clip on the linkage cover. Image is of another vehicle with the same exact problem.
In motion the car wants to keeps accelerating even when you hit brake. And will stay the speed you are going or go faster. And you don't have to keep pushing accelerated. From start the rpms go straight to like 5 to 6 to 7 rpms and takes about 30 sec to idle down. I have tried everything to fix it. It just won't fix!.... My power steering pump is brand new my rack and pinion is brand new. And my fluid still wants to over flow every time I get done driving it. I have tried everything to fix it can't and it's so hard...
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to turn. Just not safe car at all I have put money in to fix all of this and it hasn't changed anything. They just keep messing up. The both of them. And the acceleration is very very dangerous. Cause the brake won't even slow you down. In motion and it happens in motion. And the rpms ramp up happens when just turning it on. And the power steering happens in motion an stationary.......!!!!!
On 2/6/2017 my 2002 mercury sable wagon with 63512 miles on it the front spring broke tore the inside of tire apart not sure what else was damaged at this point . My car being in very good condition not your typical n.Y rust not a issue this is a very dangerous design defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. Upon starting the vehicle, it would not move. The failure occurred without warning. Upon inspection, the front coil springs fractured and detached, damaging the front driver side tire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 04v332000 (suspension), but the vin was excluded. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Miles 70,290 (acc) I was driving ob the highway , to avoid a crash I had to stop quickly. All indicator lamps came on but the car did not shut off. Small clouds of smoke from exhaust (white-grey). It was parked for 2 days , start up was fine driving was fine also. Once again a( lead foot) driver cut me and another car off. Same thing avoiding a crash slamming on my break. Again all indicator lights on but the cut shuts off completely. Turn it back on its was hesitation smoke and shaking. And more. A tsb was issued for a part/piece that will cause premature engine failure. *Tr
I have just found out from my mechanic that the transmission, ax4n, that is in my mercury, have sudden and immediate failures due to a defect in the torque converter. When I called several local transmission shops, they are all aware of this problem. Cost to fix, approximately $1800 for a new torque converter. While you are driving the car it will act like you shifted into neutral. The engine is running, but the car will not move forward or backward. You immediately have to find a place to pull over to. This can be...
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quite hazardous if you are on the expressway. There is no preventive maintenance you can do to prevent this problem. This is a manufacturing defect. The hydraulic pump shaft has approximately two inches of mail spline. The female counterpart which is in the torque converter is approximately one eighth of an inch in thickness. The hydraulic pump shaft will strip the teeth on the torque converter. This causes the car to become inoperable. What is frustrating is that you will have no warning when this will happen. And you do not have any warning of an impending problem. You are now looking at a $1800, for a replacement torque converter. The rebuild company that sells rebuilt torque converters replaces the 1/8 inch female spline,that has stripped, in the torque converter with a new 1/4 inch thick female spline in the torque converter. It certainly seems that ford was negligent when assembling this transmission. This is a safety issue. My car can loose power at any time. When making a left turn into oncoming traffic or on the road while traveling on the expressway. I now have to drive this car and be paranoid while on the road. There is nothing I can do to prevent this problem. I would have to replace the torque converter for peace of mind while driving this car. It only has 69,000 miles on it. Ford said my car is out of warranty. Sincerely [[redacted]] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
The transmission froze up breaking the axle right off as I pulled out of a drive way onto the street with on coming traffic.
Was pulling into parking lot brakes went out totally no warning stopped by emergency brake have no brakes at all turning after 45 mph then to a stopligh intothe city's resturant
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. When the accelerator pedal was depressed at 50 mph, the vehicle rapidly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was unaware of how the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who stated that the cruise control cable was fractured. The contact performed a temporary repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. While attempting to park the vehicle, it experienced unintended acceleration. As a result, the vehicle jumped a curb and struck a metal table outside. The vehicle would not stop even with the brake pedal depressed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the brakes did not feel as though they were fully operational. A police report was filed. The contact suffered minor injuries to the knee, back, and neck, which required medical attention and physical therapy. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Car does not slow down when the accelerator is released.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. When the ignition was turned to the on position, the vehicle revved to 4,000 rpms without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. It was discovered that the accelerator cable attached to a clip was stuck in the upright position. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
It has a very high smell of gas when driving car and when you stop all you smell is gas
While traveling down the highway, the car accelerated without explanation or warning. Brakes were not able to slow the vehicle to a controllable level. Brakes overheated from constant application. The car plowed over a parking barrier and through the grass before running a stop sign and stop light. Only way to stop the car was to throw it into park which caused the engine to rev and smoke. Given the level of traffic and time of day, the probability of an accident (possibly fatal) was extremely high. Car had...
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to be towed to the repair garage but we do not have the documentation on cause of problem yet. Contacted manufacturer regarding covering cost of repair and they refused indicating this specific car is not on recall list, although there are several documented cases of this exact problem on the same make, model & year.
My car has been a terrible liability since day one,i am ahndicapped and on a permanent budget,,i need to get this looked at and my car taken care of soon,im scared I may soon end up on foot if these horrid issues rnt rectified,,i bought my car from first class cars in salt lake city utah,,ive asked 4 times to get it traded in,,much to my shock they wouldnt even talk to me,,please help me!My car reves at times then while sitting stil it wil try to drive without me pushing the excelirator,,im scared it gonna leap out amy hands soon,,im terirfied of it!!
Our 2002 sable was brought in for an emergency brake cable issue. While working on the rear brakes, the mechanic noticed that a rear suspension spring was broken. He said we were very lucky it did not rupture the tire. We had both rear springs replaced, because we did not know what caused it to break. After that work was done the car needed to be aligned, and that is when they noticed that a front suspension spring was even more severely broken that is when we searched for possible bulletins or recalls. There...
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were many complaints about 2002 sable spring breakage, and some actually rupturing tires. There in fact was a recall issued for 2001 mercury sables with spring breakage problems, but not for 2002s. We know in fact that the same part is used on 2001 and 2002s. So, for safety reasons we had no choice but to replace both front springs. We feel that this is a severe safety issue. We were lucky that the springs did not break and rupture tires when we were driving at a high speed. We believe that a bulletin should be issued to notify owners of this safety issue, and that repairs should be covered under a recall. We put out some $1200 to remedy the issue. Do we have any chance of compensation for our expenses? I did call ford and made a complaint, and have been assigned a case number #[[redacted]]. Thank you for any assistance you can provide. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. While driving 25 mph, the headlights failed to remain illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
Approximately 39,000 miles. No rust car. Rubbing noise and all tires with history of losing air. While replacing all tires, wheel tech noticed right rear coil spring was fractured and completely wore off interior tire ridge. Placed doughnut tire on and advised I take to mechanic to have all springs fully checked. Car currentlyat mechanic shop this evening. Right rear coil spring definitely fractured. Seems many reports of same nature on this model. Why no recall on rear coil springs with so many complaints?...
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Rubbing sound from beneath car has been noted and tires constantly needed air. Other issue(s): 1) ignition extremely hard to turn.2) Accelerator seems to stick upon attempting to decelerate by letting up foot pressure. I inherited this car from my deceased father. I was always concerned that he accelerated too quickly from a stopped position. Father took down a large concrete planter due to this type of car jerking, yet I thought it was due to his putting too much pressure upon the accelerator. Now that I am driving the car, I note that car does not slow when I let up on the accelerator, leading me to believe that the accident was not due to father's driving. This was never a problem with his former car. 3) Driver's door makes loud clunk upon opening and closing. Are these known problems?
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercury sable. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated and caused the battery to drain. The contact mentioned that the brake lights dimmed when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000.
Mercury Sable: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | A |
| 2005 | 83 | 1 | A |
| 2004 | 52 | 2 | A |
| 2003 | 201 | 4 | C |
| 2002 | 457 | 4 | D |
| 2001 | 430 | 9 | D |
| 2000 | 465 | 7 | D |
| 1999 | 267 | 5 | D |
| 1998 | 195 | 2 | C |
2002 Mercury Sable vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Mercury Sable | 457 | 4 | D | |
| 2002 Mercury Mountaineer | 389 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Mercury Cougar | 111 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis | 106 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Mercury Villager | 35 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2002 Mercury Mystique | 2 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2002 Mercury Sable
Does the 2002 Mercury Sable have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2002 Mercury Sable: pads (April 2016); switch (March 2004); windshield (March 2003); pedals and linkages (October 2002). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercury Sable?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the suspension (242), acceleration & cruise control (56), visibility & wipers (29).
How many complaints has the 2002 Mercury Sable had?
457 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on April 22, 2002 and the latest on October 4, 2022. Of these, 32 describe a crash and 5 a fire, and together they report 23 injuries and 1 death.
Is the 2002 Mercury Sable a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 26 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Mercury Sable year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Mercury Sable years have the most complaints?
1993 (677), 2000 (465), 2002 (457). See every Mercury Sable year compared.
What should I do if my 2002 Mercury Sable has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data