1997 Mercury Sable

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT COMES UNDONE, EVEN AFTER MANUALLY TUGGING ON SAME TO SEE IF SECURED. I AM MOSTLY ALONE IN THE CAR AND DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER BELTS DO THE SAME. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE BELT CAN COME UNDONE WHEN I TUG ON IT, OR LATER. IT CAN COME UNDONE WHILE PARKED OR MOVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED. I WOULD SAY IN RETROSPECT, I USUALLY NOTICE IT NOT TOO FAR FROM MY HOUSE AND I LIVE IN THE CITY, SO PERHAPS IT HAPPENS AT 0 TO LOW SPEEDS. I NOTICE ON THOSE OCCASSIONS THAT THE SEATBELT DOES NOT CLICK WHEN FASTENED. SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT FORCE IT TO CLICK SHUT. *AK

WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF APPROACHING FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON ME. THE CAR FROM PARKED POSITION COULD BE BACKED IN REVERSE GEAR TO THE STREET, BUT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD IN "D" IT DOES GO FORWARD, BUT TAKES UP TOO MUCH ENGINE RPM - SLIPPAGE?- TO PICK UP SPEED. THEN YOU CAN SWITCH GEARS TO 2ND AND 3RD (D WITH OVERDRIVE OFF) AND 4TH (WITH OD ENGAGED) GEAR. I HAVEN'T RISKED TOPPING 45 MPH IN MY TEST RUN. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION THAT DOES NOT ALLOW IT TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN PUT IN "D" AND SEEMS LIKE TAKING TOO MUCH RPM TO PICK UP LOAD WHEN GEARS ARE CHANGED MANUALLY. I HAVE BROWSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE FOR COMPLAINTS LAUNCHED BY OTHER '97 SABLE OWNERS, BUT I COULD NOT FIND ANY ONE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE GEAR SHIFT INDICATED VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL ENGINE SURGED AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO AN UNKNOWN SPEED BEFORE CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ALSO, POWER STEERING AND POWER ASSIST BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE DURING THIS INCIDENT. DEALERSHIP HAS YET TO EXAMINE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

THE SEAT BELT ALWAYS LOCKS UP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE BELT ALWAYS JAMS AND MERCURY DEALERSHIP WON'T DO A THING SINCE ITS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY UNLESS YOU GOT $200.00. I HEARD FORD HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THEIR OTHER FORD/MERCURY PRODUCTS, WHICH MY CAR ISN'T UNDER RECALL. ON THE ENGINE LIGHT MATTER. IF YOU FORGET TO PUT ON THE GAS CAP OR RADITIOR CAP ON OR SOMETHING VERY MINOR. THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. I NOTICED THIS WILL HAPPEN ALSO WITH MY DAD'S TAURUS ALSO. I HAVE HEARD THIS HAPPENS TO ALL 1995 OR NEWER CARS. THING IS MOST PEOPLE SEE THE ENGINE LIGHT ON AND GO RIGHT TO THE MECHANIC WHICH CAN BE COSTLY IN REPAIRS IF REALLY THE REPAIR IS NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE ITS SOMETHING MINOR LIKE A GAS CAP NOT TIGHTENED. MAYBE THE AUTO COMPANY'S FOUND A NEW WAY TO RIP US OFF? WHAT DO U THINK? *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILS PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC, WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THEY DENIED IT UNTIL I MADE MANAGER DRIVE W/ME THEY REBUILT IT FREE, AFTER FIGHTING WITH THEM, I DID NOT HAVE THE CAR A WEEK. THEY REBUILT IT, 1 YR LATER HAPPENED AGAIN, SAID CANNOT FIND ANYTHING, TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID THEY ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION IN THESE DUE TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER TOO STRONG FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THEY KNOW THEY MADE A MISTAKE. OIL IS BLACK, THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RECALL BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO RECALL THE CAR. *AK