Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Mercury Sable owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Car was completely stopped. When engaged into reverse, car made loud noise, tires squealed, engine raced and crashed into parked car behind it at high rate of speed. Parked vehicle that was struck then struck car next to it since impact was so great. Car was uncontrollable, could not be stopped via brakes.
Do any new cars offer an automatic release of the rear door child lock device. This means that the child lock will automatically un-set upon impact of an accident so people in the back seat can quickly get out. I had an incident in a Mercury Sable where the back seat passenger was nearly burned because they could not get out of the back seat (get the rear door open). This kind of problem is described on a website www.carsafetyusa.com in detail. Does any car have this feature for automatic child lock release after an accident ? I would like for my next purchase to have this feature.
The vehicles stock jacking locations are no longer considered as safe. They have deteriorated due to corrosion and rusting away. Should someone decide to trust any one of the affected jacking locations, the structural integrity of the frame May crumple and break causing the vehicle to drop onto anyone performing work underneath, which May result in severe injury, or even death.
Passenger floor rusted out completely in two spots on the front right of floor. Two major holes. The remainder of the floor is showing signs that it too is deteriorating. This is a safety concern as the structural integrity of the floor has been compromised and can allow someone to fall through should excess weight be placed in any of these weak places and or holes.
1. The hood closes apparently fine, it does not open if I try to, however keeps opening every 20 minutes after driving. I could not find the cause. 2. Very strong smell of gas keeps ocurring, no signs or drops or viisual leak puddle.
Ford taurus and the Mercury Sable's have a problem with water leaking into the heater core box which eventually causes the heater motor and stop working. I understand from reading post on the internet that is apparently a design flaw. My car had 44,000 miles at the point where the motor quit working. The bill to repair the car was $471.28. The warranty had obviously expired but I felt like Ford motor co should re-imburse the cost of the repair since it is a very common problem. They declined to help with the cost of the repair.
The consumer received recall 04V105000 regarding air filter paper. The dealer claimed that the recall part was replaced, but the consumer insisted that it wasn't replaced. The consumer found that the original air filter was still in the vehicle. The service dealer fixed the air leak in the drivers side door and replaced the air filter.
Dt*: the contact stated water leaked into the front right side of the ventilation system, onto the floor, as the vehicle was driven at 45 MPH, while it was raining. The service dealer has been made aware of the problem, but the manufacturer was not notified.
No events leading up to incident. Whenever it rains, water leaks onto the front passenger side floorboard. Water also leaks onto blower motor and resistor causing failure. Caused by a manufacturer design flaw in a plastic cowling in engine compartment.
I own a 2003 Mercury Sable, in 2007, I noticed the paint on the passenger rear wheel-well was starting to bubble rust, my husband and I made numerous complaints to the dealership, at the time, they were undergoing a buyout and we had a difficult time getting any answers from anyone, once the buyout happened, we were then told all the computer files were being updated, they did not have any record of the issues we reported to the previous owners, so we started over...in July of 2008, finally got the manufacturer to share in the expense of the repairs as this had now passed the warranty timeframe, however, when the original problem was reported, we were quoted a repair estimate of $250.00, by the time we received approval from Ford to go ahead with the repairs and they stated the repair estimate had increased to $ 550.00 because the rust area had worsen. …
Body complaints in other Sable years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Mercury Sable?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Mercury Sable, 10% of the model year's 201 complaints. The component named most often is body (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Mercury Sable body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 Mercury Sable, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Mercury Sable body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to body & structure 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.