There are 11 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2004 Mercury Sable in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 11 of 11 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)THE CAR WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK, NOR DO THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK AND SOMETIMES THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. RECALL #04S12 OR 04V106000. HOWEVER THE RECALL STOPS AT 2003. MY VEHICLE HAS THE SAME DEFECTIVE SWITCH IN IT BUT FORD IS REFUSING TO REPLACE IT. THEY CLAIM MY VEHICLE WAS MADE A FEW DAYS AFTER THE RECALL STOPPED. WELL THAT DOESN'T MAKE MY BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH ANY SAFER. I'M BEING HANDED A LINE OF CRAP BY FORD. THEY INSTALLED A DEFECTIVE SWITCH AND HAVE ADMITTED ITS DEFECTIVE AND WONT FIX MINE BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURE DATE. WHAT COURT WOULDN'T PROSECUTE FORD IF I HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECTIVE SWITCH THAT THEY KNOW IS DEFECTIVE BUT REFUSE TO FIX IT. *TR
CAR WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK, NOR WILL BRAKE LIGHTS OPERATE WHEN PEDAL DEPRESSED. EXACT SYMPTOMS AS DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR RECALLS. ONLY WAYTO GET CAR OUT OF PARK IS TO PLACE IN NEUTRAL AFTER TURNING KEY IN IGNITION TO FIRST AVAILABLE POSITION, THEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL TO RELEASE SHIFT LOCK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 8 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MOVE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT NO WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
2004 MERCURY SABLE LS PREMIUM WITH DOHC V-6 AUTOMATIC ENGINE. BAD SLIPPAGE OCCURS WHEN REVERSE IS ENGAGED WITH THE TRANSMISSION BEING WARM. ONLY OCCURS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS WARM. MILEAGE IS CURRENTLY AT 61,000. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2007 WITH 48,000 MILES WITH FULL FACTORY WARRANTY. I NOTIFIED FORD.MERCURY. BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WONT DO A FIX ... ONLY UNDER THE FULL COST OF REBUILDING OR REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. *TR
MY COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2004 MERCURY SABLE SL PREM WAGON WITH A 4F50N TRANSMISSION. IT HAS APPROX 18500 MILES. WHILE DRIVING CLOSE TO HOME, THE DASH 'TRANSMISSION' LIGHT CAME ON, BUT ALMOST INSTANTLY WENT OFF. I CALLED THE DEALER, WHO I USE FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. THEY ADVISED IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FLUKE OR NOTHING, TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT TIME. THE NEXT DAY I BACKED THE CAR OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY,NO LIGHT CAME ON. I STARTED TO DRIVE, THE HILL, THE LIGHT CAME ON AND IMMEDIATELY THE CAR STOPPED MOVING FORWARD. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD, THAT IT MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST TO US OF OVER $3,000. THIS TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT EXPECTATION AND SUDDENLY. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER. THIS SEEMS TO FIT IN WITH THE PROBLEMS INDICATED IN NHTSA ACTION NO. EA09016. *TR
WITHOUT WARNING I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WITH MY 2004 MERCURY SABLE. AFTER DRIVING MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 46 MILES (I LIVE 47 MILES FROM JOB) I CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND WHEN I WENT TO PROCEED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN, I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. I HAD LOST FORWARD AND REVERSE GEARS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. NO SLIPPING, NO BANGING, NO GRINDING OR ANY OTHER NOISES THAT ALMOST ALWAYS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP (AAMCO OF MINEOLA, NY) AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. I NEVER IN ALL MY 32 YEARS OF DRIVING HAD A TRANSMISSION FAIL IN THE MANNER THAT THIS TRANSMISSION DID. I ALSO TRULY FELT IT WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER OR INPUT SHAFT FAILURE BUT I AM NOT A MECHANIC (I DO HAVE A GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF HOW A CAR AND IT'S COMPONENTS WORK) AND JUST DECIDED TO GET THE TRANSMISSION FIXED. I DID NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT THIS UNTIL I RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT MY FORD FREESTAR IS INVOLVED IN A RECALL (11S25/NHTSA RECALL 12V-006) WHICH DESCRIBED THE SAME FAILURE. IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT IT IS ALSO A MODEL YEAR 2004 AND IS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME MODEL TRANSMISSION (AX4S). I AM NOW VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE TRANSMISSION'S TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED JUST AS IT IS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL FOR MY FORD FREESTAR. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE SPLINES IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER WHEN IT IS MANUFACTURED AND A POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE INPUT SHAFT (WHICH THE TORQUE CONVERTER SPINS ON). *TR
WHILE DRIVING HOME AT 11PM ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 MY CAR STOPPED MOVING AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS IN ORDER; THE CAR SIMPLY WOULD NOT MOVE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS THE ROAD AND STOP THE CAR IN A SAFE LOCATION. AS I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA, THE ROAD WAS EMPTY OR I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. I WALKED TO A NEARBY BAR WHERE I CALLED AAA TO COME AND TOW THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOME, THEN AFTER MY HUSBAND DETERMINED IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT THE PREVIOUS MARCH. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT AND NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED! I WAS SHOCKED AS I HAD SERVICED THE TRANSMISSION AS RECOMMENDED AT 35,000 AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 52,000 ON IT. *TR
WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT INADVERTENTLY WENT INTO REVERSE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE CONSUMER VRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. *JB
VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD ABOUT 3 FEET WHEN IT IS STARTED. OCCASIONALLY, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN IDLING. *NM
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.