Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
FAULTY DESIGN OF CAM SENSOR AND ACTUATOR ON 1997 MERUCRY SABLE. MY CAR FAILED. PROOF OF MULTIPLE FAILURES: HTTP://AUTOS.MSN.COM/RESEARCH/VIP/RELIABILITY.ASPX?MODELID=2008&SRC=VIP I REQUEST RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART ON ALL CARS. *AK
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED AND VEHICLE ACCELLERATED. THE VEHICLE WENT UP AND OVER THE CURB, AND WAS FINALY STOPPED IN A ADJACENT PARKING SPOT. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN A YEAR. *AK
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS ON COOLING SYSTEM IN FEBRUARY, 2000. 17,000 MILES LATER WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER TURNED ON THE DEFROSTER AND A GREEN FILM COVERED THE INSIDE OF FRONT WINDSHIELD, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. CONSUMER HAD TO ROLL WINDOWS DOWN TO SEE. DEALER REPLACED HEATER CORE. *AK *MR
I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED THAT SABLE WAS A BAD CAR AFTER THE ENGINE OF MY MOTHER'S '87 SABLE EXPLODED, CAUGHT FIRE AND BUSTED THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CAR BESIDE THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE (1993). LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OFF AND SITTING IN PARK FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I BOUGHT MY 97 SABLE IN 2001. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH SO MANY CONSTANT PROBLEMS. I SPEND ABOUT $1200 A YEAR FIXING IT CONTINUALLY. I'M CURRENTLY HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO GOING OUT WHILE IN REVERSE OR WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE. THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WON'T MOVE UP OR DOWN UNLESS THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER PRESS THE BUTTONS AT THE SAME TIME. THE INTERIOR LIGHT STAYS ON, SO WE HAVE TO UNPLUG THE FUSE TO GET IT TO GO OFF. THE SEAT BELT SAFETY LIGHT AND THE WINDOW BUTTON LIGHTS KEEP CLICKING ON AND OFF. ONCE AGAIN, THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN EVEN THOUGH THE POWER STEERING FLUID IS AT THE RIGHT LEVEL. I HAVE TO GET THE WHEELS ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. THE CAR ALWAYS MAKES A HUMMING NOISE AND DOES NOT BLOCK OUT THE SOUND OF WIND. THE SHOULDER STRAPS OF SEAT BELTS ALWAY LOCK INTO PLACE TOO TIGHT. NAME THE PROBLEM... I'VE PROBABLY BEEN THROUGH IT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD/ MERCURY AGAIN EVEN IF IT IS THE #1 SELLING CAR.
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH MAIN HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. *AK
TRANSMISSION REBUILT.HEAD GASKET REPLACED. *AK
DURING RAINY WEATHER, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE SPLASHES WATER INTO THE ENGINE FAN BELT ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE FAN BELT TO SLIP AND SQUEAL. THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILS TO TURN RESULTING IN HARD STEERING AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, THE GENERATOR FAILS TO TURN RESULTING IN BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATION. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEELWELL BAFFLE ASSEMBLY INSTALLED BY THE MFG DOES NOT ADEQUATELY SHIELD THE FAN BELT ASSEMBLY FROM RAIN WATER INTRUSION. A TEMPORARY, THOUGHT INADEQUATE FIX, IS TO APPLY "BELT DRESSING" TO THE FAN BELT. REF COMPLAINT #551260. *AK
AT ABOUT 100,000 EASY HIGHWAY MILES, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER, THEN THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, PLUS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS MINOR ENGINE REPAIRS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $350 EVERY OTHER MONTH, THE WINDOW WON'T GO DOWN ANYMORE, AND NOW--4 MONTHS AFTER THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT--WE HAVE LOST OVERDRIVE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, AGAIN! WE HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH THIS MANY PROBLEMS, AND WILL NEVER BUY A FORD/MERCURY ANYTHING AGAIN. OUR SUBURBAN WAS MORE RELIABLE. *NLM
MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 1993 MERCURY SABLE WAGON. WE PURCHASED IT USED 3 YEARS AGO. IT CURRENTLY HAS 44,000 MILES ON IT. AT APPROXIMATELY. 43,000 MILES ( A MONTH AGO) IT BLEW THE HEAD GASKET. I AM AWARE THAT FORD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON 1994-1996 MODELS OF THE FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLE FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY FORD DEALER STATED TO US THAT THIS HEAD GASKET BLOWING HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PROBLEM ON THE 3.8 ENGINES, WHICH OURS HAS. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT FORD IS VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND CHOSE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT FOR OWNERS OF 1993 CARS. I FEEL IS WAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP THESE CUSTOMERS FINANCIALLY--WE JUST SPENT $1700 FOR THIS REPAIR. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS MONEY WE DIDN'T HAVE. WHY HASN'T THIS PROBLEM BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE 1993 MODELS WITH THE 3.8 ENGINE BEFORE THIS? FORD SUGGESTED THAT I ADDRESS THIS WITH YOUR AGENCY. *JB
I PURCHASED A 1997 MERCURY SABLE IN JULY 1977 FROM DON JACKSON SPARTAN LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER. I HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION, THE BRAKES, THE "PLASTIC" BUCKET HOLDING RESERVE ANTIFREEZE (CRACKED AND LEAKED ANTIFREEZE) AND NOW THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO WORK (INTERMITTENTLY AND STEADILY). WHEN I CONTACTED DON JACKSON LINCOLN-MERCURY AT THOSE TIMES WHEN THE PARTS ACTED UP TO ASK THEM IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY RECALLS OR PROBLEMS (AND I CITED EACH AREA EACH TIME I CALLED), I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS REPORTED IN ANY OF THESE AREAS WITH THE 97 SABLE. I FOUND THERE ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE ARE MANY. I HAVE PAID $2000 FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR, $550 FOR BRAKES, $80 FOR THE ANTIFREEZE BUCKET, AND WENT TO PURCHASE A WIPER MOTOR ($85) WHEN I WAS TOLD BY THE AUTO STORE CLERK TO CHECK THE INTERNET, WHICH I AM NOW DOING. I FIND THAT JACKSON SPARTAN L/M DEALER HAS NOT BEEN HONEST WITH ME AND I WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY DON JACKSON SPARTAN L/M OF THESE FALLACIES. WHAT CAN I DO?
THE MOST RECENT PROBLEMS ARE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. FIRST, ALL OF THE PASSENGER POWER WINDOWS HAVE FAILED. THEY CAN ONLY BE CONTROLLED BY THE DRIVER SIDE PANEL. SECOND, EVEN THOUGH ALL OF THE DOORS ARE SECURELY CLOSED, THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT WILL REMAIN ON BETWEEN 20 SECONDS AND SEVERAL HOURS. THERE WERE OCCASIONS WHEN THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON BY ITSELF WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO WORK. AN AUDIBLE CLICKING NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM UNDER THE DASH. THE CLICK IS SIMILAR TO THE SOUND MADE WHEN MANUALLY OPERATING THE SWITCH. THIRD, THIS STARTED ON SUNDAY, 01/19/03, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN ON AND OFF BY THEMSELVES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS OFF. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE CAR RUNNING AND THE DAYTIME LIGHTS ONLY, THE HIGHBEAM INDICATOR CAME ON. WHEN I TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS ON, THE INDICATOR WENT OFF. WHEN I TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS OFF, THE HIGHBEAM INDICATOR CAME BACK ON. THE HIGHBEAM INDICATOR EVENTUALLY TURNED OFF ON ITS OWN WITHIN 5 OR 10 MINUTES. PREVIOUS PROBLEMS HAVE INCLUDED FRONT END SUSPENSION RELATED FAILURES AND AN OIL PAN THAT SPRUNG A LEAK IN DECEMBER 2001 AT AROUND 78K MILES. THE OIL PAN SPRUNG ANOTHER LEAK IN DECEMBER 2002. THE SERVICE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THE LEAK TO THE SAME PROBLEM AND ANOTHER FAILURE WITH THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. I AGREED TO THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH REPAIR AND TOLD THEM THAT IF THE OIL PAN GASKET FAILED A 2ND TIME (ORIGINAL CAUSE OF LEAK IN 2001), THAT IT WAS DUE TO POOR REPAIR WORK. THEY TIGHTENED THE BOLTS TO THE OIL PAN. THE WINTER WEATHER HAS HAMPERED MY EFFORTS TO CHECK FOR THE LEAK. ALTHOUGH I NO LONGER SMELL BURNING OIL.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
THE FREEZE PLUGS CONTINUOUSLY RUST OUT CAUSING THE COOLANT TO BE BROWN MAKING THE ENGINE OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS WORKED ON (2) MONTHS AGO WITH THE PROBLEM REOCCURING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *MR
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE WILL STALL. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NLM
CAR OVERHEATED, TAKEN TO MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED BLOWN HEADGASKET - RETOOLED HEADGASKET. ALSO REPLACED WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, PLUGS, PLUG WIRES, COIL, THERMOSTAT, SINCE HEADGASKET PROBLEM - CAR HAS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED CONSTANTLY. STILL HAS CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE. CAR IS 5 YRS OLD. SEEMS LIKE EXCESSIVE PRBLEMS FOR A CAR THAT NEW.
CONSUMER STATED HAD TO FLUSH RADIATOR OUT AT LEAST FIVE TIMES BECAUSE OF DIRTY WATER, IT IS WRITTEN IN OWNER'S MANUAL THAT THE RADIATOR SHOULD BE FLUSHED 1 TIME EVERY 100,000 MILES.*JB WHILE FLUSHING THE RADIATOR, WATER GOT INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. *YH CONSUMER STATES THAT EVER SINCE RECALL 98823 WAS COMPLETED ON VEHICLE, RADIATOR HAS CONSTANTLY NEEDED FLUSHED, NOW CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE IN THE FRONT WHEEL AREA, DEALER REPLACED RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING. *SLC
CONSUEMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE FREEZE PLUG IN THE ENGINE BLEW, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CUT OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DEALER REPLACED PART 3 TIMES PROBLEM STILL OCCURING. NLM
TRANSMISSION FAILS PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC, WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THEY DENIED IT UNTIL I MADE MANAGER DRIVE W/ME THEY REBUILT IT FREE, AFTER FIGHTING WITH THEM, I DID NOT HAVE THE CAR A WEEK. THEY REBUILT IT, 1 YR LATER HAPPENED AGAIN, SAID CANNOT FIND ANYTHING, TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID THEY ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION IN THESE DUE TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER TOO STRONG FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THEY KNOW THEY MADE A MISTAKE. OIL IS BLACK, THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RECALL BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO RECALL THE CAR. *AK
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, CLAIM # 11-3823-544. NLM
WHILE MAKING TURNS THE VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY, THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DIAGNOSE. NLM
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
HAD CAR IN GARAGE SEVERAL TIMES OVER 1 1/2 YEAR FOR ENGINE LIGHT, ALWAYS CODE PO3O3-MISFIRE CYLINDER 3, DEALER ALWAYS FOUND SOMETHING WRONG SO IT SEEMED, LIGHT CONTINED TO COME ON. FINALLY, AT 81,000 DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES, LOSE ALL POWER, PULL OVER, COOLANT BLOWN ALL OVER ENGINE, CAR TOWED TO DEALER, FIND IT IS BLOWN HEAD GASKET, ENGINE DAMAGE, NEED NEW ENGINE. TOLD VEHICLE OVERHEATED SEVERAL TIMES, NEVER ONCE DID IT OVERHEAT WHILE DRIVING IT. FIND NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS, ASKE QUESTIONS OF DEALER AND FORD MOTOR CO. NEVER A STRAIGHT ANSWER, JUST "NOT YOUR CAR" AND "IT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY, WE CAN'T HELP YOU" NOW OWNER MUST PAY 3200 + TO REPLACE ENGINE AND ADD COOLANT BYPASS SYSTEM TO NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM. FORD MOTOR CO. TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY AT ALL. READ NUMEROUS REPORTS OF BLOWN HEADS, BLOWN ENGINES, COOLANT PROBLEMS. NEED ANWERS, PLEASE!!!! NO ONE IS COOPERATING AT ALL.*AK
VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER 14 TIMES FOR LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE SINCE SHORTLY AFER PURCHASE. CURRENTLY, WARRANTYHAS EXPIRED. DEALER FINDS SHAVINGS OF MOTOR ARE GETTING INTO RADIATOR. VEHICLE ALSO HAS A ANTI-FREEZE SMELL. *AK THE DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE METAL PARTICLES CHIPPING OFF THE ENGINE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR CORE ( BAD ANTI FREEZE ODER). *YH
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHICH PREVENTED CLUTCH FROM GOING INTO GEAR. ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER.*AK THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR WAS BROKEN. THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE. *YH
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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