There are 13 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Mercury Sablein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY CAR HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE LIABILITY SINCE DAY ONE,I AM AHNDICAPPED AND ON A PERMANENT BUDGET,,I NEED TO GET THIS LOOKED AT AND MY CAR TAKEN CARE OF SOON,IM SCARED I MAY SOON END UP ON FOOT IF THESE HORRID ISSUES RNT RECTIFIED,,I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM FIRST CLASS CARS IN SALT LAKE CITY UTAH,,IVE ASKED 4 TIMES TO GET IT TRADED IN,,MUCH TO MY SHOCK THEY WOULDNT EVEN TALK TO ME,,PLEASE HELP ME!MY CAR REVES AT TIMES THEN WHILE SITTING STIL IT WIL TRY TO DRIVE WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE EXCELIRATOR,,IM SCARED IT GONNA LEAP OUT AMY HANDS SOON,,IM TERIRFIED OF IT!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS DIMMED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.
DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK WHILE DRIVING. HORN ALARM GOES OFF WHEN CAR IS PARKED. WARNING LIGHT FOR OPEN DOORS WHEN DOORS ARE CLOSED. DOORS UNLOCK AND INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOME LIGHT WOULD ACTIVATE INDEPENDENTLY AND ONLY TURN OFF ONLY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. AS THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, THE DOOR LIGHTS AND THE DOOR LOCKS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V106000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000. THE CURRENT VEHICLE WAS MILEAGE WAS 180,000.
WIRE HARNESS FAILURE IN RUBBER BOOTS FROM BODY OF CAR TO REAR LIFT GATE ON STATION WAGON MODEL. INSULATION CRACKING AND WIRE BREAKING COMPLETELY IN FLEXIBLE RUBBER BOOT CAUSES ERRATIC BEHAVIOR AND ULTIMATE FAILURE OF HIGH BRAKE LIGHT, BACK UP LIGHTS, LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS, REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER, REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER, OPEN LIFT GATE AND OPEN REAR WINDOW SAFETY SENSORS AND STEREO SPEAKERS. INSULATION AND WIRING WITHIN BOOT HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND FATIGUED. CLEAN BREAKS IN WIRES FROM OPENING AND CLOSING LIFT GATE ARE EVIDENT. WIRES WHERE INSULATION HAS BROKEN THROUGH ARE COMING IN CONTACT WITH OTHER CIRCUITS WHERE THAT INSULATION HAS BROKEN THROUGH AND RESULTS IN "CONFUSING" OPERATION OF LIGHTS. IE PUT CAR IN REVERSE AND HIGH BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON - PUT FOOT ON BRAKE AND HIGH BRAKE LIGHT GOES OUT. BACKUP LIGHTS DON'T COME ON AT ALL. IE TURN ON REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHT COMES ON. WIRING DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF MULTIPLE INTERNAL COPPER STRANDS OR SUPPLE ENOUGH INSULATION TO PROVIDE NEEDED FLEXIBILITY DURING REGULAR OPENING AND CLOSING OF REAR LIFT GATE. BELIEVE THIS TO BE A LATENT SAFETY DEFECT. MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE KNOWN DURING DESIGN THAT WIRING IN BOOT TO STATION WAGON LIFT GATE WOULD BE PRONE TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH REGULAR USE. *JS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR DOORS ON HIS VEHICLE REMAINED UNLOCKED WHENEVER HE WAS DRIVING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE DOORS UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT HAD TO LOCK MANUALLY LOCK THE DOORS. THE FORD MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED THE CONTACT NO EXPLANATION. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 3/10/10 *CN UPDATED 05/10/10*JB
AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS RELAY SODDARD INTO BACKSIDE OF FUSE PANEL (GEM) WAS BAD LOCATION FOR A PERSON WITH NO EXPERIENCE TO FIX OR LOCATE MOST PEOPLE NEVER GOT IT FIXED BECAUSE OF NO EXPERIENCE AND AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE AN ELECTRICAL MECHANIC TO FIX. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A FEW PEOPLE DID GET IT FIXED THROUGH A RECALL BUT I DIDN'T AND I NEVER GOT A RECALL FOR THIS IN THE MAIL. I WOULD LIKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY FIX THIS BECAUSE I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS.
RECALL ELECTRICAL INSIDE LIGHTING. DISC PLAYER SHORTENING OUT, BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH COMING ON. THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM? *TR
SINCE 2005, LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN IN AUTOMATIC MODE, ESPECIALLY IN RAIN AND SNOW CONDITIONS. THIS HAS BEEN CHECKED THREE TIMES BY DEALERS BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING TO REPAIR. DRIVING AT NIGHT AND IN LIMITED VISIBILITY DUE TO WEATHER AND THEN HAVE THE LIGHTS GO OFF IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE POSITION TO BE. THE CAR OCCUPANTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ARE PLACED IN JEOPARDY WITH THIS UNRESOLVED PROBLEM ON THE 2002 MERCURY SABLE. *TR
WATER LEAKED THROUGH WINDSHIELD COWL ONTO THE PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD AND CAUSING BLOWER FAN MOTOR TO SHORT OUT. FORD ADMITS THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN TSB 04-15-3. HAS CAUSED ME RESPIRATORY ISSUES DUE TO BUILD UP OF MOLD IN DASH AND CARPETING. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 MERCURY SABLE WITH 54,000 MILES. SUDDENLY & W/O WARNING, MY ALTERNATOR STOPPED WORKING AND DRAINED MY BATTERY. I HAVE HAD 3 FORD PRODUCTS WITH SOME LASTING 160,000 MILES W/O EVER HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ALTERNATORS. I TALKED W/THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. AT THE REPAIR SHOP ABOUT HAVING TO REPLACE AN ALTERNATOR ON A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE, AND HE INDICATED THAT THEY HAD HAD A FAIRLY LARGE NO. OF MERCURY SABLE & FORD TAURUS REPLACEMENT OF ALTERNATORS. IS THIS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ALTERNATORS?
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WATER WAS COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND LEAKING INTO THE BRAKE AREA. IT WAS COMING DOWN BEHIND THE DASHBOARD. WHEN IT RAINED THERE WOULD BE WATER IN THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FLOORBOARD. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME THEY CLEARED OUT SOME LEAVES. THE SECOND TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRACK ON THE SUN ROOF. THIRD TIME, THE DEALER CLAIMED THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER WAS OFFERING NO FREE REMEDY. THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT BRAKES. THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB
VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *BF THE THEFT LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE ABS LIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE IDLER AIR CONTROL WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TC WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE ABS LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE, BUT THE BATTERY LIGHT ALONG WITH OTHER LIGHTS WHICH DISPLAYED PICTURES DID ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026