1997 Mercury Sable

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1997 MERCURY SABLE AT 20 MPH HE FELT A WOBBLE. THE CONTACT STATED IF THE WOBBLE CAME FROM THE FRONT TIRE IT WOULD CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THE CONTACT THIS WAS DUE TO A BELT SEPARATION IN THE TIRE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TIRE. TIRE TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED THREE TIMES WITH THE FRONT TIRES AND FOUR OCCURRENCES INVOLVED THE REAR TIRES. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTINENTAL AND THE MODEL AMERI-TECH. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD AN ODOMETER READING OF 86,000 MILES. THE TIRES FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.*AK THE CONSUMER PROVIDED INVOICES FOR ALL THE TIRE REPAIRS AND STATES HE WENT TO DIFFERENT DEALERS BECAUSE HE WAS INFORMED TO DO SO BY GENERAL TIRES. UPDATE 4/24/07 *TR

THIS WAS A FAILURE THAT FORTUNATELY WAS CAUGHT BEFORE A CRASH. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED LAST DECEMBER. FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED IT THERE WAS A CLUNKING SOUND THAT CAME FROM UNDER THE FRONT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER MY HUSBAND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MOVING BACK AND FORTH (FRONT TO BACK) WHEN THE CAR WOULD START OUT AND BACK UP. HE CONTINUED TO MONITOR IT FOR A FEW DAYS WHEN IT STARTED TO SOUND IF IT WERE WHIRRING AND GRINDING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. HE TOOK IT TO A REPAIR PLACE, FISHER AUTO BODY AND REPAIR IN SOMERSET. THERE THEY FOUND THE FOLLOWING, THE FRONT STRUTS WERE BAD, THE DRIVER SIDE WAS LEAKING AND HAD LITTLE FUNCTION, THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS WEAK; THE FRONT SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY MOUNT HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND HAD SEPERATED; THE REAR MOTOR MOUNT WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED; THE REAR SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (TO CURE THE CLUNKING); THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING HAD GONE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (TO REPAIR THE WHIRRING SOUND), PLUS STRUT MOUNT, CUSHION, ETC. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS NEARLY $1600. ALTHOUGH I SUSPECT THE WEAK STRUTS ALLOWED THE SUBFRAME TO SLAM TO THE GROUND ON HILLS OR SHARP GULLEYS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE FRONT MOUNTS BREAKING, THEY WERE CLEARLY NOT DESIGNED TO STAND UP IN THE LONG RUN. THE SAME DESIGN WAS USED ON THE 93 TAURUS FOR INSTANCE AND YOU RECALLED THE REAR MOUNTS AND REQUIRED A BEEFED UP MOUNTING PLATE AND DESIGN. YOU SHOULD FORCE FORD (MERCURY) TO DO THE SAME WITH THIS CAR. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE RIGHT REAR TIRES TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRES ON THE SAME DAY WHILE ON A VACATION TRIP. GENERAL TIRES, SIZE 205/65R15, DOT# UNKNOWN. *AK THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT CHECK THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE AND IT ONLY HAD 17 LBS OF PRESSURE. HE TESTED AND FOUND MULTIPLE DEFECTS (SEPARATION AND LEAKS) IN ALL FOUR TIRES. *NM

I PURCHASED 8 OF THESE EXACT TIRES. 4 FOR MY 1994 FORD TURUAS AMD 4 FOR MY MERCURY SABLE. PREVIOSLY ON MY 1994 THREE OF THE ORIGINAL 4 TIRES I PURCHASED HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALL WITHIN A MONTHS TIME ALL AT AROUND 20,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIRE BLEW THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. A WEEK OR SO LATER I NOTED THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPERATING FORM THE LEFT FROM TIRE. I CONTACTED MICHELIN REGARDING THIS AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE WAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION THE MICHELIN DEALER FOUND A NOTHER TIRE THAT WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND THEY REPLACED THEM BOTH AT NO CHAGE TO US. LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT ON MY SABLE THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SIDE WALL WAS PEELING THE SAME AS THE OTHERS HAD DONE ON MY 1994 FORD. I NOTIFED MICHELIN THIS TIME THEY INFORMED ME TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO REPLACE THIS TIRE ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME DEFFECTS AS THE OTHER TWO THAT WHERE REPLACED EARLIER THIS YEAR. AT OR AROUND 20,000 MILES THE SIDE WALLS OF TIRES BEGINS TO CRACK AND THE TREAD BEGINS TO PEAL AWAY FORM THE SIDE. IT HAS HAPPEN TO TWO DIFFERENT CARS THAT I OWN. THE SAME TIRE, TWO DIFFERENT DRIVERS YET THE SAME DEFECT. I AM NOT CONVIENCED THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. I HAVE PURCHASED 8 OF THE SAME TIRES AND 4 OF THE 8 HAVE GONE BAD. THREE TIRES SHOWED THE SAME TIPE OF DEFECT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS OTHERS MAYBE UNAWARE OF THE DANGER THESE MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK