ROOF MOLDING FAILED.
1996 Mercury Sable complaints
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 1996 record →
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FAILED.
WINDSHIELD NOT SEALED PROPERLY CREATES WIND NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS.
STEERING FAILURE.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED. OPENED DOORS TO PUT CHILDREN IN. OPENED HATCHBACK & PLACED ITEMS INSIDE. SUDDENLY THE ALL DOORS LOCKED, WOULD NOT OPEN W/CODE OR KEYS. FINALLY GOT DOORS OPEN & TOOK IT TO DEALER. HAD IT REPAIRED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT UPON OPENING DOOR RIGHT SHARP CORNER EDGE OF DOOR STRIKES SHIN.
WHILE DRIVING THE SUN ROOF GLASS SHATTERED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
POWER STEERING COMPONENTS EMITTING A GROANING NOISE. VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM FIVE TIMES, BUT PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. ALSO, TRANSMISSION ROUGHLY DOWNSHIFTS IN FIRST GEAR, RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE JERKING. *AK
VEHICLE SPEEDS UP WHEN COMING TO A STOP . PROBLEM IS SPORADICALLY. MANUFACTURER IS UNABLE TO FIX VEHICLE. *AK
FAILED SWAY BAR LINKS CAUSED CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT OR ABOUT 70 MPH THE BOLTS ON THE STEERING COLUMN FELL ON TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO TURN IN, OWNER HAD NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLE AFTER BOLTS CAME LOSE, THIS INCIDENT CAUSED OTHER ACCIDENTS ON THE EXPRESSWAY, MANFACTURER CONTACTED. *AK *JB
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
THE CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE AND SHORTED WIRE ON FUEL PUMP.
FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR FAILURE DUE TO A SHORT IN THE POWER WIRE FUEL PUMP, NO FUEL PRESSURE. *AK
VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL AND THE PARKING BRAKES WERE NOT ON. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS FINISHED ROLLING DOWN THE HILL, THE VEHICLE RAN INTO A POLE. *AK
STEERING NOISE.
THERE IS A NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. DEALER RECOGNIZES PROBLEM, BUT CAN'T FIX IT. *AK
FAN SPEED SELECTION KNOB FAILED.
WINDSHIELD NOT SEALED PROPERLY.
WHILE DRIVING THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT LOCKS UP, CAUSING CONSUMER TO RELEASE BELT FROM BUCKLE SO THAT SEAT BELT CAN UNLOCK. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JERKS AND MAKES CONSTANT NOISE.
STEERING WHEEL BROKE.
PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING, CAUSING GRINDING SOUND.
POWER STEERING FAILURE RESULTING IN GRINDING NOISE.
WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED TO THE RIGHT GRINDING NOISE OCCURS.
ENGINE GASKETS FAILED, CAUSING OIL TO LEAK ONTO GROUND.
STEERING PROBLEMS DUE TO HIGH TORQUE.
WIPERS SIT TOO HIGH OBSCURING DRIVER'S VIEW.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT REMOVE ANY RAIN/ICE OR SLEET FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELDLD WILL NOT DEFROST BYITSELF EITHER. *AK
OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE, CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. RECALL #96V176000. *AK
SLOPED WINDSHIELD DESIGN CAUSES DASHBOARD TO REFLECT IN WINDSHIELD, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
DESIGN OF WINDSHIELD CREATES A DANGEROUS VISIBILITY PROBLEM FOR DRIVERS DUE TO THE LARGE SLOPING WINDSHIELD AND WIDE DASHBOARD THAT REFLECTS IN THE SUNLIGHT ONTO WINDSHIELD.
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR JUST DIES AND AFTER WAITING 15 MINS. THE CAR WILL RESTART. *AK
TRANSMISSION INADVERTENTLY SHIFTED FROM HIGH GEAR TO LOW GEAR.
ABS BRAKES; WHEN APPLIED BRAKES LOST EFFECTIVENESS, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR , VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, 12:00 O'CLOCK POSITION, SPEED 35MP LOST CONTROL, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REFLECTION FROM THE DASHBOARD ONTO THE WINDOW SHIELD IS BLINDING AND DANGEROUS. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
AFTER 10 MINUTES OF BEING PARKED THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, UNDER THE BATTERY. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL. *AK
CONTROL MODULE FOR TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLOWLY ACCELERATE, ALSO REPLACED TRANSAXLE.
WHILE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND KEY IS OUT OF IGNITION CAR STARTS TO ROLL BACKWARD.*AK *SLC
HEADLIGHT SWITCH GETS ABNORMALLY HOT WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE ON.
LARGE VIBRATION SOUND HEARD WHEN VEHICLE MAKES RIGHT HAND TURNS, FRONT END SUPENSION/AXLE REPAIRED AND LUBED SWAY BAR BUSHINGS. *AK
THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE ARE NOT AIMED HIGH ENOUGH. THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED 4X AT THE DEALER.*AK
WHEN PUTTING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH TURNED POSITION AND THE SWITCH GOT HOT , ON ONE OCCASION DRIVING AT NIGHT THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND CAME BACK ON . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
"CLUNKING/POPPING" NOISE UPON TURNING.
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE. *AK CONSUMER STATES ABS LIGHT WAS COMING THE DAY VEHICLE WAS PURCHASD AND DEALER ADMTTED THAT IT WAS ON BUT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING, POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS FAN FROM ABS LIGHT.*JB
DRIVING CAR TO GET BOYFRIEND, WEATHER RAINY, RD SLICK/WET, CADILLAC MAKING LEFT TURN, APPLIED BRAKES (ABS), CAR SKIDDED ON RD, LOST CONTROL OF CAR. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER MOLD EMITTED A FOUL ODOR. *DH
KEY IS TAKEN OUT OF IGNITION IN ON POSITION AND CAR WILL STILL RUN. *AK
LOCATION OF TURN SIGNALS NEAR CENTER LINE OF CAR MAKE THEM DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. *DH
PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *DSH
Reading these
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 1996 Mercury Sable → · Every Sable year → · How the figures are calculated →