While driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat. The consumer drove the vehicle to a mechanic, who found the head gasket was blown. The manufacturer and the dealer are aware of the problem.
1993 Mercury Sable: engine overheating
59 of the 671 complaints about the 1993 Mercury Sable describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 59
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 16 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
The head gasket cracked, and coolant leaked onto the engine.
Nine year old car with only about 36,000 miles. Car never overheated yet head gasket blew. $1,600 repair bill from my private mechanic. I've had 4 other cars with more than twice the mileage, and older, and never encountered anything remotely similar.
While driving engine would overheat and white smoke would come from engine compartment, dealer notified, and informed consumer of a blown head gasket. Feel free to provide any further information.
While driving engine began to overheat. Consumer pulled into a service station to have vehicle evaluated. Mechanic informed consumer that head gaskets had blown out. Please provide further details.
The car stalls both when being driven and when stopped in traffic or at a stop light. There is no advanced warning and the car does not seem to be overheating when the problem occurs, but it occurs more frequently on hot days.
The engine overheated..had the car towed to the dealer.they finally found a leak in the headgasket.they did not mention that this was a recurring problem with the 3.8 engine. I later wrote to ford motor co. Director of vehicle service,stating the problem I had with the engine refered to a news item that said ford was extending the engine warranty on the 3.8 engines to include the 1994 and 1995 models. I was informed that the 1993 models were not included. Since that time I have read the long list of complaints from 1993 mercury owners on your website....there is obviously a problem with the 1993 3.8 engine! A mechanic told me that he believed that ford (mercury) was now taking care of the problem(reimbursing reair costs)......is this true? I would appreciate any updated information you could send me about this problem.
Motor overheated and car quit.
Head gasket failure! Engine overheated. Big bucks to fix. Small claims court here I come!
Vehicle overheated and had to be towed to dealer. Anti-freeze had backed up and leaked out. Dealer acknowledged they have had some complaints, but no recall was issued. Sensor assembly, transmission pan gasket, cylinder head gasket and thermostat had to be replaced. Consumer was respondsible for $1700.
Consumer pulled out of driveway when thick white steam started coming out of the tail pipe. Engine started to overheat after driving 3 miles and running roughly. Mechanic looked at the vehicle and informed him that is was a blown head gasket. Engine is a 3.8l fuel injected v6.
Consumer has had engine gasket problem before in october 1998. There was $4000 worth damage. Anti-freeze ran out first and it started to overheat within 5 to 10 minutes. Dealers have never given an explanation as to what caused problem. *ak
Service bulletins that may apply
- Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant...
- On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil...
- Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure
- Ford motor company now recommends sae 5W-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered...
- Mass air flow (maf)- sensor contamination- service tip
- Experiencing a " buzzing " or " rattling " noise from the exhaust system
- A new silicone gasket and sealant
- Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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
- Dealers will install an electrical jumper harness containing an automatic resetting circuit breaker to protect the fan motor low speed circuitry from overheating.
Recall number 97V019000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1993 Mercury Sable overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 1993 Mercury Sable?
59 of 671 owner complaints about the 1993 Mercury Sable (9%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 1993.
How much does it cost to fix engine overheating on the 1993 Mercury Sable?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,000 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1993 Mercury Sable?
There is 1 recall and 16 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1993 Mercury Sable
Headlights 58Stalling 32Coil spring 30Engine failure 28Wipers 27Transmission failure 14Fire or smoke 13ABS 9Fuel pump 7No deployment 6Jerking 6Won't start 6Adaptive cruise 5Airbag light 5Brake failure 5Grinding brakes 5Hesitation 5Misfire 5Water leak 5
VIN decoder
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