After rains the car got a wet floor on the passenger side ,no wet spots on roof or windows. It was leaking water from the dash board compartment bottom.while driving ,the heater was on and it started smoking from under the dashboard compartment by passenger side I turned everything off . I took it for repair and now, on may it rained heavy again and it has a puddle in the passenger side again ,same situation as before, water came from inside.is this a safety hazard? I bought this car on november 2013 ,and I knew too late about the heating system recall ,I don't know if it was ever repaired on that recall.ford dealer in colorado says there is no way to check it.according to some websites it needs something to have a protection under the wipers vents(cowl) and it is a factory mistake. I have had the heating system repaired 2 times,too expensive for me.I am under employed. I want to know if this is a safety hazard. It is the only way I could make ford to fix this recalled if the car was never fixed for this before.thanks for your help.
Mercury Sable wipers problems
92 of the 4,888 owner complaints about the Mercury Sable describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 1993 model year.
- owner complaints
- 92
- worst model year
- 1993
- typical repair cost reported
- $400
- typical mileage
- 65,988
By model year
Often reported together
Water leak 4Transmission failure 2Stalling 2Won't start 1Sudden acceleration 1Steering noise 1Headlights 1Fire or smoke 1
What owners say
Wire harness failure in rubber boots from body of car to rear lift gate on station wagon model. Insulation cracking and wire breaking completely in flexible rubber boot causes erratic behavior and ultimate failure of high brake light, back up lights, license plate lights, rear windshield wiper, rear window defroster, open lift gate and open rear window safety sensors and stereo speakers. Insulation and wiring within boot has become brittle and fatigued. Clean breaks in wires from opening and closing lift gate are evident. Wires where insulation has broken through are coming in contact with other circuits where that insulation has broken through and results in "confusing" operation of lights. Ie put car in reverse and high brake light comes on - put foot on brake and high brake light goes out. Backup lights don't come on at all. Ie turn on rear windshield wiper and license plate light comes on. Wiring does not appear to have sufficient number of multiple internal copper strands or supple enough insulation to provide needed flexibility during regular opening and closing of rear lift gate. Believe this to be a latent safety defect. Manufacturer should have known during design that wiring in boot to station wagon lift gate would be prone to catastrophic failure with regular use.
The blower motor on my 2003 mercury sable was sitting in a pool of water, ruining the motor. Caused by faulty design by ford motor co. Water gets into this area by improper design, allows water to reach area when the wiper cowl eventually warps, or when the A/C drain clogs or water leaking thru the firewall.
Mercury sable 2009 windshield wipers clog with snow and make windshield completly opaque. Scraping snow/slush off only works for five minutes. I have had to pull off to roadside in traffic to repeatedly clean the windshield. Wipers cannot be adequatly cleaned during event.
Blower motor failed, water leak on passenger carpet. Very common issue that ford will not address. Service was done to replace blower motor, wiper cowl, cabin filter, and rain hat extension at owner's cost. Parts replaced were same as original so failure is likely to occur again.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercury sable. The windshield wiper motor is causing a leak on the front passenger side of the vehicle. There is a the federal safety agency campaign id number 01v258000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor), but the contact was informed that her vehicle was out of warranty. The purchase date and powertrain were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 78,000.
Heater blower motor on 2003 sable took on water from leak in wiper cowl and ceased to function. Extended warranty did not cover water leaks so dealer wanted $400 to seal leak and fix motor.
2001 mercury sable wiper cowl and pollen air filter was full of water. *ts ***nar*** the blower and defroster were inoperable.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling at approximately 30 MPH during an ice/sleet storm the front windshield wipers stopped working. An independent mechanic determined the windshield/wiper motor was defective. The motor was replaced. There is an the federal safety agency recall, #01v258000 visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
My mercury sable front windshield wipers turn on intermittently when you use the blinker and sometimes when you are just holding the steering wheel. Especially on a sunny day, this defect is a startling occurrence and could lead to an accident. I experienced the same problem on my other two 1999 ford vehicles. My 1999 expedition did the same thing and the multifunction switch was replaced under the ford program number 00b40. My 1999 taurus also did the same thing and the multifunction switch was replaced under the 36,000-mile warranty. This is obviously a known problem to ford and should be addressed. If it has happened to three 1999 vehicles in the same household, I am sure the problem is much more widespread and a safety recall is in order.
Related recalls
Visibility: windshield
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Potential loss of windshield retention may also reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 03V087000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; wayne stamping and assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and wixom plant from 2/15/00 through 8/8/00.
- Risk
- Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. 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 at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 01V258000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mercury Sable wipers
Which Mercury Sable years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1993 (27 complaints), 1999 (17 complaints) and 1992 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix windshield wiper failure on the Mercury Sable?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $400 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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