1986 Mercury Sable problems & reliability
46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Mercury Sable. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure → | 11 | 24% |
| Power Train | 8 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 13% |
| Seats | 4 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“After driving and coming to a stop the automatic transmission goes into neutral. Stepping on the gas pedal caused the transmission to rev up quite high while still staying in neutral until, suddenly the transmission will kick into gear and "burn rubber" causing the car to lurch forward in an "uncontrolled" way at high…”
Power Train · filed Jun 16, 2003
“Subframe welds broke and frame dropped while driving 30 mph. No injuries. There is a recall but this vehicle is not affected.*jbsubframe mounting bolts/brackets broke on both sides of the rear mounts causing the engine and transaxle to fall backward and make steering impossible. *jg”
Structure · filed May 2, 2002
“While sitting on driver's side with children sitting in rear seat, a person alerted consumer that one of the children got stuck between window of vehicle, where power window could not be activated. *ak”
Visibility · filed Apr 17, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR LOWER SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY
Recall Query RQ97009 · opened Aug 29, 1997 · closed Feb 16, 1999 · led to recall 98V323000
- POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93100 · opened Dec 2, 1993 · closed Jun 30, 1994
- SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL
Engineering Analysis EA92040 · opened Nov 30, 1992 · closed Jun 30, 1993 · led to recall 93V106002
- SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE92056 · opened Jul 1, 1992 · closed Nov 30, 1992
- STORAGE COMPAR SUFFOCATION
Engineering Analysis EA91042 · opened Oct 28, 1991 · closed May 21, 1992 · led to recall 92V065000
- FIRES IN IGNITION SWITCH
Preliminary Evaluation PE91128 · opened Sep 17, 1991 · closed Jan 27, 1992
- STORAGE COMPAR SUFFOCATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE91108 · opened Aug 1, 1991 · closed Oct 28, 1991
- DOOR HANDLES BREAKAGE
Preliminary Evaluation PE91036 · opened Jan 22, 1991 · closed May 22, 1991
Technical service bulletins
40 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1986 Mercury Sable. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt
01124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure. *tt
99183 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
Transaxles use a new transmission fluid. *yc
9802169838 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Mercury Sable in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Mercury Sable?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.