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 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.
2002 Mercury Sable acceleration problems
56 complaints (13% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 88,000. 6 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 56
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical mileage
- 88,000
- crashes
- 6
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Accelerator pedal5
- Cruise control2
- Cables1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Mercury Sable acceleration problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Mercury Sable acceleration
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Speed control cable damage
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 the federal safety agency'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.
PE12033
What 2002 Mercury Sable owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 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.......!!!!!
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.
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 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.
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? 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?
Speed control cable cracked and dislodged holding throttle open... Ford had a customer satisfaction program for this.. 13b04. However it was never done, never got any letters and has now expired... Ford refuses to pay for a clip and cable(needs now) and since this never was a "recall" per say it is a safety issue. How can I get ford to pay for this?
Questions about the 2002 Mercury Sable acceleration
Does the 2002 Mercury Sable have acceleration problems?
Owners have filed 56 complaints about the acceleration of the 2002 Mercury Sable, 13% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2002 Mercury Sable acceleration problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 88,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mercury Sable acceleration?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Mercury Sable have the most acceleration problems?
The Mercury Sable model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2000 (71 complaints), 2001 (61 complaints) and 2002 (56 complaints).
Other 2002 Mercury Sable problems
Suspension 239Visibility 27Airbags 24Brakes 24Engine 24Transmission 23Electrical 17Lights 14Body 13Fuel system 9Tires 9Wheels 6Locks 4Steering 4Seat belts 3Driver assistance 1
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