I got in my car started to drive and heard something snap then smoke came from the hood and the car pulled hard right. I immediately stopped and parked the car. The coil spring broke and dug into my front passenger tire and it pulled the axle out of the cv joint.I was in allentown,pa. On a main road in the city. Feb.8,2020.
2001 Mercury Sable suspension problems
204 complaints (47% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 74,000.
- owner complaints
- 204
- of this car's complaints
- 47%
- typical mileage
- 74,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Rear: springs: coil springs95
- Rear40
- Rear: springs29
- Front: springs: coil springs28
- Front5
- Front: macpherson strut1
- Front: control arm: upper ball joint1
- Front: control arm: lower ball joint1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Mercury Sable suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2001 Mercury Sable suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with salt used on the roadways during the winter. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the tire may rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2005. If either front coil spring fractures, dealers will replace both front springs at no charge to the owner. An interim notice was sent to owners on august 2, 2004. Parts are now available for the 2000-2001 my vehicles and owners were sent a letter on january 10, 2005, advising them to bring in their vehicles for repair parts are expected to be available for the 1999 my vehicles by the end of february 2005 and owners of these vehicles will be notified then. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 04V332000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Rear coil spring fracture
Odi's analysis identified a high complaint rate for the rear coil springs in the salt belt states (approximately 250 per 100,000 vehicles).approximately 59 percent of the complaints alleged that the coil spring failure caused damage to the adjacent rear tire, with about half of these (30 percent of total complaints) alleging that the damage resulted in air loss.because air loss from a rear tire can result in changes in vehicle handling characteristics, odi examined field data, test data and interviewed consumers to assess the safety consequences of such failures in the subject vehicle population.analysis of all available field data did not identify any crashes or injuries resulting from the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.vrtc testing conducted to simulate a coil spring induced rear tire failure did not result in a loss of vehicle control.when interviewed by odi, none of the consumers who experienced incidents of tire air loss due to the alleged defect indicated that the failures caused a loss of vehicle control.tire damage resulting from the alleged defect has involved rubbing/abrasive wear of the inner tire sidewall with the potential for air loss from pin-hole sized leaks in the wear groove.there is no evidence that the alleged defect has caused any sudden, catastrophic tire failures in either straight or turning maneuvers.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 the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
EA06002
Rear coil spring fracture
The office of defect investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation, pe05-054, based on 131 vehicle owner questionnaires related to alleged rear coil spring fractures.since opening the investigation there have been an additional sixty-three (63) complaints alleging rear coil spring fracture.an analysis of the vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) submitted to odi reveals that 42% of the complainants allege that the adjacent tire was punctured as result of a rear coil spring fracture. Additionally, an analysis of the complaint data received by odi from ford reveals the following: there were a total of 553 unique vehicle complaints of coil spring fracture. 30% of the complaints allege that the rear coil spring fracture resulted in the adjacent tire being punctured. An engineering analysis (ea06-002) is being opened to further examine the potential safety implications of the rear coil spring fractures as related to tire punctures.
PE05054
What 2001 Mercury Sable owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My 17 year old was driving the 2001 mercury sable and came to a complete stop at a light on a busy intersection however, the car automatically accelerated even with his foot on the brake. The acceleration stuck and fortunately he was able to control the vehicle without hitting anyone and causing an accident but immediately managed to get it to an open lot to shut the car off. Had someone look at it, and it was the throttle cable that snapped. It is only temporarily fixed at this time. Also, when driving in areas where there is any type of small bump, such as the end of our driveway, the front end suspension just isn't there. It hits extremely hard.
Front coil springs both broken and replaced. Rear coil spring brole and punctured tire causing the vehicle to become stranded.
My mechanic advised that the coil spring is lacking a cover and is rusting and may break. My transmission "slips" and "revs" at random. Both of these items are supposedly under recall, but ford will not honor the recalls.
The engine cradle/frame supporting the engine & transmission and suspension and steering assemblies failed due to excessive corrosion causing the rear mount at the body connection on both sides to separate and drop about 3" causing a loss of steering. The drop of the cradle and engine and transmission pulled down on the steering shaft universal joint under the dash causing the steering to bind up and also causing the entire steering and suspension geometry to fail. The vehicle was not garaged, was purchased new by me, was not in involved in any flood damage, was not in close proximity to salt water and the undercarriage was sprayed each time I frequently washed the vechicle. The engine cradle in addition to the rear mount failure has extensive rust and corrosion thruout the structure. As someone who pays attention to my vehicle I began to notice rust/corrosion on the engine cradle about 5 years after purchasing the vehicle and have searched the internet for similar complaints without finding any. I'm wirtting this after finally seeing a complaint on a 2001 ford taurus cradle/frame failure and think this dangerous condition should be made public. Thankfully I was going at a slow speed and was able to veer the vehicle to the side of the road. Had I been traveling at highway speed the event would have been catastrophic not only to me but others on the road also. Loved my vehicle it runs great and was looking foward to more miles with it, unfortunately the repair would be a major undertaking and expense and my sable is to head to the junk yard on a flatbed.
Something drastically wrong with the radiator system, antifreeze is always brown, have it changed and in 1 day it turns brown. The windows have been broken in this car since 2005, the two front windows do not go up and down, I don't feel safe without the windows working. There is something wrong with the suspension and I constantly have to put air into my tires and tires wear out quickly because suspension is messed up. Windshield washer has not worked since 2003. If it was built with pride like the company says it is, it would be a nice car. Falls apart too easily. I need help.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. The contact stated that while the vehicle being serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that both front coil springs fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v332000 (suspension). The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
My mechanic noticed that the rear spring was worn. This, he said, was cause for a recall in the front spring in 2005. However, there was no similar recall for rear spring. My mechanic said this part should not have worn out like this.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. While the vehicle was being inspected, the mechanic noticed that the front and rear coil springs fractured. The contact noticed a severe vibration underneath the vehicle and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The two rear tires were damaged and replaced due to the defective coil springs. An independent mechanic stated that the front and rear coil springs were faulty. The coil springs were not replaced and the manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 147,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercury sable. The contact stated that the front passenger side coil spring broke. The contact was able to drive onto the emergency lane when the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The contact notified the manufacturer regarding the federal safety agency recall campaign id number: 04v332000 (suspension) and was informed that the vehicle was included in the recall, but that it would not be repaired because it was a 2001 model and even though the recall was issued in 2004 and had been 10 years since the vehicle was made. The failure and current mileage was 74,000.
Questions about the 2001 Mercury Sable suspension
Does the 2001 Mercury Sable have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 204 complaints about the suspension of the 2001 Mercury Sable, 47% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2001 Mercury Sable suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 74,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Mercury Sable suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V332000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mercury Sable have bad suspension?
The Mercury Sable model years with the most suspension complaints are 2002 (239 complaints), 2001 (204 complaints) and 2000 (158 complaints).
Other 2001 Mercury Sable problems
Acceleration 61Brakes 40Airbags 27Engine 27Electrical 26Transmission 22Lights 15Fuel system 13Seat belts 12Body 11Visibility 11Steering 7Tires 5Seats 4Locks 2Driver assistance 1Wheels 1
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