Menu

2001 Mercury SableProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 430 owner complaints about the 2001 Mercury Sable, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 8 safety recalls.

2001 Mercury Sable
34
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.0× the Sable median · #3 of 22 years by complaints
Safety recalls8Free fix at dealersOwner complaints43061 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage74kSuspension, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 17, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Mercury Sable has problems

430 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Suspension2041
Vehicle speed control6112
Service brakes, hydraulic3312
Air bags2714
Electrical system262
Engine and engine cooling230
Power train221
Exterior lighting131
Seat belts120
18 other systems7910

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

8 recalls

2001 Mercury Sable recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Springs: coil springs

Recall 04V-332 · Jul 15, 2004 · 899,060 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, THE TIRE MAY RUPTURE RESULTING IN A RAPID AIR LOSS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Brake lights: switch

Recall 04V-106 · Mar 2, 2004 · 938,789 vehicles

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages

Recall 02V-266 · Oct 2, 2002 · 369,614 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCING AN "UNINTENDED VEHICLE SPEED INCREASE" OR A PERCEIVED "UNABLE TO STOP" CONDITION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 4 more recalls
–no report yet

Front: buckle assembly

Recall 01V-144 · Apr 27, 2001 · 4,567 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Tail lights: switch

Recall 01V-078 · Mar 12, 2001 · 157,000 vehicles

Risk. A SHORT CIRCUIT COULD LEAD TO EITHER THE BRAKE LAMPS STAYING ON, OR TO A LOSS OF BRAKE LAMP FUNCTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Other: owners/service/other manual

Recall 00V-396 · Nov 28, 2000 · 495,000 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE CHILD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ATTACHED INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE CHILD.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Front: anchorage

Recall 00V-240 · Aug 24, 2000 · 5,961 vehicles

Risk. THE ANCHOR MAY NOT HOLD THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN POSITION DURING AN ACCIDENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT OF THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercury.

Mileage at failure

When do suspension problems start?

74kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 174 suspension complaints. 85% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
12under 30k miles148under 100k miles26100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Suspension

30 owners mentioned a cost

$660median

Middle half: $479 – $900

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other Sable year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sable median. How we score

'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'08'09
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2001 Mercury Sable safety ratings

2001 Mercury Sable 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
8 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Mercury Sable, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FRONTAL AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT IN CRASHEA03010 · closed Jun 23, 2004
    No recall
  2. REAR COIL SPRING FRACTUREEA06002 · closed Feb 5, 2007
    No recall
  3. BRAKE/ACCEL PEDAL SEPARATIONPE02035 · closed Oct 22, 2002
    Led to recall 02V-266
  4. FRONTAL AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT IN CRASHPE03002 · closed Jul 2, 2003
    No recall
  5. REAR COIL SPRING FRACTUREPE05054 · closed Jan 24, 2006
    No recall
  6. Speed control cable damagePE12033 · closed Jun 26, 2013
    No recall
  7. BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATIONRP03001 · closed Mar 23, 2004
    No recall
  8. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURERQ03008 · closed Mar 5, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-106
In owners' words

What Sable owners report

Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 11321890 · Apr 22, 2020 · 130,000 miles
MY 17 YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING THE 2001 MERCURY SABLE AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A LIGHT ON A BUSY INTERSECTION HOWEVER, THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED EVEN WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE ACCELERATION STUCK AND FORTUNATELY HE WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE AND CAUSING AN…
Complaint 10920173 · Oct 31, 2016 · 203,197 miles
FRONT COIL SPRINGS BOTH BROKEN AND REPLACED. REAR COIL SPRING BROLE AND PUNCTURED TIRE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME STRANDED.
Complaint 10839949 · Mar 4, 2016

Own a 2001 Sable?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.