NHTSA Complaint #10188826 — 2001 MERCURY SABLE

DRIVING OUR 2001 SABLE ONE DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN WE WERE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I ACCELERATED AND THE CAR DID NOT MOVE ACCORDING TO THE PRESSURE I WAS PUTTING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE LIGHT STOPPED FLASHING AND THE CAR RAN FINE. THIS WOULD HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME AND IT GOT TO A POINT WERE I TOOK THE UNIT TO A MERCURY DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY STATED IT HAD A MIS-FIRE ON THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD AT A COST OF 2K ONE HEAD ONLY. I DID SOME ASKING AROUND AT FORD AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE SOME VALVE ISSUES WITH THE 3.0L DOHC 24 V . I LOOKED INTO THE DEALER PROCESS OF CHANGING ONLY ONE HEAD AND I WAS TOLD THAT WOULD NOT BE THE SMART THING TO DO. I FINALLY TOOK THE CAR IN TO CONFIRM WHAT THE DEALER HAD SAID AND TO GET IT FIXED. I TOOK THE CAR TO T.C. AUTO SERVICE IN ANN ARBOR AND HE CONFIRMED I HAD A LEAK DOWN PROBLEM ON NUMBER 4 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR AND I HAD BOTH HEADS REWORKED NEW VALVE GUIDE AND SEATS ALONG WITH REPLACING THE VALVES ON NUMBER 4 CYLINDER. I HAVE THE DAMAGED VALVES RETURNED TO ME. *TR