2003 Mercury Sable: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2003 Mercury Sable. The newest campaign is 04V106000. NHTSA received the report on 2 Mar 2004. The NHTSA record gives the component Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch. NHTSA has 201 complaints on file for this model year. 4 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 04V106000, in the NHTSA record

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.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

3 campaigns, newest first. 1,406,609 units in total.

04V106000Received 2 Mar 2004. 938,789 units.
Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
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 activated. This could also cause the battery to discharge.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 04S12. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 5 Apr 2004.
04V105000Received 2 Mar 2004. 399,926 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain vehicles, the air filter paper in these vehicles can smolder or burn.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This can lead to damage to the air induction system on these vehicles and/or an underhood fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the air filter element. Owner notification began on march 10, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 04S11. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Mar 2004.
03V087000Received 10 Mar 2003. 67,894 units.
Visibility / Windshield
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Potential loss of windshield retention may also reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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 reasonable time should contact ford/mercury at 1-800-392-3673.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 03C03. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 31 Mar 2003.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

201 complaints, 251 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2003 Mercury Sable
All 2003 vehicles

2003 Mercury Sable: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2003 Sable	All 2003 vehicles	Sable, all years	Mentions
Suspension	203.2	59	137.4	51
Power Train	119.5	118.5	117.4	30
Vehicle Speed Control	115.5	41.3	72.3	29
Visibility	79.7	38.7	41.2	20
Structure	79.7	64.3	47.4	20
Engine and Engine Cooling	75.7	74.5	191.9	19
Exterior Lighting	51.8	34.6	39.9	13
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	47.8	56.4	61.5	12
Electrical System	39.8	122.8	65.6	10
Air Bags	31.9	83.7	34.1	8

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 25.

Complaints that report a crash: 13
Complaints that report a fire: 1
Injuries in the complaints: 8
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 13 Mar 2023

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2003 Mercury Sable, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2012, with 20 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2003 Mercury Sable
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE12033	Preliminary evaluation	Speed control cable damage	Vehicle Speed Control / Cables	24 Oct 2012	26 Jun 2013
EA08018	Engineering analysis	Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture	Suspension / Front / Springs / Coil Springs	28 Aug 2008	30 Jun 2011
DP06005	Defect petition	ENGINE STALLING FFV	Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery	4 Dec 2006	28 Dec 2007
RQ03008	Recall query	BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE	Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights	23 Oct 2003	5 Mar 2004	04V106000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

Follow by RSS:Vehicle recalls

Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2003 Mercury SableThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2003 Mercury Sable: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/mercury/sable/2003/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2003 Mercury Sable?: 1,406,609 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Mercury Sable have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 46 recall campaigns for the Mercury Sable, model years 1984 to 2009. 3 of them name the 2003 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2003 Mercury Sable name most often?: Suspension: 51 of 251 component mentions, or 203.2 per 1,000. For all 2003 vehicles the figure is 59 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2003 Mercury Sable open?: No. Each of the 4 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.