1996 Mercury Sable engine and engine cooling problems
60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1996 Mercury Sable — 20% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was inspected by an independent repair shop who determined the engine mount and carriage frame rusted which caused the engine to slip from the mount. The vehicle was exposed to extreme winter…”
filed Jun 16, 2006
“While driving engine collapsed due to rusting. This caused the frame to break. Also, when the engine collapsed the ball joints broke, causing the tires to disengage from the vehicle. *ak”
filed May 17, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Surge, idle roll, rough idle only when the engine cooling fans are operating. *tt
18614 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2005Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj
02221 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 11, 2002Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt
870197 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2002
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other Sable years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Sable | 1 | 2% |
| 2005 Sable | 3 | 4% |
| 2004 Sable | 2 | 4% |
| 2003 Sable | 19 | 9% |
| 2002 Sable | 20 | 5% |
| 2001 Sable | 23 | 5% |
| 2000 Sable | 25 | 5% |
| 1999 Sable | 22 | 9% |
| 1998 Sable | 19 | 10% |
| 1997 Sable | 42 | 18% |
| 1995 Sable | 132 | 38% |
| 1994 Sable | 142 | 37% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1996 Mercury Sable
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.