no report yet
Brake lights: switch
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…
2002 Mercury SableProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 440 owner complaints about the 2002 Mercury Sable, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 4, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Mercury Sable has problems
440 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
239Suspension4 crash/fire/injury
56Vehicle speed control6 crash/fire/injury
26Visibility
24Air bags
23Power train
20Engine and engine cooling
18Service brakes, hydraulic
17Electrical system
13Exterior lighting
6417 other systems7 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 239 | 4 |
| Vehicle speed control | 56 | 6 |
| Visibility | 26 | 1 |
| Air bags | 24 | 20 |
| Power train | 23 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 20 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 18 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 17 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 13 | 0 |
| 17 other systems | 64 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2002 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
Visibility: windshield
Risk. POTENTIAL LOSS OF WINDSHIELD RETENTION MAY ALSO REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCING AN "UNINTENDED VEHICLE SPEED INCREASE" OR A PERCEIVED "UNABLE TO STOP" CONDITION.
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?
82kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 225 suspension complaints. 79% were reported before 100,000 miles.
4under 30k miles178under 100k miles47100k 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
34 owners mentioned a cost$637median
Middle half: $449 – $1,004
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
2002 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
2002 Mercury Sable safety ratings
2002 Mercury Sable 4-DR. Wagon in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Mercury Sable, and the recalls they led to.
- Front Suspension Coil Spring FractureNo recall
- Speed control cable damageNo recall
- BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATIONNo recall
- BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURELed to recall 04V-106
In owners' words
What Sable owners report
Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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…
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…
Own a 2002 Sable?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.