Automatic Transmission Torque Converter problems of the 2003 Mercury Sable

Idriving under normal conditions on a city street in 2003 merc Sable with 33k miles. While in motion, the transmission fails with no forward or reverse working or any other mechanical warnings. ( no transmission codes on obdii. I was immediately able to coast into a drugstore parking lot. Car towed to local Ford dealer. Dealer informed that the torque converter splines have failed and torque converter needs to replaced for $ 1726. 00. Dealer repaired vehicle, replaced with Ford re-manuafactured torque converter. Searched intern net and found same numerous complaints of Ford torque converters spline failures. Based on the type and number of complaints this appears to warrant an audit of this safety problem. There are other reported complaints that vehicles were traveling on highways and suffered transmission failures while in motion without any warnings.

The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that the transmission failed. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle lost acceleration. The vehicle was towed to dom's getty station (heightstown, NJ 08520, phone (609) 448-4146) for diagnostic testing, which located the failure at the transmission input shaft and torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 57,000.

I left home for work. All parts of vehicle working fine. I put my blinkers on to make a left turn, which I executed. Half-way down the street, the car began to lose power, but was still running. I tried shifting to another gear - nothing. There was no warning, no sound, just nothing. I attempted to get the car to the side of the one way street with parking on both sides. I could not move the car. Thankfully this did not occur on an interstate, or I would have been killed. Had to call aaa, get the vehicle towed. My garage said it was catastrophic torque converter loss. He has done 5 2003 vehicles just this year. My husband just had major heart surgery; is not working, and now I have to come up with over $2,000 to get a rebuilt transmission. Ford/Mercury has known about these catastrophic failures for years now -- and nothing is done. Does it take someone being killed before there is action? this is not fair the american consumers who try to buy american products and get screwed in the end! my next car. . . Just may be from another country.

I started my car to take it for an oil change. With the engine warmed up I shifted into gear to go. Without any warning symptoms (no clunking, no grinding gears, no loss of fluids,. . . ) the transmission decided to completely fail. The car would not go forward nor backwards as no gears were working. As this is now the third complete failure of the transmission on this car, I am trying to decide if I should try to get it repaired again. In all my years of driving, this is the only car that I have owned that has had transmission problems. There are known design flaws - the torque converter splines are not beefy enough and the vent fitting with a check valve on the trans housing malfunctions closed and causes the trans fluid to shoot back out of the dipstick tube, and there are other issues with this transmission as well. . . The same Ford/Mercury transmission model was recalled in another Ford vehicle. I repeat, the same failure prone part in another vehicle was recalled. There are thousands of complaints online about this particular transmission in Sables and taurus vehicles it is a serious problem as the instantaneous complete transmission failure can easily occur in dangerous traffic situations. It previously failed with my car in motion on a highway! it's not clear as to why there is no recall nor warning. An investigation on the internet will clearly reveal thousands of failures and data is available at transmission and garage shops. Do something please.

My wife was accelerating at about 10 mph when the vehicle completely went out of gear. The engine was running but the car failed to move quickly coming to a dead stop. It turns out it is the torque converter. I understand that Mercury Sables have this problem. It is the same transmission as is in a Ford windstar that did have a recall to replace these defective transmissions. If this had occurred on the interstate during rush hour in our area she could have been hurt and in an accident. Why no recall??.

The contact owns a 2003 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that he attempted to accelerate from a complete stop however, the vehicle would not respond. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the torque converter failed and deposited metal shavings into the transmission. The vehicle was repaired by rebuilding the transmission. The torque converter was also replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 70,000.

Third time here we go!!! the torque converter has been replaced twice on this Mercury Sable piece of junk! please see nthsa report id # 10333941 this was the first time the torque converter failed. I had it repaired at a Ford / Mercury dealership. Received a 12/12 warranty (12k miles or 12 months) it failed again at eleven months and 12100 miles 100 miles over the warranty so they told me tough luck buddy. . I had it repaired again same dealership. I did not even bother to file a report I figured its a waste of time any how. And now here we go again 3rd time. That Ford can manufacture and sell junk and get away with it is criminal. I guess buyer beware don't by Ford and especially do not buy Ford front wheel drive. When it comes to Ford. . . I would never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence when it comes to class action lawsuits . . . Does it matter what the judge drives ? have you been driven by Ford lately.

I was driving the car. Came to a stop and pressed the gas pedal to accelerate. The car started out ok and the mph reached 15mph and then there was nothing. It was like the car was in neutral. I had to coast off the side of the road. Had t have the car towed home. Spoke with several Ford dealerships service mechanics and everyone of them said that they were almost 100% that it was the torque converter (inside the transmission). And could also be the whole transmission. The car wont go into gear. You can move the gearshift flawlessly thru the gears and nothing the car wont move. I was also told by every Ford mechanic that this is a huge problem with that year of car and that transmission (ax4n). Then to find out that Ford knows of the problem and no recall! then I find out today that Ford issued a recall on the Ford windstar for the transmissions (which are the same transmissions that are in the Sable and in the Ford taurus, the model # tranny ax4n). If Ford can issue a recall on the windstar for the same problem as the Sable and taurus why cant they issue a recall on all of them? the cost to fix my Sable is anywhere from $1300 to $1800 and that's if its only the torque converter and not the whole tranny which would cost in the $3500 to $4500 range. And both quotes are coming from Ford mechanics who have done numerous Sables etc with this same problem. I am a single mother and definitely do not have the money to have my car fixed!!!! apparently this is a huge problem and I feel along with so many others that Ford should do a recall and fix it for free!!!! especially when they recall the windstar for the same tranny and same problem! this is an ongoing problem and Ford should address it and take care of it. Because as of right now I sit without a car. I have had other Ford cars and never a problem that's the only reason I purchased this one. If I would only knew. . . . .

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) please see your report pe09033. My Mercury Sable uses the same transmission. And this week end me and my family almost got killed when on I-75 in the middle of a construction zone with concrete barriers on both sides my transmission died with no warning. This car has only 40000 miles on it and I changed the fluid as recommended at 30000 miles. The mechanic said that this was a catastrophic transmission failure and never should have happened at 40000 miles! the mechanic said to me you had no warning did you! I agreed. He said the torque converter had probably failed! the he told me it would cost about $2200 for parts and about $1100 for labor a grand total of $3300. I am an engineer so I know a little about engines and mechanical applications. This should never have happened. I believe after some research that these transmissions have a significant design fault in them partly from torque converter failure and partly from over heating because of poor circulation and heat dissipation design. I would like to register an official complaint with the NHTSA about the above and join or start a campaign for a recall about the above stated problem. I hope that at some point I will have some recourse with Ford. So with some anticipation I respectfully request some help or a response with to my request. [xxx].

I was heading to church. I turned on to another road when my car stopped going. It sounded fine but when I tried to push the gas to go, the car would not go. I've only had the car about 3 to 4 yrs, and have only put about 50,000 miles on the car. I had the car towed to eckenrod Ford in cullman, al. With a lot of persistence and a bulldog attitude, they are currently fixing my car. But, it is costing me money I don't have since I just had a baby. Who ,by the way, was with me when the car failed to drive properly (on a cold snowy sat. Morning). They know they have this problem, I don't know why they don't take care of it all together. I could have been in the middle of a busy highway like the last car I had when it did the same thing. Guess what, it was a 2000 Ford taurus with the same service bulletin as this car and had to be fixed but I didn't pay for it. Instead they managed to get me in the car I currently have with the same problem. They need to fix their cars and quiet giving the consumer a hard time about it. How many have to tear up before they do anything about it?????????.

Went to take my daughter to school one morning, noticed that the car took extra long to engage into reverse. Drove my daughter to school, went to work and decided that I better check the transmission fluid. Upon removing the dip stick, the transmission fluid came boiling out of the dip stick hole. I immediately called a tow truck and had it taken to aamco transmission located at 1705 w. Kennedy blvd. , tampa, FL 33606, 813-251-1049. Upon their inspection of the transmission, they had determined that the torque converter had gone bad which in turn caused the pump to go bad. So therefore, I had to have a complete overhaul of the transmission which has now cost me $2223. 04 plus $88. 11 for car rental. Total amount was $2311. 15. I am going to make a formal demand for payment from Mercury as this should not have happened on a car that only has 37000 miles on it.