Problems · by component

2000 Mercury Sable vehicle speed control problems

70 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2000 Mercury Sable cite vehicle speed control, 15% of all 465 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
70
15% of all complaints
Crashes
18
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE RPMS INCREASED TO 500 OR MORE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 14, 2017Vehicle speed controlODI 11023485
“I WAS IN A PARKING LOT OF A STORE, STARTED MY CAR, HEADED OUT ONTO A CITY STREET, TURNED RIGHT. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY VEHICLE TOOK OFF, STARTED SPEEDING UP. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, IT SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN A LITTLE, BUT THE BRAKE FELT LIKE AIR AND DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS BRAKING CORRECTLY. LUCKILY, I HAD A GREEN LIGHT, WENT THROUGH THAT, KEPT BRAKING. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT BUT THEN WOULD NOT STOP COMPLETELY, SURGED A LITTLE MORE; I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT; BRAKED AGAIN, MY CAR KEPT GOING AT SLOW SPEED; I PULLED ON MY PARKING BRAKE, NOTHING HAPPENED. THEN, I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK, WHICH STOPPED IT. THEN I PULLED OUT THE KEY. I CALLED THE MECHANIC I USE. HE SENT A TOW TRUCK TO ME. MY CAR IS AT THE MECHANICS NOW.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 10, 2015Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 10809530
“I DROVE THE CAR HOME AFTER PURCHASING IT AND IT WAS WOBBLING AND I PULLED OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND DID NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. THE MECHANIC SIAD A WHEEL BEARING IS BROKEN ON A TIRE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 25, 2015Suspension, Vehicle speed control, WheelsODI 10806676
“THIS SABLE HAD THE STUCK THROTTLE PROBLEM RECALL PERFORMED IN OCTOBER 2013. YESTERDAY, A DANGEROUS ACCELERATION CONDITION OCCURRED. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING EVEN AFTER TAKING ALL PRESSURE FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I ENTERED AN ON RAMP AND ACCELERATED TO JOIN WITH TRAFFIC. EVEN AFTER COMPLETELY REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING TO OVER 75 MILES AN HOUR. I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, BUT HAD TO SHUT OFF THE IGNITION TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND IT IMMEDIATELY WENT TO 5500 RPM AND STARTED CUTTING OUT (MISFIRING- I ASSUME WAS CAUSED BY A REV LIMITER). I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AGAIN. AFTER TWO MORE TRIES STARTING, AND REVVING TO 5500 RPM, IT FINALLY STARTED AND IDLED AT 800 RPM. WHILE CLIMBING A HILL THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AGAIN, BUT AT 3000 RPM. I AGAIN HAD TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO STOP. WHEN I RESTARTED, IT REVVED TO 3000 RPM. I SHUT IT OFF AGAIN AND OPENED THE HOOD. I MANUALLY PULLED ON THE THROTTLE CABLE TO INSURE IT WAS NOT APPLYING PRESSURE. I THEN STARTED THE ENGINE AND IT IDLED AT 800 RPM. THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED IN OCTOBER 2013I HAVE THE SABLE AT A DEALER AT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 16, 2014Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, EngineODI 10588947
“EXITED FROM THE HIGHWAY TO REFUEL. UPON FUELING WE INTENDED TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP AS PLANNED. CAR STOPPED AT LIGHT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FOR 5-10 FEET. ENGINE MADE A REVVING SOUND AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. ALL FUELS LOOK GOOD AND THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 20,000 MILES TOTAL BECAUSE IT WAS USED SPARINGLY BY PREVIOUS OWNER. NO LIGHTS OR INDICATION GAVE WARNING THAT TRANSMISSION WOULD LOSE POWER. WE ARE NOW SEEING ONLINE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE. I HAD PREVIOUSLY CALLED DEALER BUT KEPT GETTING HUNG UP ON. I AM A WIDOW WITH CHILDREN AND DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO JUST TOW THE CAR TO BE FIXED AS THIS WAS OUR ONLY TRANSPORTATION WE HAVE BEEN LIMITED ON ACTUALLY TRAVELING TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY CAN CHECK RECALL INFORMATION FOR US. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 20, 2013Fuel system, gasoline, Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10553014
“I DROVE MY MERCURY SABLE 2000 TODAY. JUST SECONDS AFTER I GOT OFF FROM A HIGHWAY TO A LOCAL ROAD, MY FILLED MY CAR ACCELERATED WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE. I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKE HARD TO STOP THE CAR IN A TRAFFIC LIGHT. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE RUSHED TO 4000RPM. I SWITCHED TO PARK GEAR AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, I TURNED ON THE CAR AGAIN BUT THE ENGINE RUSHED TO 4000RMP. HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. WAIT FOR A MINUTE AND TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN. SAME PROBLEM EXISTS. IN THE PARK POSITION, I HIT THE GAS PEDAL GENTLY AND THE ENGINE RUNNING BACK TO NORMAL. THEN I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK HOME (~10MILES). IT WAS SO SCARY AND HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL COME BACK AGAIN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2013Fuel system, gasoline, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10533328

Showing 6 of 70 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.