Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Mercury Sable owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2001 Mercury Sable accelerated as I entered the highway. The car would not stop even when I applied the brake. I called 911. The 911 operator suggested that I apply the parking brake which I did. I went about 15 miles riding the shoulder going between 60-70 miles per hour. I eventually exited the highway but could not stop even at the end of the exit ramp. I made a right hand turn. At this point I had reduced my speed to approximately 30 miles per hour. The car eventually landed in a ditch. At that point, I ended my call with 911. I looked to my left and found four men yelling to me to get out of the car. I then learned that the car was on fire. I exited the car. The four men put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. The car was towed to a Mercury dealership where it is documented that it was in fact the speed control cable that caused the car to accelerate. …
I was driving my car at about 20 miles an hour and I felt a vibration. I made a decision to pull the car over and get off the roadway and stop. When I tried to use my brake I felt the resistance half way down and then it suddenly went all the way to the floor. I saw myself gaining on the car in front of me. I quickly turned to the right and up on the sidewalk hitting the curb in the process and then instead of hitting a store wall I turned slightly to the left and headed dead center for an edison pole. I could have killed someone. I need to talk to someone who can tell me who to get to look into my brake system to see what went wrong. I am so scared to ever drive that car again. My car is only 5 years old and in excellent condition and maintained well. Never had any hint that my brakes were faulty. My car has been looked at and he said the body can be fixed. …
I have a 2001 Mercury Sable ls with 9000 miles. I was attempting to park the car in front of a store in a shopping plaza located in cocoa beach ,fl. When I applied the brakes to park in the parking place, the brakes failed and the engine made a revving noise and the car leaped forward jumping the curb and crashing into a brick support column. This car was recalled for the brake pedal and accelerator problem and was supposedly fixed at the Mercury dealers. I was transported to the hospital by the emergency squad. I was treated for a large gash in the forehead and xrays were taken of the chest, back and ribs which were not fractured but severely bruised. I also sustained two black eyes caused by my sunglasses hitting the steering wheel. I was wearing my seatbelt, however, the airbags did not deploy. Estimated cost to repair my car is $7048.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mercury Sable. While driving 40 MPH, the brake warning indicator illuminated. Also, while approaching a red light with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact had to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact powered off and restarted the engine while at a red light and was able to drive home. The vehicle was later towed to helfman Ford (located at 12220 southwest fwy, stafford, tx 77477, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that there was a faulty brake sensor that needed a brake master cylinder replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 40,200. The VIN was not available.
My master cylinder failed causing me to lose my brakes. I crashed my car into a pole. The insurance company totaled my car. After a car is totaled the insurance company would only send it to the salvage yard. I insisted on knowing what went wrong. A simple test was done by turning on the motor and pressing on the brake pedal. If it goes to the floor gradually then you know it was a master cylinder failure. This happened 3 times. The manufacture didn't want to deal with me and the dealership didn't either. How many cars fall between the cracks and the reason for serious brake failure never reaches the very people who can correct it??
Emergency brake dashboard warning light failure. The dashboard brake warning light is not turning on when the emergency brake is applied. The dashboard light does test OK when the car is started. Because I was unaware the emergency brake was on I traveled 10 miles home on the freeway. Near my house the brakes failed, with the pedal going to the floor. I quickly pumped the brakes and was able to stop. There was a burning smell as well, which I assume was the pads, so I will mark the fire question as yes since "where there's smoke there's fire." brake function returned the next day but the pedal is now soft.
My car started loosing brake power 3 days ago and due to that I ended up hitting a tree broke my tail light dented my car on both passangers doors. Had the brakes bleed thought maybe air in lines nothing thats when I found out what was wrong with it. Now I have a car no working my fiance cant get to work and a car with dents of the two doors another one at the rear and a missing head light. Plus I have a back injury with two buldging disk that hitting the tree aggrivated it and hurt my ribs.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mercury Sable. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle accelerated when the brake pedal was depressed. The failure occurred without warning. The contact had to depress the brake pedal with full force to get the vehicle to eventually stop. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 02V266000 (service brakes). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 113,000.
While driving down a hill at 30 MPH an upon approaching an intersection brake pedal was depressed to slow down and to make a left turn, and brake pedal went to the floor, which resulted in the vehicle going through the intersection. Vehicle stopped when it collided with a tree. Consumer sustained bruises to chest from the seat belt. Prior to the accident vehicle has 2 brake recalls performed by a dealership.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Mercury Sable. While the contact's son was driving 25 MPH on June 27, 2008, it began to rain slightly. He depressed the brake pedal, but the brakes failed. The vehicle would not stop and crashed. The contact stated that the brakes had never been serviced prior to the failure. A police report was filed. The failure mileage was 125,000.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous application of both the brake and accelerator pedals could result in an increase in engine RPM.
Remedy: Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured.
NHTSA investigations
Brake/accelerator pedal application
Ms. Rodman reported that after her vehicle was inspected for the recall, her mother experienced a sudden acceleration and crashed the sable into a light pole.previously NHTSA had conducted an investigation for this issue (pe02-035) that resulted in the recall (02v-266) of 369,000 my 2000-2002 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with adjustable brake and accelerator pedals to insure that the separation between the…
Brake/accel pedal separation
Brake complaints in other Sable years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Mercury Sable?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Mercury Sable, 9% of the model year's 430 complaints. The component named most often is pedals and linkages (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Mercury Sable brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-266 (pedals and linkages, Oct 2, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Mercury Sable brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 14 crashes, 2 fires and 6 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.