69 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Mercury Sable cite power train, 22% of all 309 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 3 recalls on this component.
“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. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NO LONGER ENGAGE INTO 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. NEVER GOT INTO 4TH GEAR. BUT HAD TO GET PUSH THE VEHICAL FROM THE LAST STOP SIGN UNTIL I REACHED A SMALL HILL THAT ALLOWED ME TO REACH THE SPEED SO THAT 3RD WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY HOUSE. THE CAR HASN'T MOVED SINCE THEN. WASTE OF $1,000!! TRANSMISSION IS FINISHED.”
“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 ELECTRICAL FIRE. A FIRE REPORT IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE INSURANCE HAS NOT ADVISED THE CONTACT IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED OR NOT. AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER WILL PROVIDE THE FINDINGS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 10/20/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE. UPDATED 10/23/09.*JB”
“(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 ACCELERATE THERE IS A LONG DELAY IN POWER TO ENGINE THEN SUDDEN ACCELERATION. (3) REPLACED CAM SENSOR AND OTHER SENSOR THREE TIMES AND ALWAYS FAILS AGAIN.*JB”
“RECALL CAMPAIGN 96V176000 WAS ISSUED. WHEN ENGAGING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK IT BEGAN TO ROLL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ENAGE IN PARK AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. *TC”
“I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR ONE YEAR AND ONE HALF. I BOUGHT IT FROM RAY HUDSON CHEVROLET IN LA CROSSE ,WIS. I HAD THE CAR TWO WEEKS AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FRONT AND BACK BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS AT THE DEALERS EXSPENSE. I HAD TO HAVE A WHEEL BEARING REPLACED AND NOW AFTER A YEAR AND 1/2 I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE MOTOR.”
“WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT WARNING THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD FOR TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT DEALER MORE THAN ONCE. *AK”
Showing 6 of 69 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
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.
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.
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.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.