1996 Mercury Sable Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1996 Mercury Sable, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 90,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (7% of reports).
- 69power train complaints
- 90,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 5 of 69 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 9 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 69 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Mercury Sable power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Sable | 3 | 15% | 25,000 |
| 2008 Sable | 11 | 18% | 53,925 |
| 2005 Sable | 26 | 31% | 82,640 |
| 2004 Sable | 12 | 23% | 58,000 |
| 2003 Sable | 30 | 15% | 67,500 |
| 2002 Sable | 23 | 5% | 45,000 |
| 2001 Sable | 22 | 5% | 48,600 |
| 2000 Sable | 31 | 7% | 44,175 |
| 1999 Sable | 28 | 11% | 62,263 |
| 1998 Sable | 25 | 13% | 106,500 |
| 1997 Sable | 43 | 19% | 72,000 |
| 1996 Sable | 69 | 23% | 90,000 |
| 1995 Sable | 93 | 27% | 113,110 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition could result in the vehicle rolling as if in neutral with the shift lever in the park position.
Fix: 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.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Risk: Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Just bought a mercury sable 1996. After driving this vehical for about 10 miles, the transmission began to slip badly. It began with having trouble accelerating from a complete stop. Luckily i was driving in a rural area with few stops and little traffic. By the time i stopped at the 3 stop sign…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 mercury sable wagon. The contact stated the vehicle had been parked on sept 10,09 at 3:30, the next day, at 6:30 pm the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle was engulfed in flames. There were no injuries. The fire department extinguished the fired and stated that it was as…
(1) car shifts hard during acceleration and deceleration. Speedometer does not work or bounces up, then down. Check engine light comes on. (2) while driving at normal road speeds the transmission will switch to low gear causing sudden throw of driver inside car and at times when trying to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Mercury Sables have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 69 owner complaints about power train for the 1996 Mercury Sable (23% of the 304 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Mercury Sable power train?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 90,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1996 Mercury Sable?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 5 of 69 complaints.
Other 1996 Mercury Sable problems
See all 1996 Mercury Sable problems or power train problems across all Sable years.