Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1995 record →
WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE WITH EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE APPLIED VEHICLE WILL ROLL BACKWARDS. ALSO, THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS ACTIVATED OR NOT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGHER SPEED. SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WAS ERRATIC. CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHENE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ABOVE 60 MPH SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT SPEED. OPERATON IS VERY ERRATIC, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WAS PRESSING ON ACCELERATOR AT 55MPH AND ENGINE MOVED UPWARD. WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS RELEASED, ENGINE DROPPED DOWN WHICH CAUSED STEERING TO BECOME VERY HARD. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INDICATED MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. *AK
AFTER HAVING HEAD GASKET REPLACED FOR $900.00 ONE YEAR LATER A RECALL CAME OUT FOR HEAD GASKET. DEALER REFUSED TO REIMBURSE CONSUMER. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS REQUESTING THE MANUFACTURER TO REFUND HIM THE COST OF REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET FOR THE SECOND TIME. *YH
VEHICLE STALLS OUT AT ANY SPEED/ANY TIME. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND CAUSE. *AK *SLC
VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF AT ANY SPEED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR COOLING SYSTEM, BUT WAS TOLD BY THREE DEALERS THAT SINCE BUSINESS HAD SLOWED /DOWN , IT WILL BE ABOUT 6-8 WEEKS BEFORE THEY WILL SCHEDULE HIM FOR HIS RECALL REPAIR. THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY WERE SAVING APPOINTMENTS FOR THEIR PAYING CUSTOMERS.*AK
CAR STOPS WITH NO WARNING, COOLING SYSTEM, ENGINE, RUNS HOT, CONTINUOUS STOPPING WITH NO WARNING YOU CAN BE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY CAR WILL STOP. *AK
SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE ON VEHICLE. NEEDLE IS BOUNCING, DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST VEHICLE IS GOING. HAS TECHINICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB 99-7-9 ON THIS PROBLEM. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
I BOUGHT THE CAR IN NASHUA, NH BUT NOW LIVE IN FLORIDA. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS THIS: WHILE I AM TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, THE CAR ACTUALLY "LURCHES" FORWARD AND THEN WHEN I LET MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK, IT "SLAMS" INTO GEAR. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE SUPERVISOR AT THE LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP IN DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA . HE TOLD ME HE HAS HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURING SEVERAL TIMES WITH OTHER SABLES AND KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT PART IT IS. HE ESTIMATES ABOUT $800-$1200 IN REPAIR COSTS. HE TOLD ME THAT IT COULD GO AT ANYTIME AND I WILL BE LEFT STRANDED SOMEWHERE BECAUSE MY CAR WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. MY BROTHER IN LAW HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS SABLE. I THINK IT IS A DEFECT IN THE SABLE'S TRANSMISSION - I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN A 6 YEAR OLD CAR.
KEY STICKS IN IGNITION,OFTEN WILL NOT SHUT OFF IGNITION COMPLETELY, I'M AFRAID THAT IT WILL GET TO THE POINT THAT I CANNOT SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. *AK
VEHICLE HAS STALLED TWICE AT SPEEDS OF AROUND 65 MPH.*AK
TIRE DEVELOPED A LARGE BULGE ON OUTSIDE OF TIRE NEAR TREAD. THIS CAUSED STEERING TO BE UNSTABLED AND TO WOBBLE. MICHELIN, XW4 WITH 47,000 MILES, P205/65R15. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURE AND HIGHER VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WIHTOUT ANY INDICATION . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE PLASTIC MOLDING THAT WAS REPLACED AFTER CRASHED IS WAVY AND THE PLACE WHERE I GOT THE CAR FIXED AND FORD SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. *AK
HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING ANTI- FREEZE INTO ENGINE BLOCK MIXING WITH OIL, CAUSING ENGINE TO BURN UP AND VEHICLE TO DIE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING.*AK
BOTH FRONT SPRINGS BROKE, CAUSING THE FRONT END TO COME DOWN ON THE FRAMES.*YD*JG
THE SPEEDOMETER IS INOPERATIVE. NLM
2 1/2 MONTH OLD TIRE, 4000 MILES, COMPLETELY DETERIORATED ON THE FREEWAY, NO COLLISION INVOLVED. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/65R15)
FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE OFF, MECHANIC STATED THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, THERE IS A RECALL 98I002, HOWEVER IT ONLY COVERS 1993 YEAR SABLES. *SLC
TWO WIRES HAD BEEN PLACED TOGETHER AT THE FACTORY CAUSING A RESISTANCE AND WIRES TO BURN, WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE AND BURNING RUBBER AND THEN ALL THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT. *SLC
HEAD GASKET FAILED WHILE TRAVELLING AT 70 MPH ON FLORIDA I95.4 PASSENGERS ,INCLUDING AN 11 MONTH OLD INFANT IN A CAR SEAT. DURING HEAD GASKET FAILURE , VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED IN THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC LANE .VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF THE HIGHWAY WHILE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OCCUPANTS. INFANT COULD NOT SAFELY BE REMOVED FROM SEAT UNTIL AREA WAS CLEAR OF TRAFFIC WHICH WAS APPROACHING AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70MPH..THIS WAS AN APPARANT HAZZARD TO LIFE AND LIMB FOR ALL OF US IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE.VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN APPROVED AAA SERVICE STATION WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE'S HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN.
VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE/TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HIGH. CALLED DEALER, AND THEY TOWED VEHICLE. A MECHANIC STATES THAT ENGINE COOLING FAN WAS NOT BLOWING. DEALER REPLACED ENGINE, AND CHARGED CONSUMER FOR ENGINE COOLING FAN FOR WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FAULTY AND THE CONNECTING CABLES WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE SPEEDOMETER HAS MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN, THE SPEEDOMETER MAKES A VERY HIGH PITCHED SQUEAKY NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING OVER THIRTY MPH, ALSO WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE SPEEDOMETER JUMPS AROUND THE DIAL, GOING FROM TEN TO EIGHTY MILES IN SECONDS.*YH
THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FAULTY AND THE CONNECTING CABLES WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE SPEEDOMETER HAS MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN, THE SPEEDOMETER MAKES A VERY HIGH PITCHED SQUEAKY NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING OVER THIRTY MPH, ALSO WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE SPEEDOMETER JUMPS AROUND THE DIAL, GOING FROM TEN TO EIGHTY MILES IN SECONDS.*YH
THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE STRUT SPRING BROKE WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BE FIXED. WHEN THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE OTHER SPRING 2 OF THEM WERE CRACKED AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. THE CAR ISN'T DRIVEN HARD. IT IS DRIVEN 40 MILES A DAY FIVE DAYS A WEEK.*AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION (00M09) FOR PREMATURE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, WHEN CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN SHE WAS ADVISED THAT HEAD GASKET WAS GOING OUT AND IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT VEHICLE WAS A SALVAGE TITLE, THEREFORE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO HONOR RECALL NOTICE, CONSUMER ADVISED THEM IT WAS SALVAGED DUE TO THEFT NOT AN ACCIDENT, DEALERSHIP ADVISED CONSUMER THAT RECALL NOTICE WAS VOIDED BY THE STATE NOT THE MANUFACTURER. *JB
WHILE DRIVING, FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE, CAUSING FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE TO DROP. *AK LOWER REAR SUBFRAME MOUNT PLATE NUT HAS BEEN REPLACED. FLUCTUATING SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED. STARTER AND WIRE HARNESS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. MUFFLER AND TAIL PIPE HAVE BEEN REPLACED. 2 FRONT COIL SPRINGS AND STRUT BEARING PLATES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *SLC
SMALL COOLANT LOSS; UPON EXAMINATION BY DEALER FOUND TO HAVE A HEAD GASKET LEAK AND A TIMING CHAIN COVER LEAK. HEAD GASKET LEAK ON THIS ENGINE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IS UNDER WARRANTY FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. HOWEVER, TIMING CHAIN COVER LEAKAGE IS NOT UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT IT SEEMS THAT MANY VEHICLES SUFFERING FROM HEAD GASKET LEAK ALSO SHOW A LEAK FROM TIMING CHAIN COVER. IF UNREPAIRED THIS CAN LEAD TO ABRUPT SEIZURE OF ENGINE CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE TWO ARE RELATED AND THE SAME EXTENDED WARRANTY SHOULD APPLY TO BOTH PROBLEMS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING OUT OF DRIVEWAY FOUND OUT THAT LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT. TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP FOR TIRE REPAIR AND FOUND OUT THAT FRONT COILS SPRING WERE BROKEN IN TWO PARTS, HAD PUNCHURED TIRE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH ENGINE STALLED, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKING. ALSO, TURN SIGNALS DID NOT FUNCTION. ENGINE USUALLY STARTED AFTER SITTING ABOUT 10 MINUTES. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 4 TIMES, AND HAS IT CURRENTLY.*AK
CAR WOULD NOT STOP RUNNIING HAD TO TAKE OUT THE FUSES TO STOP THE CAR FROM RUNNUNG. *AK
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING ERRATIC PERFORMANCE OF THE SPEEDOMETER, TAKEN TO FORD DEALERSHIP IN MARCH OF 1997, THEY REPLACED THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD, IN OCTOBER OF 2000 THE REPLACEMENT FAILED, ONCE AGAIN EXPERIENCING ERRATIC MOVEMENT WITH NO PARTICULAR PATTERN, THIS TIME IT WAS RELATIVELY BRIEF, IN NOVEMBER OF 2000, PERIODS OF ERRATIC PERFORMANCE BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND LASTED LONGER, FORD ADVISED UNLESS THEY COULD OBSERVE THE FLUCTUATIONS AS THEY WERE HAPPENING, THE CAUSE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. *JG
WHEN ACCELERATING THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK, ENGINE WAS,MOVING. THIS BROKE AIR CONDITIONING LINE. THERE WAS A RECALL PRESENTLY FOR ENGINE MOUNTS, BUT DEALER TOLD CONSUMER RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED. *AK
RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE 98V323000. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS REFUSED DUE TO "MILEAGE ON VEHICLE, AND IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY." DEALERSHIP CHARGED HIM FOR MECHANIC TO LOOK AT VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR, IT HAD 120,673 MILES. ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT, WE STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR OVERHEATING. THE TEMP INDICATOR WOULD RISE TO HOT, STAY THERE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE OR MORE AND THEN GO BACK TO NORMAL. WE PUT IN A NEW THERMOSTAT, BUT OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WOULD OVERHEAT. BY THE TIME WE PULLED OVER TO STOP THE CAR, THE TEMP GAUGE WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL. THIS HAS CONTINUED, INTERMITTENTLY, UNTIL LAST THURSDAY. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, THE TEMP GAUGE ROSE TO HOT, THE ENGINE STARTED TO MIS-FIRE AND I SAW BLUE SMOKE COMING OUT THE BACK. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR HOME, BUT IT NEVER STARTED AGAIN. WHEN WE CHECKED THE OIL, IT WAS UP A QUART. (MY GUESS IS ANTI-FREEZE IN THE CRANKCASE.) LOOKS LIKE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I HAVE SINCE HEARD RUMORS THAT IT MAY BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THAT ENGINE.
ORIGINAL SPEEDOMETER STARTED "BOUNCING" AFTER 19100 MILES, I.E. THE SPEED INDICATOR WOULD SWING WILDLY BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 40 AND 80 OR SO, ACCOMPANIED BY A BUZZING SOUND. THIS OCCURRED AT SPEEDS OVER 45-50 MPH. SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED AT NO CHARGE BY DEALER. THE REPLACEMENT SPEEDOMETER FUNCTIONED PROPERLY UNTIL THE WARRANTY-PERIOD ENDED, THEN WITH APPX. 25000 MILES ON THE REPLACEMENT SPEEDOMETER, IT STARTED ACTING THE SAME WAY. A LETTER OF COMPLAINT DIRECTED TO FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY RESULTED IN A CALL SAYING THE DEALER WOULD CONTACT US. THEY NEVER DID. THE SPEEDOMETER IS STILL "BOUNCING" BEING UNRELIABLE AND NOISY WHEN DRIVING OVER 45-50 MPH. *AK
I DID NOT OWN THIS CAR A MONTH, BEFORE THIS HAPPENED , AND THEN, TALKING WITH A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, I WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL THAT MIGHT BE ISSUED FOR THIS BY FORD. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I HAVE ANY POSSIBLE RECOURSE TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED ASAP. THANK YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER'S CAR FROM TIME TO TIME CAN SHUT OFF NO MATTER HOW FAST CONSUMER IS GOING, OR HOW LONG CONSUMER HAS BEEN DRIVING. THE PART IS T.F.I (THICK FIXTURE IGNITION. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND DEALER WAS WILLING TO REPLACE PART AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
GENERAL G4S TIRES (P205/65R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC
SPEEDOMETER WILL STOP WORKING. NEEDLE WAS SHAKING . IF VEHICLE WOULD HIT A BUMP NEEDLE WOULD GO TO MAXIMUM SPEED AND NOT MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN 3 YEARS. *AK THE SPEEDOMETER HAD FAILED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. IT WAS REPLACED ONCE AND REPAIRED ONCE. *YH
TRANSMISSION HESITATES FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL SLAM INTO GEAR. NOW I HEAR THE TRANSMISSION WHINING IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. IT STARTED DOING IT ALL OF A SUDDEN. I HAVE NOTICED ALOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND THE ONES IN THE FORD TAURUS. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A TRANSMISSION GOING BAD AT ONLY 74,000 MILES, WHEN IT IS DRIVIN SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY. I HAVE MADE SURE THE OIL WAS ALWAYS FULL, AND I EVEN CHANGED THE OIL AND THE FILTER IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT DID NOT HELP!
ENGINE BLEWOUT AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRNTY OF HEAD GASKETS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
2ND TIME THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN ON THIS ENGINE. THE ORIGINAL ENGINE FAILED AT 60K ONLY GOT 50K OUT OF THIS ENGINE. I HAVE A FORD ESCORT W/ 176K AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. *AK
ANTI FREEZE LEAKED OUT AFTER SAFETY RECALL # 98S36 WAS DONE ON 12/5/00. *AK
IN HOT WEATHER AT 60 MPH, VEHICLE STALLED, HAPPENED TWICE. TOOK TO DEALER WHO INDICATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK *SLC
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1995 Mercury Sable → · Every Sable year → · How the figures are calculated →