Most common 2002 Mercury Sable problems
Share of the 440 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Sable complaints by model year
Best Sable years: 2009, 2004, 2008. Years to avoid: 2000, 2001, 2002, 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
2002 Mercury Sable recalls (3)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring. This malfunctioning could render the stop lamps inoperable or cause them to stay on all the time. This could cause confusion to a following driver, which could lead to a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the stop lamp switch and associated wiring assembly and install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly. Owner notification is expected to begin on April 5, 2004.
Visibility › Windshield
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, "windshield mounting." the windshields May potentially exhibit increased wind noise, water leakage, and squeaks and rattles.
Remedy: Dealers will replace these windshields. Owner notification began on March 31, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
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 defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2002 Mercury Sable:
Brake light switch failure
Ford conducted a recall in March, 2001 to correct a defect affecting the brake light switch in my 2000 through early-2001 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with power adjustable pedals (recall 01v-078).rq03-008 was opened to investigate complaints concerning the remedy and scope of 01v-078.odi's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in recalled vehicles,failures in my 2001-02 vehicles with…
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…
Speed control cable damage
On June 21, 2013, Ford initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 13B04 to address a concern with Speed Control Cable damage in certain model year (MY) 2000 through 2003 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with 3.0L 4V Duratec engines and built at the Chicago assembly plant.In the dealer letter for the program, Ford indicates that the Speed Control Cables on affected vehicles may be susceptible to damage or becoming…
Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
To date, ODI is aware of 2,401 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect. In addition, ODI is aware of 1,411 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect. In total, ODI is aware of 3,645 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures.
What 2002 Mercury Sable owners say
Suspension all 239 →
Approximately 39,000 miles. No rust car. Rubbing noise and all tires with history of losing air. While replacing all tires, wheel tech noticed right rear coil spring was fractured and completely wore off interior tire ridge. Placed doughnut tire on and advised I take to mechanic to have all springs fully checked. Car currentlyat mechanic shop this evening. Right rear coil spring definitely fractured. Seems many reports of same nature on this model. Why no recall on rear coil springs with so many complaints? Rubbing sound from beneath car has been noted and tires constantly needed air. Other issue(s): 1) ignition extremely hard to turn.2) accelerator seems to stick upon attempting to decelerate by letting up foot pressure. I inherited this car from my deceased father. I was always concerned that he accelerated too quickly from a stopped position. …
Our 2002 Sable was brought in for an emergency brake cable issue. While working on the rear brakes, the mechanic noticed that a rear suspension spring was broken. He said we were very lucky it did not rupture the tire. We had both rear springs replaced, because we did not know what caused it to break. After that work was done the car needed to be aligned, and that is when they noticed that a front suspension spring was even more severely broken that is when we searched for possible bulletins or recalls. There were many complaints about 2002 Sable spring breakage, and some actually rupturing tires. There in fact was a recall issued for 2001 Mercury sables with spring breakage problems, but not for 2002s. We know in fact that the same part is used on 2001 and 2002s. So, for safety reasons we had no choice but to replace both front springs. We feel that this is a severe safety issue. …
Speed control & acceleration all 56 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. While attempting to park the vehicle, it experienced unintended acceleration. As a result, the vehicle jumped a curb and struck a metal table outside. The vehicle would not stop even with the brake pedal depressed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the brakes did not feel as though they were fully operational. A police report was filed. The contact suffered minor injuries to the knee, back, and neck, which required medical attention and physical therapy. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Approximately 39,000 miles. No rust car. Rubbing noise and all tires with history of losing air. While replacing all tires, wheel tech noticed right rear coil spring was fractured and completely wore off interior tire ridge. Placed doughnut tire on and advised I take to mechanic to have all springs fully checked. Car currentlyat mechanic shop this evening. Right rear coil spring definitely fractured. Seems many reports of same nature on this model. Why no recall on rear coil springs with so many complaints? Rubbing sound from beneath car has been noted and tires constantly needed air. Other issue(s): 1) ignition extremely hard to turn.2) accelerator seems to stick upon attempting to decelerate by letting up foot pressure. I inherited this car from my deceased father. I was always concerned that he accelerated too quickly from a stopped position. …
Brakes all 24 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. While attempting to park the vehicle, it experienced unintended acceleration. As a result, the vehicle jumped a curb and struck a metal table outside. The vehicle would not stop even with the brake pedal depressed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the brakes did not feel as though they were fully operational. A police report was filed. The contact suffered minor injuries to the knee, back, and neck, which required medical attention and physical therapy. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mercury Sable. When the accelerator pedal was depressed at 50 MPH, the vehicle rapidly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was unaware of how the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who stated that the cruise control cable was fractured. The contact performed a temporary repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300,000.
2002 Mercury Sable engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Mercury Sable a good car?
Based on 440 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Sable rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sable at the same age. It is one of the Sable years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Mercury Sable?
The suspension — 239 complaints, 54% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › springs › coil springs. Next are the speed control & acceleration (56) and brakes (24).
How many recalls does the 2002 Mercury Sable have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2002 Mercury Sable, the most recent from March 2, 2004 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercury Sable?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2004 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 2001, 2002, 1995 and 1996. See the full Mercury Sable years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Mercury Sable problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 22% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.