AI Damage1991 Mercury Sable: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Mercury Sable filed 221 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 221
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 46% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 25% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 12% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 101 complaints (46% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 56 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 27 complaints (12% of all).
- Structure: 20 complaints (9% of all).
- Service brakes: 19 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 221 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 101 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 56 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
This is very serious and dangerous after adding oil to the engine of this vehicle yesterday I made sure the hood was securly latched ( because it has come open on me previously while in motion ) I pulled up on the hood and it would not open. I left the gas station and got on the interstate.
Before consumer purchased vehicle they noticed that the air bag light was on, the dealer told the consumer they could not fix the light due to a federal law and never said the air bags did not work, there was an accident where the air bags experienced no deployment and 2 of the occupants injuries were soreness.
During frontal impact at speeds of 45 to 50mph, the driver's side air bag did not deploy.
During frontal impact, the driver's side air bag did not deploy.
Put vehicle in drive and it surged, resulting in an accident. Tt
The rear struts seized, vehicle hit a small patch of ice, lost control/skidded, resulting in an accident.
Driver side safety belt did not restrain driver upon head on collision, resulting in an accident. Tt
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,825 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sable has 216 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 221, about average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
- Sable 198646 sources
- Sable 198776 sources
- Sable 1988126 sources
- Sable 1989238 sources
- Sable 1990166 sources
- Sable 1992364 sources
- Sable 1993674 sources
- Sable 1994387 sources
- Sable 1995350 sources
- Sable 1996304 sources
- Sable 1997228 sources
- Sable 1998190 sources
- Sable 1999258 sources
- Sable 2000464 sources
- Sable 2001430 sources
- Sable 2002440 sources
- Sable 2003201 sources
- Sable 200452 sources
- Sable 200583 sources
- Sable 200861 sources
- Sable 200920 sources
- Sable 999913 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Mercury Sable?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, steering. Total complaints: 221. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (18%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%), steering or power steering problems (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Mercury Sable?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Mercury Sable from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.