1991 Mercury Sable Engine Problems

OTHER THAN THE REST OF MY PROBLEMS WITH THE ABOVE MY NEWEST COMPLAINT IS THAT I JUST FOUND OUT THAT DUE TO THE FACT FORD INSTALLED AN ALUMINIM PISTON WHERE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STEEL ONE WHICH IS THE ONLY ONE AVAILABLE NOW SINCE YOU DISCOVERED YOUR PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW AND I'M BEING TOLD IT WILL COST BETWEEN $1200.00 - $1500.00 TO FIX DUE TO FORD'S POOR DESIGN. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST SABLE WAGON. THE FIRST ONE HAD ALL KINDS OF A/C PROBLEMS AND I'M GETTING TIRED OF PAYING FOR YOUR MISTAKES. MY A/C IS OUT NOW, I REPLACE BRAKE PADS ALL THE TIME.

NHTSA ID

10070144

Incident

Mar 15, 2003

VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8015406

Incident

Jul 29, 2002

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE, THE ENGINE DID NOT TURN OVER. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND TECHNICIAN STATED HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

898648

Incident

Oct 22, 2001

ENGINE MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

895376

Incident

Aug 24, 2001

THERE WAS NO HEAT AND ENGINE OVERHEATED, CAUSING TEMPARATURE TO RISE. CONSUMER HADTO TURN OFF CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO AVOID OVER HEATING. WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF TAIL PIPE. *AK

NHTSA ID

877440

Incident

Dec 10, 2000

IT APPEARS THAT THE HEAD GASKETS ARE PREMATURELY FAILING ON THE 3.8 LITRE ENGINES MANUFACTURED BY FORD ON MODELS 1988 TO PRESENT. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN TSB #98-4-9 EXPLAINING THE COMPLAINT BUT HAVE FAILED TO REPAIR THIS KNOW PROBLEM OR MAKE RESOLUTION TO THE COMPLAINTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

736219

Incident

Nov 11, 2000

HEAD GASKETS FAILED WITH ONLY 57,000 MILES ON CAR. VEHICLE IS A 1991 MERCURY SABLE WAGON WITH A 3.8 L 6 CYLINDER ENGINE. CAR HAS ALLWAYS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. I THINK FORDS WARRANTY SHOULD BE FOR ANY 3.8 LITER 6 CYL. VEHICLE PERIOD!!!!!!!. *AK

NHTSA ID

736083

Incident

Nov 5, 2000

MY 1991 SABLE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE FRONT ENGINE MOUNT BOLT FELL-OUT, OR BREAKAGE. AFTER REPAIRS WAS MADE THE FRONT ENGINE MOUNT BOLT CAME OUT OR BREAK OUT TWO OTHER TIMES AS OF 23 OCTOBER 2000. MY SABLE WAS PURCHASED IN WASHINGTON STATE AND REGISTERED IN ALASKA, HOWEVER IT IS LOCATED IN MARYLAND WHERE I LIVE FOR THE PASSED TWO YEARS. *AK

NHTSA ID

735057

Incident

Mar 15, 1999

REPLACED HEAD GASKET AND O2 SENSORS. THIS IS THE SAME FLAWED ENGINE DESIGN AS THOSE THAT FORD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON FORD HAS NOT INCLUDED THE '91 ENGINES.

NHTSA ID

734502

Incident

Mar 1, 2000

RECALL FOR THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS WAS ISSUED, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS HEAVY SALTING OF THE ROADS IN THE WINTER. NLM

NHTSA ID

784050

MERCURY/FORD TOLD ME 4-19-00 THAT ONLY '93 & '94 3.8 LITER ENGINES WITH HEADGASKET FAILURES WOULD BE FIXED IF LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. I HAD PLANNED TO KEEP THE CAR FOR 2-3 MORE YEARS BASED ON LOW USAGE AS I COMMUTE TO DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS VIA BUS--BUT NOW THE CAR DOESN'T APPEAR WORTH FIXING. *AK

NHTSA ID

721684

Incident

Apr 12, 2000

MY ENGINE FAILED, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, AS A RESULT OF FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. MY FORD DEALER TOLD ME WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN THAT FORD HAD INSTALLED DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS IN CERTAIN MODELS, INCLUDING MINE, IN THE EARLY 1990S, AND THAT THESE GASKETS FAILED, CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE OIL, WHICH IN TURN DAMAGED THE BEARINGS AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. MY FORD DEALER ALSO TOLD ME THAT FORD HAD A PROGRAM TO HELP THOSE WITH 1994 AND 1995 CARS. I WROTE FORD TO ASK IT TO REIMBURSE ME, BUT FORD WAS RUDE AND ENTIRELY UNHELPFUL. WHY SHOULD IT RECOMPENSE ONLY THE OWNERS OF THE 1994 AND 1995 CARS, IF THE OLDER MODELS (1991-1993) ALSO HAD THESE DEFECTIVE GASKETS? MY DEALER TOLD ME I WAS AMAZINGLY LUCKY THAT THE ENGINE HADN'T FAILED EARLIER, AND THAT NO ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED. PLEASE HELP ME GET FORD TO REIMBURSE ME FOR BUYING A NEW ENGINE AS A RESULT OF ITS PRODUCT DEFECT. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID

720250

Incident

Nov 12, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, AND THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO TURN. VEHICLE WILL GO ANY OTHER WAY BESIDES THE WAY CONSUMER IS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, AND THERE IS A LEAKAGE WITHIN THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET AND TRANSMISSION, AND SMOKE IS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

847888

Incident

Oct 1, 1991

MY CHILDREN AND I WERE ALMOST KILLED RECENTLY WHEN WE WERE DOING 70 MPH ON I-85 AND THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. I HAD TALKED WITH MECHANICS IN GERMANY WHEN IT DID IT TO MY HUSBAND ON THE AUTOBAHN ONCE COMING FROM FRANKFURT. WE WERE TOLD THE CAR REACHES A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE AND HAS AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READS NORMAL SO WHY WOULD THE CAR SHUT DOWN AT NORMAL TEMPERATURE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAN HAPPEN AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. I WAS LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR TO THE SIDE WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES AND COAST TO A STOP. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF SITTING THE CAR WILL START AND GO. IT WILL THEN GET TO THAT TEMPERATURE AND SHUTOFF AGAIN. AFTER THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME IN GERMANY MY HUSBAND AND I NEVER DROVE THE CAR OF THE MILITARY POST BECAUSE WE WERE AFRAID OF AN ACCIDENT. WE RECENTLY HAVE COME BACK TO THE STATES AND HAVE TO DO A LOT OF TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, THIS IS WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I RECENTLY SAW SEGMENT ON DATELINE OR ONE OF THOSE SHOWS WHERE THIS HAD HAPPENED TO A FORD TAURUS AND EVIDENTLY THE PEOPLE WERE KILLED OR INJURED SERIOUSLY. WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY SABLE WAS THE SAME THING THIS FORD TAURUS WAS EXPERIENCING. I WOULD APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP IN THE MATTER, AS I CAN'T DRIVE FAR FROM HOME BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUSNESS.

NHTSA ID

709870

Incident

Aug 1, 1999

THREE OF THE FOUR MOTOR MOUNTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN/CRACKED.

NHTSA ID

707815

Incident

Jun 23, 1999

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THERE IS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER FOR REPAIR SERVICE, AND DEALER NOTICED THAT FRONT RIGHT MOTOR MOUNT AND RIGHT REAR MOTOR MOUNT WERE BROKEN.*AK

NHTSA ID

838445

Incident

May 26, 1999

ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FALL OUT OF THE ENGINE WELL. DEALER WAS OF NO ASSISTANCE *AK

NHTSA ID

837840

WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10MPH WHEN A BURNING ODOR WAS NOTICED. STOPPED THE VEHICLE & LIFTED THE HOOD. FLAMES SHOT OUT FROM NEAR THE ENGINE AREA WHERE FAN WAS LOCATED. THE PLASTIC COVERING FAN AND RADIATOR WAS BURNING, WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. *AK

NHTSA ID

835676

Incident

Jan 2, 1999

ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL DUE TO BEING LOOSE, HOWEVER RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE MOTOR MOUNTS, ONLY SUBFRAME MOUNTS. (98V-323)

NHTSA ID

544604

Incident

Aug 4, 1998

TRANSMISSION FAILED. (MJS)

NHTSA ID

544325

Incident

Jul 3, 1998

WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT BODY MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING UPON ACCELERATION THE ENGINE TO RISE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

835691

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THERE IS A NOISE COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLL. CONSUMER HAD TO GET REAR MOTOR MOUNTS FIXED. PREVIOUSLY HAD FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS FIXED THREE TIMES. ALSO, TRANMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE JERKS AND CUTS OFF AT TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

834455

Incident

Jan 12, 1998

FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH SEEMS TO BE INHERENT TO THIS ENGINE. THE FORD DEALER WHERE I HAD IT REPAIRED FOR 1300 CHANGE SEZ FORD PAID FOR THIS REPAIR ON 94/95 OR 95/96 ENGINES WHICH ARE BASICALLY THE SAME,BUT HAVE NOT EXTENDED THIS RECALL TO 1991 MODELS. HE SAID TO SAVE MY RECEIPT INCASE THEY DO. IF THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS ENGINE. WHY DONT THEY FIX ALL OF THEM?

NHTSA ID

702111

Incident

Dec 1, 1998

VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW BY OWNER'S MOTHER, WHEN AIR CONDITIONER FAILED, AND MERCURY DID NOT FEEL PROBLEM WAS DUE TO ENGINE MOUNTS, EVEN THOUGH OWNER'S MECHANIC CONFIRMED. *AK

NHTSA ID

701891

Incident

Oct 20, 1998

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALL REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.THE BODY MOUNTS ARE LOOSE WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO DROP. RECALL NUMBER 93V106002. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA ID

831846