Faults:

Battery: this is a regular maintenance item.

Brake rotors: The front rotors warp every 15-18,000 miles, but since they only cost 135.00 (for both front pads and rotors), this expense is acceptable.

Suspension: At 65,000, all struts and springs were worn out. At 600.00 I did not feel that the repair was worth it so they were never replaced.

EGR Valve: I have a check engine light for an EGR valve. This is a 50.00 part to replace.

Clear coat peeling: The clear coat is slowly peeling off the car.

General Comments:

I purchased my Sable in 2004 with 42,000 miles on it. This car was purchased as a cheap commuter car to replace my unreliable VW Passat. Over a 4 year period, I have put 50,000 miles on the car and it has never left me stranded. I decided to trade the car in due to the growing list of maintenance items that needed to be replaced.

I feel that this car is ideal for someone on a budget and wants a car with a side of the road.

Lot of features. While it will not provide the reliability of a Honda or Toyota, the repair costs are relatively low and the car will not leave you stranded on the road.

PROS

- Powerful and responsive 3.0 DOHC Engine

- Adjustable gas/brake pedals

- Leather Seats

- Climate Control

- Sun Roof

- All repair parts are cheap

- Ride: The car is great for long trips on the highway.

CONS

- Suspension: Springs should not snap and rust at 65,000 miles

- Fuel Economy: Seems to get around 21 MPG average.

- Audio System: The car has a bad audio system and cannot be replaced because the climate controls and the radio are one circuit board.

- Turning Radius: My friend's truck turns sharper than this car

- Size: The car is 200 inches long (Almost as big as a Crown Victoria)

Faults:

Broken rear brake spring -- $81 to install a new hardware kit.

Water leak in headlamp -- $100 for an aftermarket part. The dealer wanted $250 for an OEM part.

Front brakes -- the pads still had 50% wear life left when I spent $250 on the brake job, but I couldn't stand the pulsation from the warped rotors.

Ball joints -- $210 (the dealer picked up half the cost). One of the replacement parts loosened up within 3000 miles and had to be changed again, thankfully not at my expense.

Leaky halfshaft seal -- $150.

Cabin water leak -- $247 and two trips to the shop to find and replace a broken cowl rain hat, dry out the carpet and replace the carpet pad. The dealer didn't charge me for the second visit and offered a loaner vehicle at no cost, which I declined because I had another car available.

Outer tie rod ends -- $257.

Rear struts and upper mounts -- $478. The original parts degraded seemingly overnight, changing the ride quality from smooth to bone-jarring.

A/C compressor -- $766.

General Comments:

I bought this car to replace a 1999 Sable that I turned over to my son. In retrospect, I would have done better to keep the older, higher-mileage car and give my son a check to cover the cost of whatever used car he could find.

When it's not in the shop consuming my discretionary income, the 2000 Sable runs well and is very pleasant to drive. The leather interior looks great and is very comfortable; the audiophile sound system and automatic climate control work well; the chassis strikes a very good balance between ride and handling; and the drivetrain is smooth, quiet, peppy and relatively easy on fuel. I get 24 mpg in mixed driving and 28 on the highway. If the reliability were better, I'd give this car high marks.