1997 Mercury Sable

WE OWN A 1997 MERCURY SABLE. IN JUNE OF 2004 OUR HEATER CORE WENT OUT AND, AS THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, WAS REPLACED BY A LOCAL CAR DEALERSHIP, HENRY DAY FORD. THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR WAS THEN 60,468. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE HEATER CORE REPLACED AN ADDITIONAL 4 TIMES, THE LAST TIME WAS MAY 11, 2005 (MILEAGE 64,995). ON JUNE 7, 2005, ONCE AGAIN, THE HEATER CORE SEEMED TO GO OUT. WE TOOK IT TO HENRY DAY AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. EACH TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED, A STEAM HAS FILLED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND CLOUDED THE WINDOWS, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WHERE I AM GOING. IT IS A VERY MALODOROUS STEAM, FULL OF ANTIFREEZE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL OWNERS OF FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLE VEHICLES, AND MOST SEEM TO HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE HEATER CORE PROBLEMS. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE A FLAW IN THE VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR ME, AND I WONDER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT MY HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF MY SPOUSE (WHO HAS HEART PROBLEMS). WE HAVE BEEN NAUSEATED AND HAVE HAD CONGESTION AND EVEN SOME MEMORY PROBLEMS THAT SEEM TO OCCUR AFTER INHALING THE STEAM. WE WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON THE EFFECTS OF INHALING THIS MIXTURE OF WATER AND ANTIFREEZE.

I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED THAT SABLE WAS A BAD CAR AFTER THE ENGINE OF MY MOTHER'S '87 SABLE EXPLODED, CAUGHT FIRE AND BUSTED THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CAR BESIDE THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE (1993). LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OFF AND SITTING IN PARK FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I BOUGHT MY 97 SABLE IN 2001. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH SO MANY CONSTANT PROBLEMS. I SPEND ABOUT $1200 A YEAR FIXING IT CONTINUALLY. I'M CURRENTLY HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO GOING OUT WHILE IN REVERSE OR WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE. THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WON'T MOVE UP OR DOWN UNLESS THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER PRESS THE BUTTONS AT THE SAME TIME. THE INTERIOR LIGHT STAYS ON, SO WE HAVE TO UNPLUG THE FUSE TO GET IT TO GO OFF. THE SEAT BELT SAFETY LIGHT AND THE WINDOW BUTTON LIGHTS KEEP CLICKING ON AND OFF. ONCE AGAIN, THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN EVEN THOUGH THE POWER STEERING FLUID IS AT THE RIGHT LEVEL. I HAVE TO GET THE WHEELS ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. THE CAR ALWAYS MAKES A HUMMING NOISE AND DOES NOT BLOCK OUT THE SOUND OF WIND. THE SHOULDER STRAPS OF SEAT BELTS ALWAY LOCK INTO PLACE TOO TIGHT. NAME THE PROBLEM... I'VE PROBABLY BEEN THROUGH IT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD/ MERCURY AGAIN EVEN IF IT IS THE #1 SELLING CAR.