2002 Mercury Sable Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sable years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 440 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercury Sable. That ranks 2nd out of 14 Sable model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (239 complaints, 54%), typically at around 77,154 miles. Complaints mention 32 crashes, 5 fires, 22 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 440owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 32complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Mercury Sable problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 239 | 54% | 77,154 | “coil spring” (56%) | $1,150 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 56 | 13% | 87,755 | “control cable” (21%) | — |
| Visibility | 26 | 6% | 56,011 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 24 | 5% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 23 | 5% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 5% | 49,946 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 18 | 4% | 36,950 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 4% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 3% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 13 | 3% | 52,723 | — | — |
| Tires | 9 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 1% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 1% | 106,586 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 81,276 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 1% | 89,800 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 1% | 131,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 0% | 62,973 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 68,552 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 36,251 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 113,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Mercury Sable recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring. This malfunctioning could render the stop lamps inoperable or cause them to stay on all the time. This could cause confusion to a following driver, which could lead to a crash.
Risk: In addition, if the switch and/or associated wiring fail in the open position, the brake lights will not actuate and the driver will not be able to shift the vehicle out of "park" if they fail in the closed position, the brake lights will remain on, which will not allow the speed control to be activated. This could also cause the battery to discharge.
Fix: Dealers will remove the stop lamp switch and associated wiring assembly and install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly. Owner notification is expected to begin on april 5, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Visibility:windshield
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous application of both the brake and accelerator pedals could result in an increase in engine rpm.
Risk: This could result in a customer experiencing an "unintended vehicle speed increase" or a perceived "unable to stop" condition.
Fix: Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured. If the spacing is found to be less than 50 mm, the dealer will adjust the pedals to increase the distance between them to greater than 50 mm. Owner notification began october 28, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Speed control cable damage (PE12033) — opened Oct 24, 2012, closed Jun 26, 2013.
- Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture (EA08018) — opened Aug 28, 2008, closed Jun 30, 2011.
- Brake/accelerator pedal application (RP03001) — opened Oct 31, 2003, closed Mar 23, 2004.
- Brake light switch failure (RQ03008) — opened Oct 23, 2003, closed Mar 5, 2004, led to recall 04V106000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light and transmission symbol remained illuminated. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle…
The contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. The contact stated while attempting to shift the vehicle out of park, the gear shifter failed to move out park. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken into a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon…
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…
Car fire due to recalled fuses had this car for 5 years and had no issues
Other Mercury Sable years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Sable | 20 | 0 |
| 2008 Sable | 61 | 1 |
| 2006 Sable | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 Sable | 83 | 0 |
| 2004 Sable | 52 | 1 |
| 2003 Sable | 201 | 3 |
| 2002 | 440 | 3 |
| 2001 Sable | 430 | 8 |
| 2000 Sable | 464 | 7 |
| 1999 Sable | 258 | 5 |
| 1998 Sable | 190 | 2 |
| 1997 Sable | 228 | 3 |
| 1996 Sable | 304 | 5 |
| 1995 Sable | 350 | 5 |
See all Mercury Sable problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Mercury models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercury Sable?
Owners most often report suspension, vehicle speed control, visibility problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 239 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mercury Sable?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Mercury Sable a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sable model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.