There are 14 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2004 Mercury Sablein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF TO ABOVE 55 MPH AT LOCAL ROAD, WHEN PUT TO PARKING, THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING AT MORE THAN 3500 RPM, IT WAS CRAZY, NEARLY KILLED SOME KIDS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE RPMS INCREASED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND EXHIBITED RAPID ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE ENGINE KEEPS CONSTANT SPEED EVEN AFTER REMOVING FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT'S LIKE A STUCK THROTTLE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO APPLY BRAKE AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND STAMP ON THE ACCELERATOR. TRAFFIC HAD COME TO A STOP AND MY ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AT 3500 RPMS PRETTY SCARY, ONLY THING HOLDING CAR BACK IS BRAKES. *TR
STARTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH. PRESSED HARD ON BRAKES TO STOP, PUT IT ON PARK MODE. STILL RPM WAS AROUND 4000. TURNED OFF ENGINE. WHEN CRANKED BACK, RPM KEPT ON INCREASING WITHOUT FOOT ON ACCELERATOR. TAPPED HARD ON ACCELERATOR COUPLE OF TIMES, RPM WENT BACK TO NORMAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND EXHIBITED RAPID ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.
I RECEIVED A PANICKED PHONE CALL FROM MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AFTER A LIFE THREATENING EXPERIENCE. SHE WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN, THE ENGINE RACED TO 4,000 RPM AND STAYED THERE, WHILE SHE FRANTICALLY PRESSED THE BRAKE. THANKFULLY SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS SHE PULLED OFF IT THE ROAD. SHE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES SHE STARTED THE CAR, AGAIN IT RACED TO 4,000 RPM. AFTER TRYING THIS MULTIPLE TIMES I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME. A CALL TO FORD VERIFIED THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALLS OR RECALL WORK DONE ON THIS VEHICLE. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ONLINE, TO MY AMAZEMENT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE.IN FEAR FOR MY CHILD AND ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE I HAVE REMOVED IT FROM USE, AND FEEL STUCK WITH UNSAFE VEHICLE. I AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF RESPONSE/RESOLVE FROM THE MANUFACTURE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE THE CONTACT WAS SITTING IDLE AT A TRAFFIC STOP. THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND THE RPMS INCREASED BEFORE THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED. FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 203,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND ENGAGE THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MERGE TO THE SHOULDER AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,794.
THROTTLE GOT STUCK AND CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND NOW ITS A CONSTANT PROBLEM EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR I CAN GET IT TO STOP MOMENTARILY BY QUICKLY APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL WHERE IT WILL STOP ACCELERATING FOR A MOMENT BUT ONCE THE RPMS DROP AS LOW AS THEY ARE GOING TO GO IT STARTS ACCELERATING ALL OVER AGAIN WHEN IN PARK IT REVS OUT AT UP TO 5000 RPMS I KNOW YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN THE 05 & 06 MODELS BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT 04'S ALSO EVERYTHING I'VE RESEARCHED SAYS ITS THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE BEING DISCONNECTED WHICH WAS THE FIRST THING I CHECKED AND MINE IS STILL CONNECTED. *TR
MY MERCURY SABLE 2004 BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. THE FIRST TIME I WAS CRUISING AT 35MPH AND HAD TROUBLE STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN. BRAKING CAUSED A VIBRATION THE RPM'S WERE NOT GOING DOWN. DRIVING FURTHER I NOTED THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE BY ITSELF. TAPPING THE THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY SOMETIMES CAUSED THE RPM'S TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND HAD THE THROTTLE (CABLES, ETC) CHECKED. ALL WERE REPORTED OK. THE ISSUE HAS HAPPENED OFF AND ON BUT YESTERDAY (11/28/12) WAS THE WORST. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND MY ISSUE IS EXACTLY THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ISSUE REPORTED BY MANY OTHER TAURUS/SABLE OWNERS. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND AM NOW CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. I CONTACTED FORD AND GOT A CASE NUMBER ASSIGNED. I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. *TR
I NOTICED THAT THE CAR DID NOT DECELERATE WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN I BRAKED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE RACE EVEN FASTER. AT THE LIGHT I KEPT IT IN NEUTRAL AND GAVE IT GAS WHILE BRAKED. THEN IT WENT BACK TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THAT FIRST INCIDENT. PREVIOUS TO THAT FIRST INCIDENT, I NOTICED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT 50 MPH, SHE HEARD AN ABNORMAL POP. THE ENGINE RPM'S INCREASED TO 4000 WHILE THE CONTACT WAS APPLYING EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT COASTED OFF THE ROADWAY AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED TO 50 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NOT BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO BECOME JAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY HAVING THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE DISCONNECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 61,000. UPDATED 3/2/12 *CN
THROTTLE GETS STUCK. THIS WAS REPAIRED IN FEBRUARY OF 2009 AND HAS OCCURRED AGAIN NOW IN OCTOBER 2013. STATEMENT FROM FORD DEALERSHIP NOV 4, 2013: SPEED CONTROL CABLE BROKEN NEEDS REPLACE MAY BE CAUSING THROTTLE LINKAGE TO BIND. DEALERSHIP INDICATES THAT A RECALL ON THE 2000-2003 MERCURY SABLES COVERS THE EXACT REPAIRS THAT ARE NECESSARY ON MY VEHICLE BUT MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED AS IT IS A 2004. CONTACTED FORD AT 1-800-392-3673 AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE. *TR
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 May 4, 2026