1991 Mercury Sable problems & reliability
221 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Mercury Sable. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 101 | 46% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 56 | 25% |
| Steering | 27 | 12% |
| Structure | 20 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 19 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 16 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 10 | 5% |
| Suspension | 10 | 5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 4% |
| Tires | 7 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I hit a small pothole and the steering wheel suddenly moved to a one o'clock position while the wheels were pointing straight ahead. My alignment shop inspected the car and found that the cause was a failure of the passenger side sub-frame mounting bolt anchor. The local dealer said my car is not included in the…”
Structure · filed Jul 11, 2008
“Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph on normal road conditions, there was a noticeable delay to disengaged the speed control. The brake pedal had to be pumped several times until the driver regained control over the vehicle's speed. The contact received a recall letter # 97v025000 but misplaced it. The…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Sep 6, 2006
“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…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 22, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA96024 · opened Sep 30, 1996 · closed Apr 15, 1997 · led to recall 97V019000
- ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE96033 · opened May 2, 1996 · closed Sep 30, 1996 · led to recall 97V019000
- ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODS
Defect Petition DP95004 · opened Aug 8, 1995 · closed Aug 30, 1995
- BROKEN TIE RODS
Engineering Analysis EA94008 · opened Feb 16, 1994 · closed Feb 27, 1995
- POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93100 · opened Dec 2, 1993 · closed Jun 30, 1994
- FAILURE OF WHEEL STUDS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93070 · opened Jul 27, 1993 · closed Nov 22, 1993
- UNDERBODY FUEL LINE FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93065 · opened Jul 15, 1993 · closed Nov 30, 1993
- BROKEN TIE RODS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93058 · opened Jun 15, 1993 · closed Feb 16, 1994
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Mercury Sable. The 10 most recent:
Transfer service tips for the front wiper motor mount bracket and depressed park output arm. *tt
02107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2002
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt
01124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
This information is a supplement to the wiper system service information provided in the workshop manuals. This service information is intended as an aid to assist in diagnosis and repair of erratic wiper system…
011201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Information on additional parts required when replacing transfer case on vehicles equippped with ax4s transaxle. *tt
14811 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure. *tt
99183 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 Mercury Sable in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 Mercury Sable?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.