2001 Mercury Sable: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2001 Mercury Sable: 8 recalls, 430 owner complaints and up to 20 mpg combined.
Recalls
8 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer, plus 1 equipment/tire recall that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Seat belts Vehicle recall #00V240000 · 2000 · 5,961 vehicles
What's wrong: The child safety seat anchor latch (iso-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a reinforcement plate that has two studs that extend upward through the floor pan and the iso-fix anchor. The sealer on the floor pan could cause a soft joint and, even if the nuts are properly torqued, road vibrations could cause the nut to work its way completely off the…
Why it matters: The anchor May not hold the child safety seat in position during an accident, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant of the child safety seat.
The fix: Dealers will remove and re-install the bracket nut using a torque retention material (red loctite). Owner notification began September 11, 2000.
Equipment Vehicle recall #00V396000 · 2000 · 495,000 vehicles
What's wrong: " the affected expedition/navigator owner guides do not identify the locations of seating positions equipped with tether anchorages, and do not provide instructions for securing child seats to these tether anchorages. The f150 sc owner guides do not provide the procedure for securing child seats to the tether anchorages. The taurus/sable owner guides do not identify the center rear seating position as having latch…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash, the child seat May not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child.
The fix: Owners will be provided with owner guide inserts revised to provide the required information, and instructions for affixing these inserts to their owner guides. Customers will also be advised that if they prefer, their dealer will affix the inserts to their owner guides.
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #01V078000 · 2001 · 157,000 vehicles
What's wrong: If the grease from the adjustable pedal assembly enters the stop lamp switch, it can contaminate the contacts leading to carbon build up, and potentially, a short circuit.
Why it matters: A short circuit could lead to either the brake lamps staying on, or to a loss of brake lamp function, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch and wipe down the adjustable pedal assembly to remove excess grease. Owner notification began March 22, 2001.
Seat belts Vehicle recall #01V144000 · 2001 · 4,567 vehicles
What's wrong: The seat belt buckle tongue May not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a partial latch of the tongue in the buckle.
Why it matters: In the event of a vehicle crash, the vehicle occupant May not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
The fix: Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles. Owner notification began May 4, 2001.
Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #01V258000 · 2001 · 1,083,000 vehicles
What's wrong: A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from…
Why it matters: Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began August 20, 2001.
Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #02V266000 · 2002 · 369,614 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: This could result in a customer experiencing an "unintended vehicle speed increase" or a perceived "unable to stop" condition.
The fix: 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. If the spacing is found to be less than 50 mm, the dealer will adjust the pedals to increase the distance…
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #04V106000 · 2004 · 938,789 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: In addition, if the switch and/or associated wiring fail in the open position, the brake lights will not actuate and the driver will not be able to shift the vehicle out of "park" if they fail in the closed position, the brake lights will remain on, which will not allow the speed control to be…
The fix: 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. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Suspension Vehicle recall #04V332000 · 2004 · 899,060 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with…
Why it matters: If this occurs, the tire May rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could result in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, Ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles,…
1 aftermarket equipment / tire recall replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Brakes (hydraulic) Equipment recall #16E026000 · 2016 · 49,635 vehicles
What's wrong: These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury sable, 1995-1999 Ford taurus sho, 1995-2002 Lincoln continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln mark viii vehicles. The brake pad shim May shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.
Why it matters: A damaged or broken brake disc May reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 7 mention a fire, 30 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Suspension (204): the most common themes are noise or vibration (39), rust / corrosion (16).
- Speed control / throttle (61): the most common themes are sudden acceleration (15).
- Brakes (hydraulic) (33): the most common themes are brake failure / soft pedal (7), noise or vibration (4), leaks (3).
- Airbags (27): the most common themes are fails to deploy (7).
The 2001 Mercury Sable has 430 owner complaints, ranking #4 of 19 Sable model years for complaints (1.7× the average Sable year). Complaints peaked in 2005 (60 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 5 years old, at a median of 65,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2000 (464 complaints, 7 recalls), 2002 (440 complaints, 3 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 L 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 17 | 25 | 20 | Regular |
| 3.0 L 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 16 | 25 | 19 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2001 Mercury Sable.
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FAQ
Does the 2001 Mercury Sable have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 8 vehicle recalls for the 2001 Mercury Sable, plus 1 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2001 Mercury Sable problems?
Owners have filed 430 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are suspension (204), speed control / throttle (61), brakes (hydraulic) (33).
What gas mileage does the 2001 Mercury Sable get?
EPA ratings run up to 20 mpg combined (3.0 L, Automatic 4-spd), across 2 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2001 Mercury Sable repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.