1999 Mercury Sable: brake failure

8 of the 258 complaints about the 1999 Mercury Sable describe brake failure.

owner complaints: 8
of this car's complaints: 3%
typical mileage: 59,900
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 5 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Brake failure by model year

2009
1
2005
1
2003
1
2002
7
2001
11
2000
6
1999
8
1998
7
1997
8
1996
4
1995
2
1994
2
1993
5
1992
7
1990
1

What owners say

Filed Jul 8, 2009 · Brakes · 97,000 miles · NY

Complete brake failure. Pedal went to the floor and car would not stop. I used the emergency brake to safely stop the vehicle. This happened once before about three years ago and a repair center was unable to duplicate. Brake master cylinder failed and needed to be replaced.

Filed Jul 8, 2006 · Brakes · 70,000 miles · PA

Was driving in stop-and-go traffic near holland tunnels in nyc when brakes failed without warning. Went to stop and pedal traveled completely to floor. Had to use emergency brake to stop. 2 hour wait for tow truck, so decided to try driving again after 1 hour. Brakes appeared to function normally thereafter, although a little spongy at first.

Filed Jul 22, 2005 · Brakes · 59,900 miles · NY

Total casastropic brake faiure. With my wife driving we encountered a toll plaza on the garden state parkway in new jersey. My wife attemped to slow the car and at that point exclaimed, "I have no brakes"....we went though the toll booths and stopped the car about 100 feet away using the emergency/parking brake. I opened the hood, and checked the level of brake fluid, it was full. I got behind the wheel and started the car and put it in drive. I too found the brake pedal on 'on the floor' with no stopping power, even at low crawl/idle speed. I again stopped the car using the only means, the parking brake. We had the car towed using a new jersey authorized tow company to their facilities. They cheked the car, drove it, pulled all four wheels and found no problem. They test drove the car and found they were unable to duplicate my problem, brakes worked normally. We drove home about 150 miles using caution and the brakes worked normally as they are working now. We are two mature, well experienced drivers, and I am in the auto parts/repair business. I know with certainty that I had no brakes at the toll plaza, and my wife confirms that. Brake pedal was on the floor and would not even hold the car still at idle speed. I do not know what went wrong, but it is obviously a very dangerious defect, which can cause many fatalities. There should be redundantcy in the brakke system and this should not have happened, whatever the reason. The car is available for inspection if necessary. I have not decided on a further course of action at this point. Thank you

Filed Aug 20, 2003 · Brakes · 37,600 miles · TN · crash · 2 injuries

On sunday aug. 17th I drove onto a steep exit from a 4 lane highway to a fiveline highway. I had no brakes. The light at the bottom of the ramp stayed green (there were about 40 cars waiting to enter the intersection)--I crossed all five lanes and crashed my car into a dirt bank. I had no brakes --the man following me said (and told the police) that he smelled a burning ordor or brake smell and had commented to his wife that he thought something was wrong with my brakes before the incident. He advised the police. The police checked the brakes and the pedal was on the floor. I was advised yesterday (8/19) that state farm is totalling the car--that they can find nothing wrong with the brakes. Now there is no way that something did not go wrong with those brakes--my father and I were almost killed. I want to know if other ford sables or taurus--1999 models have had a similar problem?

Filed Jul 22, 2003 · Brakes · 42,685 miles · MA

Total loss of braking while travelling 50 MPH. Pedal went completely to the floor. No lights indicating brake failure lit. Put on flashers, moved to brakedown lane, exited hwy, up hill speed dropped, allowed driver to come against a curb and stop. Brake fluid in resevoir is all very black. Vehicle ha been towed to a shop.

Filed Jul 24, 2002 · Brakes · NJ

When brakes were applied at 50mph pedal went to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. Dealer has been notified. Please provide additional information.

Filed Sep 6, 2001 · Brakes · MI

When consumer placed foot on the brake the pedal went to the floor without any deceleration of the vehicle, as a result the driver swerved into a driveway and parking lot, after pumping the brake a few times the braking power returned, a mechanic diagnosed the problem as a master cylinder seal failure, after this replacement the problem reoccured.

Filed Apr 30, 2001 · Brakes · NC

While driving consumer started experiencing problems with brakes, the pedal had to be pushed down further than normal, and the brakes did not seem to work smoothly, while trying to stop for a light, the brakes failed completley and warning signal did not come on, consumer swerved onto the shoulder put the car in low gear and had pedal to the floor and vehicle finally stopped, vehicle was towed in and inspected and it was determined that the master cylinder contained black fluid, and that the cylinder needed to be replaced.