NHTSA Complaint #709984 — 1993 MERCURY SABLE

MY 1993 MERCURY SABLE STALLED ON FOUR SEPARATE INSTANCES IN HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC DURING HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS; (1) IN AUG98 ON RT97 IN MD AFTER A TRIP OF 340 MILES IN HOT WEATHER NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE REPLACED O2 SENSORS. (2) IN JUN99 CAR STALLED ON RT 3 MD AFTER TRIP OF APPROX 50 MILES FROM BALTIMORE CITY; (3) ON 31JUL99 CAR STALLED IN HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC ON RT 17 NY AFTER TRIP FROM MD. MERCURY DEALER DID COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. HE REPLACED FUEL FILTER. (4) CAR STALLED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC ON 7AUG99 ON RETURN TRIP FROM NY STATE. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR SITE AND OTHERS I CALLED THE FORD CAC HOTLINE AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM ASKING IF THIS IS RELATED TO THE NUMEROUSLY REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH SABLE/TAURUS TFI IGNITION MODULES BEING MOUNTED CLOSTE TO THE ENGINE AND SUBJECT TO HIGH TEMPERATURES. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE CLASS ACTION SUITS PENDING ON THIS ISSUE AND THAT NHTSA HAS INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM. FORD CAC HAD NO RESPONSE AND STATED THAT ANY FURTHER COSTS RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE BORNE BY ME AND THAT THERE COULD BE NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE APPARENT MISDIAGNOSIS PERFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WISH TO MAKE THREE POINTS: ONE, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME WITHIN THE FORD COMMUNITY, YET A MERCURY DEALER DID NOTHING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, DID BOGUS REPAIR, AND SENT ME AND MY FAMILY ON A RETURN TRIP TO MD IN HOT WEATHER WHILE APPARENTLY KNOWING THAT THIS VERY SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT; TWO, THIS APPARENTLY IS AN ONGOING UNRESOLVED SAFETY DEFECT THAT, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, IS A TICKING TIME BOMB FOR OWNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE UNAWARE THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO THEM; THREE, IF FORD IS IN A STONE-WALL MODE BECAUSE OF THE SUITS AND REFUSES A RECALL THEN NHTSA SHOULD GET OFF THE SIDELINE AND GET IN THE GAME. IT IS DISCONCERTING TO ME THAT THERE IS SO LITTLE INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE FROM NHTSA.