1992 Mercury Sable: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 1992 Mercury Sable. The newest campaign is 98V323000. NHTSA received the report on 16 Dec 1998. The NHTSA record gives the component Structure / Frame and Members. NHTSA has 364 complaints on file for this model year. 11 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 98V323000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 15 May 2019. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

4 campaigns, newest first. 3,638,900 units in total.

98V32300016 Dec 1998Structure / Frame and Members
97V02500026 Feb 1997Vehicle Speed Control
97V01900025 Feb 1997Engine and Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Fan
92V06500011 May 1992Wheels

98V323000Received 16 Dec 1998. 2,697,000 units.
Structure / Frame and Members
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virgnia, and wisconsin. The rear lower subframe mount plate nut can experience stress corrosion cracking if subjected to long term exposure to road salts. This can result in fracture and loss of the structural integrity of the subframe mount attachment. Detachment of the body mounts at the rear corners of the subframe, which supports the engine and transmission, allows the rear corners of the subframe to drop.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If both rear corners drop, steering would become suddenly very difficult, affecting vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 98S36. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 18 Jan 1999.
97V025000Received 26 Feb 1997. 212,700 units.
Vehicle Speed Control
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with 3.8l engines and originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. Water can accumulate within the speed control cable conduit. If enough water accumulates, it could freeze within a low area of the cable routing when exposed to a long term cold soak at temperatures at least several degrees below freezing.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
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.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will add a boot to the speed control cable.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 97S65. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 23 Apr 1997.
97V019000Received 25 Feb 1997. 75,200 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Fan
Defect, in the NHTSA record
These vehicles are originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, iowa, minnesota, nebraska, north dakota, and south dakota. The vehicles involved are 1992-1994 tempo/topaz vehicles with 3.0l engines; 1994 tempo/topaz with 2.3l engines; 1992-1995 taurus/sable with 3.8l engines; 1994-1995 taurus/sable with 3.0l engines and 1992-1994 lincoln continental vehicles with 3.8l engines. During high winds, heavy, blowing and drifting snow, and low temperatures, the engine cooling fan can become blocked or frozen with snow. The fan motor may not rotate and could overheat.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
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.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install an electrical jumper harness containing an automatic resetting circuit breaker to protect the fan motor low speed circuitry from overheating.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 97S66. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 31 Mar 1997.
92V065000Received 11 May 1992. 654,000 units.
Wheels
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Children can accidentally lock themselves in the footwell area of the rear-facing third seat, or in the storage compartment in station wagons not equipped with an optional third seat. Once the compartment is closed it cannot be opened from the inside.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
There is a danger of air deprivation, hyperthermia,and/or panic response to a child who has locked himself or herself into thecompartment, with the possibility of asphyxiation.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace the self-latching assembly currently used in the rear storage compartment with a latch assembly that can only be closed with a key.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 15 May 1992.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

364 complaints, 517 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1992 Mercury Sable
All 1992 vehicles

1992 Mercury Sable: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1992 Sable	All 1992 vehicles	Sable, all years	Mentions
Engine and Engine Cooling	354	115.2	193	183
Power Train	125.7	106.3	116.9	65
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	98.6	181	61.8	51
Steering	60	35.9	46.7	31
Electrical System	58	89.3	65.7	30
Structure	58	62.3	47.4	30
Vehicle Speed Control	42.6	35.9	72	22
Suspension	40.6	33.2	137.6	21
Exterior Lighting	29	19.7	40.1	15
Air Bags	27.1	33	33.9	14

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 21.

Complaints that report a crash: 12
Complaints that report a fire: 6
Injuries in the complaints: 7
Deaths in the complaints: 4
Date of the newest complaint: 28 Jun 2010

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1992 Mercury Sable, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2000, with 66 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1992 Mercury Sable
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA96024	Engineering analysis	ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES	Engine and Engine Cooling	30 Sep 1996	15 Apr 1997	97V019000
EA96019	Engineering analysis	HEADLIGHT FAILURE	Exterior Lighting	31 Jul 1996	26 Jan 1998	98V009000
PE96033	Preliminary evaluation	ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES	Engine and Engine Cooling	2 May 1996	30 Sep 1996	97V019000
DP95004	Defect petition	ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODS	Unknown or Other	8 Aug 1995	30 Aug 1995
EA94008	Engineering analysis	BROKEN TIE RODS	Steering	16 Feb 1994	27 Feb 1995
PE93100	Preliminary evaluation	POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKS	Suspension	2 Dec 1993	30 Jun 1994
EA93022	Engineering analysis	IDLE AIR SPD CTRL VLV MALF	Engine and Engine Cooling	30 Jul 1993	31 Aug 1994
PE93065	Preliminary evaluation	UNDERBODY FUEL LINE FAILS	Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages	15 Jul 1993	30 Nov 1993
PE93058	Preliminary evaluation	BROKEN TIE RODS	Steering	15 Jun 1993	16 Feb 1994
PE93010	Preliminary evaluation	IDLE AIR SPD CTRL VLV MALF	Engine and Engine Cooling	2 Mar 1993	30 Jul 1993
EA92040	Engineering analysis	SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL	Structure	30 Nov 1992	30 Jun 1993	93V106001

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1992 Mercury SableThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1992 Mercury Sable: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/mercury/sable/1992/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 15 May 2019
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1992 Mercury Sable?: 3,638,900 units in 4 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Mercury Sable have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 46 recall campaigns for the Mercury Sable, model years 1984 to 2009. 4 of them name the 1992 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1992 Mercury Sable name most often?: Engine and Engine Cooling: 183 of 517 component mentions, or 354 per 1,000. For all 1992 vehicles the figure is 115.2 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1992 Mercury Sable open?: No. Each of the 11 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.