2002 Mercury Sable suspension problems

“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.”

“ON 2/6/2017 MY 2002 MERCURY SABLE WAGON WITH 63512 MILES ON IT THE FRONT SPRING BROKE TORE THE INSIDE OF TIRE APART NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WAS DAMAGED AT THIS POINT . MY CAR BEING IN VERY GOOD CONDITION NOT YOUR TYPICAL N.Y RUST NOT A ISSUE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INSPECTION, THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS FRACTURED AND DETACHED, DAMAGING THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V332000 (SUSPENSION), BUT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.”

“OUR 2002 SABLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE ISSUE. WHILE WORKING ON THE REAR BRAKES, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT A REAR SUSPENSION SPRING WAS BROKEN. HE SAID WE WERE VERY LUCKY IT DID NOT RUPTURE THE TIRE. WE HAD BOTH REAR SPRINGS REPLACED, BECAUSE WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT TO BREAK. AFTER THAT WORK WAS DONE THE CAR NEEDED TO BE ALIGNED, AND THAT IS WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT A FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING WAS EVEN MORE SEVERELY BROKEN THAT IS WHEN WE SEARCHED FOR POSSIBLE BULLETINS OR RECALLS. THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT 2002 SABLE SPRING BREAKAGE, AND SOME ACTUALLY RUPTURING TIRES. THERE IN FACT WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR 2001 MERCURY SABLES WITH SPRING BREAKAGE PROBLEMS, BUT NOT FOR 2002S. WE KNOW IN FACT THAT THE SAME PART IS USED ON 2001 AND 2002S. SO, FOR SAFETY REASONS WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. WE WERE LUCKY THAT THE SPRINGS DID NOT BREAK AND RUPTURE TIRES WHEN WE WERE DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED. WE BELIEVE THAT A BULLETIN SHOULD BE ISSUED TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL. WE PUT OUT SOME $1200 TO REMEDY THE ISSUE. DO WE…”

“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…”

“AS I WAS BACKING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A NOISE AND THEN A HISS. THEN THE CAR RESISTED FURTHER MOTION. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. I TRIED TO REINFLATE IT BUT COULD NOT. I REMOVED THE FRONT WHEEL AND MOUNTED THE MINI SPARE TIRE. THERE WAS A COMPLETE CIRCUMFERENTIAL TEAR OF THE TIRE SIDEWALL NEAR THE TREAD. I ASSUMED IT WAS A SPONTANEOUS FAILURE OF THE TIRE. WHEN I BOUGHT NEW TIRES TODAY AT COSTCO, THE MECHANIC SAID HE COULD NOT PUT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ON THE CAR BECAUSE A PIECE OF BROKEN SPRING WAS PROJECTING OUTBOARD AND HITTING THE SIDEWALL OF THE NEW TIRE. INSPECTION SHOWED THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN BUT THE POINTED END WAS AIMED INWARD. THE INFERIOR COIL WAS BROKEN OFF AND WAS LOOSE BUT COULD NOT BE EASILY REMOVED FROM THE STRUT. I TOLD THE MECHANIC TO REMOUNT THE MINI-SPARE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. UNTIL I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE THAT FOMOCO HAD PARTIALLY ADDRESSED YEARS AGO IN OTHER MODEL YEARS BUT NOT 2002. IT SEEMS THAT MANY OF THESE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AT REST OR SLOW SPEEDS, BUT I ALSO THINK THIS IS A FUNCTION OF THE FACT THAT CARS SIT MOST OF THEIR LIVES. THERE HAS BEEN…”