1991 Mercury Sable Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/12/2026

82Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

37.1%Of all 221 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION82 · 37.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE45 · 20.4%

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS16 · 7.2%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR9 · 4.1%

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION8 · 3.6%

Share of the 221 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1991 Mercury Sable overview page.

What owners report

“THIS TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING WITH 76,000 MILES. I HAD HAD THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AT 66,000 MILES TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED…”NHTSA complaint 707169 — filed 06/03/1999

“FORD INFORMED ME THAT THEY REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION FOR THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN 1996 IN A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR TRANSMISSIONS; NEVERTHELESS THE TRANSMISSION IS…”NHTSA complaint 706994 — filed 05/30/1999

“WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FUNCTIONING…”NHTSA complaint 822931 — filed 05/18/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1991 Mercury Sable have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 1991 Mercury Sable: 82 of 221 complaints on file (37.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1991 Mercury Sable have in total?

221 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 11 involved a crash, 9 involved a fire, 8 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.