NHTSA Complaint #759735 — 1994 MERCURY SABLE

FRONT PISTON IN TRANSMISSION CRACKED. THIS CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO LOSE PRESSURE AT SLOW SPEEDS AS IF IT WENT INTO NUETRAL. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN STOPPED TO TURN LEFT. WHILE WAITING FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO PASS THE TRANS WOULD LOSE PRESSURE RESULTING IN THE NUETRAL CONDITION. WHEN THE TRAFFIC PASSED AND THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN I WOULD STEP ON THE GAS BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THEN AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS, AND SINCE THE ENGINE SPEED HAD NOW INCREASED, THE TRANS PRESSURE WOULD INCREASE AND THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY GO INTO GEAR AND LURCH INTO THE LEFT TURN. HOWEVER A FEW SECONDS OF TURNING OPPORTUNITY HAD NOW BEEN LOST AND THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS A LITTLE CLOSER THAN I AM COMFORTABLE WITH. I WOULD NOT LET MY FAMILY DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS FIXED. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND HE IMMEDIATLY KNEW THE CAUSE, WHICH INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. IN FACT HE HAD ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, SAME KIND OF CAR, SAME TIME. IT COST ME $1,400 TO GET THE TRANS REBUILT. THE DEFECTIVE PART IS AND ALUMINUM RING THAT IS FORMED FROM SHEET METAL. DURING THE FORMING PROCESS THE METAL WAS STRETCHED TOO THIN. THIS WAS EVIDENT BY THE STRESS MARK OR SMILE ON THE DEFECTIVE PART. THE REPEATED APPLICATION OF PRESSURE EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN THE CRACK WHICH LET THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO LEAK PAST THE PISTON. AGAIN THIS VERY DANGEROUS.*AK