NHTSA Complaint #10037411 — 1993 MERCURY SABLE

WITHIN THE FIRST 4000 MILES, THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF AN OIL FILTER NOT DOING IT'S JOB,ACCORDING TO THE MECHANICS AT NEGHERBON MERCURY IN OAKLAND. THE NEW ENGINE RAN HOT. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE. THE BRAND NEW ENGINE ACTUALLY HAD A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. ALL THE REPAIRS COST ME $1800.00 THAT TIME. THE DEALER WOULDN'T EVEN PERFORM A COMPRESSION CHECK. THEN THE CAR WOULD STALL WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. MOST TIMES IT WOULD RESTART. BUT THIS WAS VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT. I TOOK IT TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD MECHANIC WHO HOOKED UP SOME MACHINE TO THE COMPUTER. WE DROVE IT ON A NEARBY FREEWAY, WHERE OF COURSE IT STALLED. HE WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY DETERMINE THE COMPUTER WAS FAULTY!!!! THE DEVICE THAT BASICALLY RUNS THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS SHUTTING OFF GAS FLOW TO THE ENGINE. I HAD MY MECHANIC CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS ALSO OTHER DEFECTS, SUCH AS THE STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED TURN SIGNAL STALK WAS REPLACED BUT THE REPLACEMENT DID THE SAME THING. ONLY LOW WIPER SPEED NO HIGH SPEED, AND THE VARIABLE SPEED WENT OUT. THE LIGHTBAR IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ALL WENT OUT. I SPOKE WITH OTHER SABLE OWNERS WHO SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT THE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE SPENT ALMOST ONE YEAR AT MY MECHANICS. THEN WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF FINALLY GETTING IT BACK, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT. MY MECHANIC SAID I SHOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT THE SAME TIME. WHEN HE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE $2700.00 I THREW IN THE TOWEL ON THAT CAR. AT THAT POINT BLUE BOOK WORTH WAS $3000.00. WHY WOULD I WANT TO PUT IN ANY MORE MONEY? IT IS NOW UP ON BLOCKS AT MY FATHER-IN-LAWS. I CONSIDER THIS CAR A LEMON. THE DEALER WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL AT ALL. IN FACT THEY SEEMED VERY HOSTILE. *AK