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
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Suspension242
- Vehicle speed control56
- Power train28
- Visibility28
- Air bags25
- Engine and engine cooling22
- Service brakes, hydraulic19
- Electrical system18
- Structure14
- Exterior lighting13
- Tires12
- Wheels6
- Latches/locks/linkages5
- 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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
22
20
37
34
29
50
59
38
49
34
28
16
12
8
11
4
2
0
1
1
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 22 |
| 2003 | 20 |
| 2004 | 37 |
| 2005 | 34 |
| 2006 | 29 |
| 2007 | 50 |
| 2008 | 59 |
| 2009 | 38 |
| 2010 | 49 |
| 2011 | 34 |
| 2012 | 28 |
| 2013 | 16 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
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.
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.”
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.”
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”
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…”
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.”
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”
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.