Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Mercury Sable problems

Owners filed 457 complaints about the 2002 Mercury Sable with NHTSA between Apr 2002 and Oct 2022. The most-cited component is suspension (242).

Complaints
457
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
32
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension242
  2. Vehicle speed control56
  3. Power train28
  4. Visibility28
  5. Air bags25
  6. Engine and engine cooling22
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic19
  8. Electrical system18
  9. Structure14
  10. Exterior lighting13
  11. Tires12
  12. Wheels6
  13. Latches/locks/linkages5
  14. Fuel system, gasoline5

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200222
200320
200437
200534
200629
200750
200859
200938
201049
201134
201228
201316
201412
20158
201611
20174
20182
20190
20201
20211
20222

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

242 reports2 crashes1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. THE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRACTURED AND SLASHED THE TIRE CAUSING THE TIRE TO EXPLODE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,500.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 25, 2020SuspensionODI 11361053

Vehicle speed control

56 reports6 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 22, 2017Vehicle speed controlODI 10990855

Power train

28 reports1 crash
“10/2/2022 was on I 94 east bound lost momentum rpms jump to 6k then lost all gears in transmission car has 88639 miles on it hardly driven changed trans fluid hoping to get trans working again and still won't move in any gear had to wait 4 hours on freeway for a tow just to get it off the freeway had to fight with AAA for the 4 hours to get it towed now in my driveway and still won't move at all”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 4, 2022Power trainODI 11487805

Visibility

28 reports1 related recall
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2012Electrical system, Exterior lighting, VisibilityODI 10457115

Air bags

25 reports20 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A MULTI VEHICLE CRASH IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED YET THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT AND A PASSENGER SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES AND WERE BOTH TRANSPORTED VIA AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY BUT WAS NOT EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,700.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 24, 2010Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10351518

Engine and engine cooling

22 reports1 crash1 fire
“WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON AND ACTIVE AND GAS PEDAL MANUALLY DEPRESSED ( TO PASS CAR) THROTTLE WILL STICK OPEN. BALL ON THROTTLE PLATE COMES OUT OF SADDLE ON CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF GAS BALL ON THROTTLE PLATE DOES NOT RETURN TO ORIGINAL SADDLE POSITION AT END OF CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. BALL ON THROTTLE PLATE GETS STUCK ON EDGE OF ENTRANCE TO CABLE SADDLE. THROTTLE STICKS PARTWAY OPEN WITH AMOUNT OPEN DEPENDING ON CRUISE CONTROL CABLE POSITION / AMOUNT OF THROTTLE COMMANDED BY CRUISE CONTROL. I FIXED BY PLACING A PIECE OF 1/2" O.D. TUBE OVER CABLE (SLIT ALONG LENGTH AND THEN OVER CABLE, CABLE TIE IN POSITION). THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP BALL ON THROTTLE FROM COMING OUT OF SADDLE ON CRUISE CABLE. BASICALLY SNAP LOCK IN SADDLE IS WEARING OUT AFTER REPEATEDLY PRESSING ON GAS WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS ON AND ACTIVE. NO MORE PROBLEMS FOR 20,000 MILES. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 14, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed controlODI 10451699
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

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