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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

3389 messages,  Last post on Jan 21, 2011 at 11:46 AM

You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Sedan

Messages Page 313 of 340

#3118 of 3389 Re: Starting Problems with 2002 Taurus [jross1] by travis50

May 15, 2005 (10:16 am)

Replying to: jross1 (May 14, 2005 2:24 pm)
BigDan,
     I have been having the EXACT same problem with my 02 Taurus SE with 68k miles. Owned since new with no other problems. Intermittent start problem with exact same symptoms as your car. Brought to Ford dealer 3 times and they have kept the car for a few days at a time...even having a service tech take the car home after work to try to replicate problem. Of course as soon as I get car back, I am broken down on the side of the road. Please follow up. I am trying to troubleshoot this problem on my own, as Ford cant seem to service their vehicle. Any help is greatly appreciated.

#3119 of 3389 Last Mercury Sable by savetheland

May 15, 2005 (5:13 pm)

Here you will find photos of last Sable rolled off assembly line in Atlanta:
 
http://www.blueovalnews.com/2005/products/sable.lastunitbuild.02may05.htm

#3120 of 3389 TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS by vppc

May 16, 2005 (11:19 pm)

Hello, everyone!
 
I own a 2001 Taurus SES with 69,000 miles. I NEED tires! These Wal-Mart Douglas Touring tires are pathetic. Here are my requirements:
 
- $400 budget
- FANTASTIC handling (I frequently travel curvy roads)
- Smooth ride (althought not life or death requirement)
- Stability on highways
 
I personally feel as if a TOURING tire is not an option; however, I have considered the following tires:
 
- Firestone Affinity LH30
- Bridgestone Potenza G009
- Fuzion HRi
- Kelly Navigator Platinum TE
 
PLEASE! I need input on what tire I should buy. If any of you 2000-2005 Taurus owners have found a tire that DESTROYS the performance of the Continental Touring Contact or any other standard touring tire, I would appreciate it!
 
THANKS!
- Alex

#3121 of 3389 4-MONTH UPDATE by vppc

May 16, 2005 (11:33 pm)

Hello, everyone!
 
I also wanted to update the status of my 2001 Taurus SES with 69,000 miles. To date, here is all I have done to the car:
 
- 64,000 - lower ball joint ($35 part, $40 install, $40 for 4-wheel alignment)
- 66,000 - new front rotors ($70 for both including installation)
- 68,000 - transmission flush w/filter (preventative maintenance, $140)
 
The only thing I need to do to this car is a new oil pan gasket. I guess I am leaking oil (only a drop now and then); however I am going to replace this as I want to keep the maintenance up. It will run me $30 for the part and $75 to put it in.
 
Coming from a 1998 Toyota Camry, I am very pleased with my Taurus. Sure, people might say that Ford is junk, but I say otherwise. I feel if you TAKE CARE OF YOUR VEHICLE, then it will take care of you. This car at 69,000 miles, honestly, runs better than the Camry did at that mileage. I use this vehicle for pizza delivery and also for commuting. I travel on rough and curvy roads most of the time, and this car handles it! The suspension is excellent and I can hear them gas struts a working! My Camry had some suspension issues: bad struts, scraped in the front on any turn from a grade, bottomed out on bumps, squeaked over speed bumps, not the best handler. Not to mention, the engine (2.2L) had a leaking exhaust manifold thus causing a strange sound at initial startup and a FLASHING check engine light if driven too hard. The pushrod 3.0L V6 in this car has excellent pull and, as I understand, goes forever and is inexpensive to maintain. Another noticeable strong point is the cars body strength. At age four, NO RUST and NO DINGS on this vehicle. The Camry had many small dings that I see frequently on Japanese cars. My Camry had one spot where it rusted, many small dings, many scratches, and the spoiler paint faded and lost its texture.
 
Trust me, once a Toyota-only guy, I have now become a Ford guy. Although I do think Toyota produces a good car, I will choose a Ford first. The new 500 is NICE, NICE, NICE. Five-star side-impact without side airbags! Ford also makes a tough car made to handle rough, American terrain. My Taurus takes it like a bitch and I feel I can depend on it, given I take care of it.
 
So, to those debating about buying a Taurus or Sable, DO IT. Save money, spend less on repairs, and know that you bought a quality, domestic vehicle that will hold up to anything and keep you the most protected out of every vehicle on the road (look at the fantastic crash ratings at www.highwaysafety.org). If you are wanting new, a Taurus or Sable can be easily had for $15-$16K. Or, step up to the new Ford 500 which I have seen for $19,795 in the papers.
 
THANKS!
- Alex

#3122 of 3389 Re: TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS [vppc] by pat

May 17, 2005 (4:33 am)

Replying to: vppc (May 16, 2005 11:19 pm)
Hi Alex,
 
Here are another couple of discussions you might want to check into while you are waiting for some input here:
 
Tires, Tires, Tires and Ask Connor at the Tire Rack.
 
Hope this is helpful - good luck.

#3123 of 3389 Re: TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS [vppc] by badgerfan

May 17, 2005 (7:35 am)

Replying to: vppc (May 16, 2005 11:19 pm)
I am going to be due for new tires to replace the OEM Continentals on my 2000 Taurus before next winter. I am seriously considering going with BF Goodrich Traction TA's (I believe they are the H speed rated version) as they seem to have consistently good reviews by Tire Rack and also by those who post their own reviews at Tire Rack. They are also reasonably priced. You might want to investigate these Traction TA's.
 
The OE Continentals on my Taurus, aside from having poor wet traction, have actually done pretty well. Nice even wear and even decent snow traction, though it is getting worse now that they are nearing the end of their useful life. Now at 46K they are about used up, and I will definitely replace them this summer or fall.
 
Glad to see you are having good luck with your Taurus, as am I.

#3124 of 3389 Re: 4-MONTH UPDATE [vppc] by savetheland

May 17, 2005 (2:21 pm)

Replying to: vppc (May 16, 2005 11:33 pm)
I agree with you on Ford vs. Toyota. On my Toyota I used to fix the fender by bare hands - metal is very thin and soft. My Taurus crashed brick wall once and bent parking pole other time ending with some extra scratches on the bumper. With Toyota it requires bumper and probably hood replacement (I actually did repair bumper once on Toyota). It is because Japanese design vehicles to save material wherever it is possible and American vehicle are more robust as a rule because American are not skimpy on materials.
 
Yeah suspension is the weakness of all Toyotas, esp. if you drive on rough roads. Mitsubishi and Mazda are better on this aspect. Toyota is not robust. It is Japanese refined, but not American tough. I will not buy another Toyota solely because they handle bad and are fragile. I do not want to get scared every time I change lanes on freeway or visit body shop after every little fender-bender.
 
Continentals on my Sable are pretty durable. I have 50K miles on it and they wear even and look good, may go another 50K. I did not pump tires at least for half a year. Actually I do not remember when I did it last time. But robustness has downside – they are not reliable on wet surfaces – ABS starts working and car keeps going – not good.

#3125 of 3389 Blower Motor by flyingscot2364

May 20, 2005 (5:33 am)

Greetings: I own a 1994 Sable wagon. Recently, the HEAT/AC blower motor
 
will only work at the fastest speed. The slower fan speeds are dead. Any ideas ?
 
Thanks.....
 
Larry

#3126 of 3389 Re: TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS [badgerfan] by lmcg

May 24, 2005 (8:18 am)

Replying to: badgerfan (May 17, 2005 7:35 am)
I replaced the OEM Continentals on my 2000 Sable around 7 months ago with Dunlop SP Qualifiers from Sam's, around $70 each. I also went up a size to 225, which was acceptable in the tire sizing guide that Sam's uses. 1 month ago I was in to get the tires balanced and rotated (around 8K on the Dunlops and I had some shaking in the steering) and the tech recommended that the tires on the front be replaced as the alignment was out enough to have eaten the tires on the inside. I had no idea the alignment was out as there was no pulling or indication (take note - get regular alignments!). The tech recommended at that time that a tire with a harder compound, such as BF Goodrich, would do better on the Sable as he called it a "heavier car". I went ahead and got two new Dunlops on the rear; now I've already noticed a slight shimmy when gradually braking to a stop - don't know if it's the tires or the brakes. There is a definite shake when braking thru 50mph so I know the brakes are due.
 
I can't say I would recommend the Dunlops for this car; they don't feel as solid and smooth as I had hoped. Wet traction is fine, and they aren't overly loud.
 
I just put a set of the BF Goodrich Traction T/As on the wife's Honda Odyssey, which replaced a set of Goodyear Regatta 2s. The Regattas performed well, and were certainly quieter than the OEM Michelin Symmetry. We got around 30K out of the Regattas.

#3127 of 3389 CHRISPTOWN 2004 SABLE--LEAK by chrisptown

May 24, 2005 (8:54 am)

BOUGHT SABLE NEW 1/05. HAS 7,000. MILES JUST DEVELOPED WATER LEAK IN PASSENGER FLOOR. HAVE APPT WITH DEALER. DEALER SAYS HE HAS NOT NO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON TAURUS/SABLES. ANY THOUGHTS.

Messages Page 313 of 340

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