1993 MERCURY SABLE Electrical System Problems

AFTER DRIVING FOR 30-45 MINUTES HEADLIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. NHTSA RECALL 98V009000 FOR A CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS ISSUED. *AK

THE IGNITION SWITCH AND CYLINDER WAS EXTREMELY HOT WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO TOUCH IT. WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND CYLINDER BECAME HOT, THE TURN SIGNALS AND FOUR WAY FLASHERS WENT OUT. *JB THE IGNITION KEY WOULD BECOME HOT TOUCH AS WELL. *SCC *JB

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE WAS UNABLE TO BE TURN OFF WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

FORD CLAIMS THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR NHTSA RECALL # 98V009000/ HEADLIGHTS CIRCUIT BREAKER, EVEN THOUGH IT IS EXACTLY THAT PROBLEM. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER STATES EXPERIENCING IGNITION PROBLEMS.*JB

CONSUMER STATES EXPERIENCING IGNITION PROBLEMS.*JB

THE CAR STALLS BOTH WHEN BEING DRIVEN AND WHEN STOPPED IN TRAFFIC OR AT A STOP LIGHT. THERE IS NO ADVANCED WARNING AND THE CAR DOES NOT SEEM TO BE OVERHEATING WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, BUT IT OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY ON HOT DAYS.*AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FAILED AT 49,000 AND AT 51,000 MOTOR MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED, OIL PAN IS RUSTING FROM THE OUTSIDE AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT, STARTER HAS A CLIP TO ATTACH CONNECTION, COMES LOOSE AND MUST GET UNDER CAR TO RE-ATTACH (SOME ENGINEERING WIZ HERE) FRONT BODY MOUNT IS UNDER OIL FILTER AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED SOON. HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY ARE HAPPY FOR MY BUSINESS, BUT ARE NOT GOING TO HELP

REPEATED FAILURE OF ICM/TFI IGNITION MODULE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ENGINE DIES AT IDLE OR VERY LOW SPEEDS. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD AND LETTING ENGINE COOL , CAR WILL START. *AK

THE STARTERS MADE FOR THIS CAR ARE NOT THE RIGHT KIND I AM ALWYS REPLACING IT, HEADGASKETS BLEW OUT AT 80000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 103265 THIS CAR IS POORLY BUILT.*AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF GARAGE, AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION COMING FROM GARAGE. WHEN HE WENT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, WINDOWS OF VEHICLE HAD SHATTERED ALL OVER GARAGE . VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE COMING FROM DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

AFTER ENGINE IS WARM VEHICLE WON'T START, AFTER ENGINE COOLS DOWN, VEHICLE STARTS OK, REPAIRED CIRCUIT FROM IGNITON SWITCH TO CONNECTOR AT FIREWALL, INSTALLED STARTER WIRE, CLEAN THROTTLE BODY, TEST AND CLEAN FUEL INJECTORS. CJ

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH STALLING. VEHICLE BEEN IN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING, AFTER A MINUTE IT RESTARTS, THE TFI MODULE HAS BEEN RECALL IN CALIFORNIA FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. NLM

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING, AFTER A MINUTE IT RESTARTS, THE TFI MODULE HAS BEEN RECALL IN CALIFORNIA FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. NLM

MY CAR STALLS OUT WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK

MY CAR'S PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO THE "THICK FILM IGNITION" PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN CALIFORNIA, AND THE MERCURY SABLE 1993 MODEL IS ONE OF THE CARS IDENTIFIED WITH THAT SITUATION. MY ENGINE HAS STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES AT LOW SPEED UNTIL TWO HIGH-SPEED INCIDENT OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2000. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING. NOW I CANNOT DRIVE OR SELL THE CAR BECAUSE OF ITS HAZARDOUS STALLING CONDITION. I AM SEEKING ADVICE FROM FORD ABOUT MY COMPLAINT. *AK

THE OIL PAN ROTTED B/C THE ENGINE RUNS TOO HOT, AND WE HAD TO REPLACE THE STARTER.*AK

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 10-15 SMILES, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

GAUGE GOES TO HOT AFTER 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING. WHITE SMOKE POURS FROM TAIL PIPE. LOW ON WATER. DIFFICULTY STARTING. ROUGH IDLE WHEN STOPPING. REPLACED BATTERY AND STARTER. STILL HAVE OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS STARTING. ( ASO, BRAKES HAVE SQUEALED WHEN WE BOUGHT IT. )

GAUGE GOES TO HOT AFTER 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING. WHITE SMOKE POURS FROM TAIL PIPE. LOW ON WATER. DIFFICULTY STARTING. ROUGH IDLE WHEN STOPPING. REPLACED BATTERY AND STARTER. STILL HAVE OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS STARTING. ( ASO, BRAKES HAVE SQUEALED WHEN WE BOUGHT IT. )

STARTER AND THERMOSTAT FAILED. NLM

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

RECALL 98V-009 000 / HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT BREAKER: ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH HEADLIGHTS GOING OFF/ON. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL DUE TO VIN. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

MY 1993 MERCURY SABLE STALLED ON FOUR SEPARATE INSTANCES IN HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC DURING HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS; (1) IN AUG98 ON RT97 IN MD AFTER A TRIP OF 340 MILES IN HOT WEATHER NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE REPLACED O2 SENSORS. (2) IN JUN99 CAR STALLED ON RT 3 MD AFTER TRIP OF APPROX 50 MILES FROM BALTIMORE CITY; (3) ON 31JUL99 CAR STALLED IN HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC ON RT 17 NY AFTER TRIP FROM MD. MERCURY DEALER DID COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. HE REPLACED FUEL FILTER. (4) CAR STALLED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC ON 7AUG99 ON RETURN TRIP FROM NY STATE. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR SITE AND OTHERS I CALLED THE FORD CAC HOTLINE AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM ASKING IF THIS IS RELATED TO THE NUMEROUSLY REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH SABLE/TAURUS TFI IGNITION MODULES BEING MOUNTED CLOSTE TO THE ENGINE AND SUBJECT TO HIGH TEMPERATURES. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE CLASS ACTION SUITS PENDING ON THIS ISSUE AND THAT NHTSA HAS INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM. FORD CAC HAD NO RESPONSE AND STATED THAT ANY FURTHER COSTS RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE BORNE BY ME AND THAT THERE COULD BE NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE APPARENT MISDIAGNOSIS PERFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WISH TO MAKE THREE POINTS: ONE, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME WITHIN THE FORD COMMUNITY, YET A MERCURY DEALER DID NOTHING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, DID BOGUS REPAIR, AND SENT ME AND MY FAMILY ON A RETURN TRIP TO MD IN HOT WEATHER WHILE APPARENTLY KNOWING THAT THIS VERY SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT; TWO, THIS APPARENTLY IS AN ONGOING UNRESOLVED SAFETY DEFECT THAT, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, IS A TICKING TIME BOMB FOR OWNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE UNAWARE THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO THEM; THREE, IF FORD IS IN A STONE-WALL MODE BECAUSE OF THE SUITS AND REFUSES A RECALL THEN NHTSA SHOULD GET OFF THE SIDELINE AND GET IN THE GAME. IT IS DISCONCERTING TO ME THAT THERE IS SO LITTLE INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE FROM NHTSA.

AT APPROXIMATELY 51,000 MILES, THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. THE ACTUATOR RODS BROKE, AND THE OTHER ONE CRACKED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STAY ON, IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. *YC

HEADLIGHTS OVERHEATED, BURNNING UP THE WIRE HARNESS LOCATED BEHIND IT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

HORN BUTTONS ARE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IN AN EMERGENCY DUE TO THEIR SIZE AND LOCATION. THERE ARE 2 BUTTONS. AT APPROXIMATELY THE 10 O'CLOCK AND 2 O'CLOCK POSITIONS ON THE INSIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT REPRESENTS A REAL DANGER WHEN THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE BUTTONS TO ALERT ANOTHER DRIVER OR PEDESTRIAN. IT IS EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE THE BUTTONS,ESPECIALLY IF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION CALLS FOR TURNING THE WHEEL IN AN EVASIVE ACTION. WHILE I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS. *AK

VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE AT 60MPH WHEN ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND SMOKE CAME OUT OF EXHAUST. SMELL OF COOLANT IN EXHAUST ALSO. THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN A HEAD GASKET WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF, ENGINE WOULD NOT START AGAIN SINCE FLUID HAD FILLED UP THE CYLINDERS. TRYING TO START THE CAR CAUSED A SECONDARY PROBLEM, I.E.,THE STARTER BROKE.

WHILE DRIVING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE GAS GAUGE/SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE TO GO OUT. ALSO HAD A SMOKING SMELL WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BROKEN DOWN FIVE TIMES IN FIVE WEEKS DUE TO TRANSMISSION MOUNT BREAKING. ALSO, ENERTIA SWITCH FAILURE/VEHICLE PULLING AND SHAKING AFTER RIGHT FRONT TIRE CHANGED/IGNITION SWITCH STUCK. *AK

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED.

IGNITION MODULE OVERHEATS AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED FORD, AND WAS ADVISED TO CHANGE THE IGNITION MODULE. THE PROBLEM MAY STILL EXIST. *AK *SLC

IGNITION LOCK SET FAILED.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND THE OWNER NOTICED THAT THE WINDOWS WERE FULL OF SMOKE, AND SEAT WAS BURNED. THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

DROVE THE VEHICLE AND PARKED, THE IGNITION WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AFTER TAKING THE KEY OUT, IN FOR REPAIR, REPLACEMENT OF THE IGNITION ACTUATOR. *AK

FAULTY WIRE HARNESS SHORTED OUT AS VEHICLE WARMED UP, MELTED HEADLAMP LIGHT SWITCH, HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.*AK

VEHICLE DOESN'T START; ALSO GROUND WIRE TO BATTERY CONTINUALLY COMES LOOSE, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO START/ RADIO/DASH OVERHEATED DUE TO MELTED CONNECTOR AND HEADLIGHT SWITCH/CONNECTER OVERHEATED/MELTED. *AK

VEHICLE DOESN'T START; ALSO GROUND WIRE TO BATTERY CONTINUALLY COMES LOOSE, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO START/ RADIO/DASH OVERHEATED DUE TO MELTED CONNECTOR AND HEADLIGHT SWITCH/CONNECTER OVERHEATED/MELTED. *AK

VEHICLE DOESN'T START; ALSO GROUND WIRE TO BATTERY CONTINUALLY COMES LOOSE, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO START/ RADIO/DASH OVERHEATED DUE TO MELTED CONNECTOR AND HEADLIGHT SWITCH/CONNECTER OVERHEATED/MELTED. *AK

ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING HEADLIGHT FAILURE, LIGHTS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING PE96-018A. *AK

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, PREVENTING VEHICLE FROM STARTING. *SD

WHILE DRIVING, EXPERIENCED FRONT WIRING HARNESS MALFUNCTION, WHEN HEAD LAMP SUDDENLY WENT OUT, DUE TO LIGHT SWITCH BURN OUT. TT

LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING, TFI MODULE REPLACED 4 TIMES, IN FOR REPAIR. TT *JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, IGNITION SWITCH FAILED ON TWO OCASSIONS. TTCONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS LIGHTS BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT START, STARTE WAS REPLACED ALSO TAPE DECK BUTTON POPS OFF, CUST STATES WHEN MAKING TURNS THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE, STABILIZER LINKS WERE REPLACED.*JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, IGNITION SWITCH FAILED ON TWO OCASSIONS. TTCONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS LIGHTS BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT START, STARTE WAS REPLACED ALSO TAPE DECK BUTTON POPS OFF, CUST STATES WHEN MAKING TURNS THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE, STABILIZER LINKS WERE REPLACED.*JB

VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSED WINDOWS NOT TO OPEN AND CAUSED FAILURE WITH RADIO, LOCKS, ETC. TT

HORN INACCESSIBLE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS DUE TO POOR LOCATION OF HORN BUTTONS. *AK

LOCATION AND DESIGN OF TWO HORN BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL, CAUSE EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN PUSHING BUTTON WHEN TURNING WHEEL. *SKD

HORN BUTTON DIFFICULT TO LOCATE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. *SD