Mercury Sable Recalls & Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA lists 46 safety recalls and 5,381 owner complaints across 24 model years of the Mercury Sable (1984–2009). The most-complained-about year is 1993.
Pick your Mercury Sable model year
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Mercury Sable | 0 | 20 |
| 2008 Mercury Sable | 1 | 61 |
| 2006 Mercury Sable | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 Mercury Sable | 0 | 83 |
| 2004 Mercury Sable | 1 | 52 |
| 2003 Mercury Sable | 3 | 201 |
| 2002 Mercury Sable | 3 | 440 |
| 2001 Mercury Sable | 8 | 430 |
| 2000 Mercury Sable | 7 | 464 |
| 1999 Mercury Sable | 5 | 258 |
| 1998 Mercury Sable | 2 | 190 |
| 1997 Mercury Sable | 3 | 228 |
| 1996 Mercury Sable | 5 | 304 |
| 1995 Mercury Sable | 5 | 350 |
| 1994 Mercury Sable | 4 | 387 |
| 1993 Mercury Sable | 6 | 674 |
| 1992 Mercury Sable | 4 | 364 |
| 1991 Mercury Sable | 4 | 221 |
| 1990 Mercury Sable | 5 | 166 |
| 1989 Mercury Sable | 6 | 238 |
| 1988 Mercury Sable | 5 | 126 |
| 1987 Mercury Sable | 8 | 76 |
| 1986 Mercury Sable | 8 | 46 |
| 1984 Mercury Sable | 0 | 1 |
What Mercury Sable owners complain about
Across all model years, owners have filed 5,381 complaints with NHTSA. The 1993 model year has the most, with 674.
All Mercury Sable recalls (46)
Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Mercury Sable, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.
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Air bags: frontal
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer…
Model years: 2008
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Coil springs (suspension)
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of…
Remedy: Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles,…
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Power adjust (seats)
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with power adjustable seats may have been inadequately welded.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the upper support assembly on the power seats. The recall began on july 20, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Model years: 2004
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Switch (exterior lighting)
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.
Remedy: 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…
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Engine and engine cooling
On certain vehicles, the air filter paper in these vehicles can smolder or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the air filter element. Owner notification began on march 10, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Model years: 2003
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Windshield (visibility)
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.
Remedy: 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…
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Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous application of both the brake and accelerator pedals could result in an increase in engine RPM.
Remedy: Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured. If the spacing is found to…
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Fan (engine and engine cooling)
Vehicle description: taurus/sable vehicles equipped with 3.0l and 3.8l engines and mustang vehicles with 3.8l and 5.0l engines. It is possible for the engine cooling fan bearing to seize.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine cooling fan assembly and install a circuit breaker. If the cooling fan is inoperative, the fan and motor assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began december 28, 2001. Owners who…
Model years: 1995
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Motor (visibility)
Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their…
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Buckle assembly (seat belts)
Vehicle description: passenger cars. The seat belt buckle tongue may not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a partial latch of the tongue in the buckle.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles. Owner notification began may 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Model years: 2001
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Switch (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. Due to the use of incorrect material by a supplier, the headlamp switch knob can fracture and separate from the headlamp switch.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the headlamp switch knob. Owner notification began april 9, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Model years: 2000
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Switch (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. If the grease from the adjustable pedal assembly enters the stop lamp switch, it can contaminate the contacts leading to carbon build up, and potentially, a short circuit.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch and wipe down the adjustable pedal assembly to remove excess grease. Owner notification began march 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an…
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Owners/service/other manual (equipment)
Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the affected expedition/navigator owner guides do not identify the locations of seating positions equipped with tether anchorages, and do not provide…
Remedy: Owners will be provided with owner guide inserts revised to provide the required information, and instructions for affixing these inserts to their owner guides. Customers will also be advised that if they prefer, their…
Model years: 2001
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Labels (equipment)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The "vehicle capacity weight" and "designated seating capacity" information was not printed on the safety certification labels affixed to these vehicles. On affected sable sedan vehicles, the "vehicles capacity weight" (and also the luggage load) information printed on this label is incorrect -…
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a supplemental label with the correct information, along with instructions for affixing the label adjacent to the vehicle certification label. Owner notification began october 20, 2000.…
Model years: 2000
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Anchorage (seat belts)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The child safety seat anchor latch (iso-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a reinforcement plate that has two studs that extend upward through the floor pan and the iso-fix anchor. The sealer on the floor pan could cause a…
Remedy: Dealers will remove and re-install the bracket nut using a torque retention material (red loctite). Owner notification began september 11, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon…
Model years: 2001
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Anchorage (seat belts)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The seat belt retractor may have a pin shaft in the switchable elr/alr mechanism that is incorrectly formed. In some circumstances, the switching mechanism could become nonfunctional, preventing the seat belt webbing from being extracted from the retractor. It is also possible that malfunction of…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the lap and shoulder belt assemblies. Assemblies with julian date codes of 200 through 223 are suspect and will be replaced.
Model years: 1999
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Frame and members (structure)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west…
Remedy: Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.
Model years: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
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Cooling unit and lines (power train)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equpped with the "california" emissions package. An incorrect transmission oil cooler line was installed. The line contacts the anti-lock braking system module support bracket and over time, can wear and develop a leak.
Remedy: Dealers will install the appropriate transmission oil cooler line.
Model years: 1999
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A dash insulator retainer clip was not fully assembled to the accelerator cable dash fitting. The clip can disengage from the accelerator cable and fall into the accelerator pedal arm pivot area.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles to ensure proper installation of the accelerator cable clip, and re-install if needed.
Model years: 1999
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Anchorage (seat belts)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual seat tracks. The front seat belt buckle attaching stud may have been improperly heat treated. This heat treatment may have resulted in cracks developing in the stud.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and stud assembly.
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Coil springs (suspension)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of new york, michigan, ohio, illinois, wisconsin, pennsylvania, massachusetts, indiana, new jersey, maine, connecticut, new hampshire, rhode island, vermont, minnesota, iowa, missouri, kentucky, maryland, delaware, and west virginia. The front…
Remedy: Dealers will install a spring catcher bracket which will prevent a fractured spring from contacting a tire.
Model years: 1993
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Tank assembly (fuel system)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles previously serviced under ford service bulletin 97-17-9 from august 1997 through december 1997. These vehicles were inadvertenly equipped with an 18-gallon fuel tank rather than the 16-gallon as specified. The 18-gallon tank has a second valve location where a shipping plug should be installed.
Remedy: Dealers will install the correct fuel tank.
Model years: 1996
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Headlights (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
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Switch (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The headlights can flash intermittently as a result of the circuit breaker opening. The vehicle's headlights can go out for brief intervals.
Remedy: Dealers will install a headlight switch that incorporates a cricuit breaker of revised design and installation of a wiring harness connector and wiring, if needed.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with ax4s automatic transaxles. The low/intermediate servo cover can separate from the transaxle while the vehicle is being driven. If this occurs, transmission fluid will leak contacting the catalytic converter.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the transmission and replace these servo covers.
Model years: 1997
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with 3.8l engines and originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, south dakota, vermont,…
Remedy: Dealers will add a boot to the speed control cable.
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Fan (engine and engine cooling)
These vehicles are originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, iowa, minnesota, nebraska, north dakota, and south dakota. The vehicles involved are 1992-1994 tempo/topaz vehicles with 3.0l engines; 1994 tempo/topaz with 2.3l engines; 1992-1995 taurus/sable with 3.8l engines; 1994-1995 taurus/sable with 3.0l…
Remedy: Dealers will install an electrical jumper harness containing an automatic resetting circuit breaker to protect the fan motor low speed circuitry from overheating.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
The automatic transmission park pawl shaft may not be free to rotate as intended. If the park pawl shaft does not rotate, it would prevent the park pawl from engaging the park gear when the shift lever is in the park position.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft rotation and those shafts with restricted rotation will be replaced with a shorter shaft that will not restrict rotation.
Model years: 1996
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Gear position indication (prndl) (power train)
The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
The park pawl shaft was improperly positioned when the roll pin that retains it was installed during transmission assembly. If the shaft was not properly positioned, the roll pin may not have lined up with the groove in the shaft and have been crushed at assembly. Also, a burr could have been raised on the shaft.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft roll pin. If the roll pin is damaged, both the roll pin and the park pawl shaft will be replaced. In addition, owners will be reminded to fully apply the parking brake, in…
Model years: 1996
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Lamp (service brakes)
The brake system fluid level indicator lamp switch can malfunction. This does not comply with FMVSS no. 105, "hydraulic brake systems."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake system fluid level indicator lamp switches.
Model years: 1996
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Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
The retainer clip which holds the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal arm is missing or not completely installed. The push rod can separate from the brake pedal arm.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install the retainer clip.
Model years: 1995
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Frame and members (structure)
Vehicle description: taurus and sables built from 10-14-85 through 8-19-88, and lincoln continentals built from 11-4-87 through 9-30-88 (except 1989 - 1991 2.5l taurus and 1989 - 1992 sho). The affected cars were originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts,…
Remedy: Install a corrosion-resistant reinforcing plate and a new bolt on both rear subframe mounts. This recall campaign has been superseded by recall 98v-323.
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Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (service brakes)
Anti-lock brake system controllers designed for rear wheel drive cars may have been installed on these front wheel drive cars..
Remedy: Replace the rear wheel drive ABS controller with a front wheel drive ABS controller.
Model years: 1993
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Buckle assembly (seat belts)
The rigid mounted safety belt buckles are defective in three ways. First, a fastened safety belt buckle will not unlatch when the release button is depressed. This results from interference between the buckle ejector finger and the buckle tongue window. The second defect is the safety belt buckle may not latch. The third possible defect…
Remedy: Ford will replace the rigid mounted safety belt buckles with end release safety belt buckles designed to prevent latch problems.
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Wheels
Children can accidentally lock themselves in the footwell area of the rear-facing third seat, or in the storage compartment in station wagons not equipped with an optional third seat. Once the compartment is closed it cannot be opened from the inside.
Remedy: Replace the self-latching assembly currently used in the rear storage compartment with a latch assembly that can only be closed with a key.
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Rotor (service brakes)
Front disc brake rotors of the subject vehicles may experience severe corrosion if operated in areas where calcium chloride and sodium chloride are used extensively.
Remedy: Replace front brake rotors with full cast front brake rotors.
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Seats
The power seat switch wiring is routed over rather than under the front seat support brace, allowing damage by seat cushion spring ends when seat is occupied.
Remedy: Revise routing of power seat wiring to prevent damage from seat cushion spring contact.
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Switch (exterior lighting)
An incorrect transistor may cause autolamp system light sensor module malfunction.
Remedy: Replace light sensor modules.
Model years: 1990
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Exterior lighting
Front side marker lamps were unintentionally equipped with clear bulbs, instead of amber colored bulbs as specified in FMVSS 108.
Remedy: Replace clear bulbs with amber colored bulbs.
Model years: 1989
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
Spring lock fuel line coupling may not be properly engaged.
Remedy: Install retainer clips over the couplings to prevent coupling separation and fuel leakage.
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Motor (visibility)
Road salt induced erosion of the wiper motor conductor strips could cause localized thermal stress within the glass.
Remedy: Apply sealant to conductor strips and protective tape to lower backlites.
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Spindle (suspension)
Left and/or right rear spindle assemblies may have been improperly heat treated. Consequence of defect: if spindle stem separates, loss of vehicle control could occur without prior warning.
Remedy: Replace rear spindle.
Model years: 1987
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Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)
Steering shaft assemblies contain lower shafts of insufficient length for proper attachment to the shaft insulator flange. Consequence of defect: shaft could separate, resulting in total loss of steering control and a possible accident.
Remedy: Replace steering shaft assembly, as necessary.
Model years: 1987
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Visibility
The right quarter windows may contain glass which was improperly tempered. This glass may yield pieces larger than the maximum allowed by FMVSS 205, glazing material. Consequence of defect: in case of an accident these large pieces of glass may seriously injure the occupants of the car.
Remedy: Replace the quarter windows containing date code 5 af.
Model years: 1986
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Anti-theft device (steering)
Remedy: Ignition lock switch cylinder will be replaced.
Model years: 1986
Other Mercury models
- Grand Marquis3,951 complaints
- Milan2,519 complaints
- Mountaineer1,992 complaints
- Cougar1,893 complaints
- Villager1,725 complaints
- Mariner1,296 complaints
- Mystique1,019 complaints
- Tracer567 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.