IllustrationCONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BLEW AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED TS
1996 Mercury Sable
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Mercury Sable do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 201.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sable years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 27 of 304 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports9 fire reports17 injury reports
What owners actually said
304 reportsOWNER'S MANUAL INCORRECTLY IDENTIFIES FUSES IN PWR DIST. BOX PAGE 311. DT
CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT DUE TO THE PLASTIC COVERING ON THE HEADLIGHTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. NLM
WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING HEADLIGHT LENS FOGS UP, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK *YH
WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH,VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER OPENED HOOD AND FIRE WAS COMING UNDER THE ENGINE.DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER RECENTLY HAD TAKEN HER VEHICLE FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A LEAKING HEAD GASKET. *SCC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WIRE CONNECTING FUEL PUMP WAS WITHOUT SLEEVE AND WIRE WAS BURNT ALMOST INTO WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO AN EXPLOSION COSTING ME MY LIFE. I HAVE THE FUEL PUMP IN MY POSSESSION THAT WAS REMOVED. I NEED SOMEONE IN CHARGE TO VIEW THIS FUEL PUMP IN ORDER TO PROTECT LIVES. I ALSO WOULD LIKE COMPENSATION FOR MY EXPENSES.*AK
HEADLIGHTS BECOME DISTORTED OF A FILM DEVELOPING ON COVERING OF THE LENS. THIS COVERING PREVENTS VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. OWNER IS AWARE OF OTHERS AROUND THE SAME YEAR WITH SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART VEHICLE TO REGAIN POWER STEERING.*AK *SCC
Official recalls
598V067000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Mar 25, 1998
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS SHIPPING PLUG IS DISPLACED, FUEL LEAKAGE CAN RESULT. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CORRECT FUEL TANK.
96V176000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Sep 18, 1996
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AS IF IN NEUTRAL WITH THE SHIFT LEVER 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.
96V166000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Sep 5, 1996
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNINTENDED AND UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAN RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET.
96V086000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
May 14, 1996
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PARK PAWL OCCASIONALLY NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AS IF IN NEUTRAL IF THE VEHICLE OPERATOR DOES NOT APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE.
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 ADDITION TO PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK.
96V016000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:brake Fluid Low Warning: Lamp
Jan 25, 1996
THE BRAKE SYSTEM FLUID LEVEL INDICATOR LAMP SWITCH CAN MALFUNCTION. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IF THE SWITCH MALFUNTIONS, THE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP WILL EITHER REMAIN ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY OR FAIL TO LIGHT AS INTENDED WHEN THE FLUID LEVEL FALLS TO A CERTAIN LEVEL. IN EITHER CASE, THE VEHICLE OPERATOR WOULD NOT BE WARNED OF A LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVEL CONDITION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE SYSTEM FLUID LEVEL INDICATOR LAMP SWITCHES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.