Mercury Sable Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 784 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the Mercury Sable across 13 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (239). The words owners use most often: “coil spring” (50% of reports).
- 784suspension complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 15%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Coil spring: mentioned in 390 of 784 complaints (50%)
- Rear springs: mentioned in 97 of 784 complaints (12%)
- Punctured tire: mentioned in 78 of 784 complaints (10%)
- Front driver side: mentioned in 73 of 784 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical suspension repair on the Mercury Sable at $1,050, and half of them between $740 and $1,450.
Based on 61 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2015), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 624 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 784 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 5 an injury.
Mercury Sable suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Sable | 3 | 15% | 34,450 |
| 2008 Sable | 3 | 5% | 158,000 |
| 2005 Sable | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2004 Sable | 1 | 2% | 140,000 |
| 2003 Sable | 47 | 23% | 78,000 |
| 2002 Sable | 239 | 54% | 77,154 |
| 2001 Sable | 204 | 47% | 72,185 |
| 2000 Sable | 158 | 34% | 67,000 |
| 1999 Sable | 48 | 19% | 73,000 |
| 1998 Sable | 22 | 12% | 92,000 |
| 1997 Sable | 17 | 7% | 94,200 |
| 1996 Sable | 11 | 4% | 132,000 |
| 1995 Sable | 30 | 9% | 75,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with salt used on the roadways during the winter. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire.
Risk: If this occurs, the tire may rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2005. If either front coil spring fractures, dealers will replace both front springs at no charge to the owner. An interim notice was sent to owners on august 2, 2004. Parts are now available for the 2000-2001 my vehicles and owners were sent a letter on january 10, 2005, advising them to bring in their vehicles for repair parts are expected to be available for the 1999 my vehicles by the end of february 2005 and owners of these vehicles will be notified then. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Not sure, but it sounds like the springs. The air condition makes a stumping noise when I turn it on.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE DOING BASIC MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SPRING WAS FRACTURED AND THE REAR SUB FRAME BOLTS FAILED CAUSING THE SUBFRAME TO DROP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE TOYCEN FORD…
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…
I got in my car started to drive and heard something snap then smoke came from the hood and the car pulled hard right. I immediately stopped and parked the car. The coil spring broke and dug into my front passenger tire and it pulled the axle out of the cv joint.i was in allentown,pa. On a main…
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercury sable. While driving various speeds, the vehicle handled poorly and was unstable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the entire suspension was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mercury Sables have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 784 owner complaints about suspension for the Mercury Sable. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mercury Sable suspension?
Yes: 1 safety recall list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix suspension problems on the Mercury Sable?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $740 and $1,450), from 61 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the Mercury Sable?
The most frequent phrase is “coil spring”, in 390 of 784 complaints, followed by “rear springs” (97).
Other Mercury Sable problems
See all Mercury Sable problems.