1990 Mercury Sable Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 14about this part
- Share
- 8%of 166 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the air bags of the 1990 Mercury Sable, 8% of the 166 complaints for this model year. 8 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“During rain storm, hit steel pole at approx. 10mph, airbag deployed, bu, didn't inflate, instead vehicle interior filled with black smelly chemical smoke, caused head/facial injuries/cuts, and bruises; also, burns through two layers of clothing.”
NHTSA complaint #807947, filed 1997-01“Vehicle involved in an accident, hit a fence then a tree head-on, there was no deployment of the driver's side air bag. Vehicle was totaled; also, vehicle was involved in an accident on 1/26/96 and the air bag did not deploy prior to recall (90e-043).”
NHTSA complaint #805033, filed 1996-12“Consumer was involved in a 10 MPH frontal crash in which the driver's side air bag deployed but did not inflate, causing the vehicle to become filled with smoke. Please give further details.”
NHTSA complaint #808802, filed 1997-02Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4 | 7% |
| 2005 | 4 | 5% |
| 2004 | 2 | 4% |
| 2003 | 8 | 4% |
| 2002 | 24 | 5% |
| 2001 | 27 | 6% |
| 2000 | 33 | 7% |
| 1999 | 17 | 7% |
| 1998 | 14 | 7% |
| 1997 | 12 | 5% |
| 1996 | 15 | 5% |
| 1995 | 8 | 2% |
| 1994 | 10 | 3% |
| 1993 | 24 | 4% |
| 1992 | 11 | 3% |
| 1991 | 10 | 5% |
| 1990 | 14 | 8% |
Other parts of the 1990 Mercury Sable
30 complaintsSteering
24 complaintsBody and structure
23 complaintsElectrical system
21 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
17 complaintsSeat belts
12 complaintsVehicle speed control
12 complaintsSuspension
11 complaintsBrakes
10 complaintsExterior lighting
8 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1990 Mercury Sable
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology