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1993 Mercury SableProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 673 owner complaints about the 1993 Mercury Sable, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 6 safety recalls.

27
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.7× the Sable median · #1 of 22 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Free fix at dealersOwner complaints67343 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage75kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 28, 2012. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1993 Mercury Sable has problems

673 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling3575
Exterior lighting620
Suspension520
Power train480
Visibility471
Electrical system463
Service brakes, hydraulic452
Structure344
Equipment282
12 other systems11721

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

1993 Mercury Sable recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Structure: frame and members

Recall 98V-323 · Dec 16, 1998 · 2,697,000 vehicles

Risk. IF BOTH REAR CORNERS DROP, STEERING WOULD BECOME SUDDENLY VERY DIFFICULT, AFFECTING VEHICLE CONTROL AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Springs: coil springs

Recall 98V-094 · May 6, 1998 · 281,000 vehicles

Risk. THE FRONT TIRE COULD DEFLATE DUE TO A BROKEN FRONT COIL SPRING CONTACTING THE TIRE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Headlights: switch

Recall 98V-009 · Jan 21, 1998 · 506,000 vehicles

Risk. LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION CAN AFFECT A DRIVER'S ABILITY TO NAVIGATE THE ROADWAY AND REDUCE THE VISIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 97V-025 · Feb 26, 1997 · 212,700 vehicles

Risk. DRIVER CONTROL OF VEHICLE SPEED USING THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM OR THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD BE DIMINISHED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Cooling system: fan

Recall 97V-019 · Feb 25, 1997 · 75,200 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE SMOKE OR FLAMES FROM THE FAN AND/OR SHROUD, THE FAN ELECTRICAL WIRING, OR THE FAN MOTOR RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

Recall 93V-023 · Jan 4, 1993 · 212 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY AND POSSIBLEVEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercury.

Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

19 owners mentioned a cost

$1,600median

Middle half: $1,376 – $2,750

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1993 vs. every other Sable year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sable median. How we score

'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'08'09
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1993 Mercury Sable safety ratings

1993 Mercury Sable 4-DR. Wagon in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
11 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1993 Mercury Sable, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODSDP95004 · closed Aug 30, 1995
    No recall
  2. BROKEN TIE RODSEA94008 · closed Feb 27, 1995
    No recall
  3. HEADLIGHT FAILUREEA96019 · closed Jan 26, 1998
    Led to recall 98V-009
  4. ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRESEA96024 · closed Apr 15, 1997
    Led to recall 97V-019
  5. WINDSHIELD WIPEREA99023 · closed Jun 12, 2001
    No recall
  6. BROKEN TIE RODSPE93058 · closed Feb 16, 1994
    No recall
  7. POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKSPE93100 · closed Jun 30, 1994
    No recall
  8. HEADLIGHTS FAILUREPE96018 · closed Jul 31, 1996
    No recall
  9. ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRESPE96033 · closed Sep 30, 1996
    Led to recall 97V-019
  10. WINDSHIELD WIPERPE99015 · closed Aug 6, 1999
    No recall
  11. FRONT SUSPENSION SPRINGRQ99017 · closed Feb 16, 2000
    Led to recall 98V-094
In owners' words

What Sable owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I HAVE A 3.8L FORD ENGINE IN MY CAR. IT WAS REPLACED BEFORE I PURCHASED IT AT 126219 MILES WITH ANOTHER REBUILT 3.8L. NOW I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD OR HEAD GASKET. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAY MERCURY DIDNT HAVE THE PROBLEMS. MY VIN SHOWED NO PAST RECALLS. WHATS UP. ITS A REBUILT 3.8L. I CANT AFFORD TO FIX…
Complaint 10069731 · Jan 15, 2004 · 141,762 miles
ABOUT 1 MONTH AFTER THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER MY HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED, MY SABLE STARTED TO HESITATE WHEN WARM. THE VEHICLE HAS NO POWER. THE FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTER, AIR FILTER AND THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED WITH NO EFFECT. THE TIMING…
Complaint 10068968 · Jan 15, 2004 · 106,000 miles
I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR ALL THE ABOVE BUT COULD FIND IT IF NECESSARY. I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEAD GASKET WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM THAT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND, LIVING ON A SMALL PENSION AND SOCIAL…
Complaint 10068950 · Jan 15, 2004

Own a 1993 Sable?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.