Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 Mercury Sable problems
Owners filed 195 complaints about the 1998 Mercury Sable with NHTSA between May 1998 and Apr 2018. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (33).
Complaints
195
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
28
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
18
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Vehicle speed control33
- Service brakes, hydraulic28
- Suspension23
- Power train21
- Electrical system19
- Engine and engine cooling19
- Air bags14
- Structure10
- Visibility10
- Seat belts10
- Tires7
- Steering6
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Interior lighting6
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
13
35
22
25
28
19
18
12
6
5
2
2
1
2
2
0
0
1
1
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 13 |
| 1999 | 35 |
| 2000 | 22 |
| 2001 | 25 |
| 2002 | 28 |
| 2003 | 19 |
| 2004 | 18 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 5 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Vehicle speed control
33 reports7 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR TWO HOURS IN THE PARKING LOT OF A SMALL COMMUNITY PARK. AS THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CHECK THE SPEEDOMETER BEFORE THE TURN WAS COMPLETED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND BECAUSE THE TURN HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED THE CONTACT VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE ROAD AND THEN CROSSED THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT. AS THE CONTACT TRIED TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD, SHE DROVE OVER A TWO-FOOT BOULDER AND SEVERAL SMALLER BOULDERS AND THEN CRASHED INTO A FENCE OF TALL BUSHES AND CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET PAST THE BOULDERS THAT HAD BEEN DRAGGED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVEWAY. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AS THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THIS ALL TOOK PLACE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATELY FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,300”
Service brakes, hydraulic
28 reports6 crashes
“MY BRAKE LINE[METAL],RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. 1.NO INDICATION OF BRAKE FAILURE. 2.SEVERAL OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS DROVE MY CAR TO THE GROCERY STORE,THANKFULLY THIS IS WHERE THE BRAKES GAVE OUT. 3.MERCURY DEALERSHIP REPLACED LINE FOR ABOUT $275.*AK”
Suspension
23 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN REVERSE 3 MPH AND IN A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE FOUND THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING HAD FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000. UPDATED 05/24/11*LJ UPDATED 05/26/11*JB”
Power train
21 reports
“I DROVE THE CAR TO DO ERRANDS AND IT WAS NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS. I PARKED THE CAR AT THE MALL AND CAME BACK TO DRIVE HOME AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE GEARS WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I WAS FORCED TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. IT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF HAVING A PROBLEM, AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS INTACT WITH NO SIGNS OF A PROBLEM. THIS APPEARED TO BE A COSTLY REPAIR, SO I CHOSE NOT TO FIX IT AT THIS TIME.*AK”
Electrical system
19 reports2 crashes2 fires
“MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP TO RETRIEVE STORED ENGINE CONTROL CODES PO443 AND PO455. I REPLACED THE PART AND THERE IS STILL THE SAME CODE PO443 AND PO455. I KEEP MY OLD PART. *TR”
Engine and engine cooling
19 reports2 crashes
“FOR YEARS I HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ON 1998 MERCURY SABLE--THE DOME LIGHT, FLOOR LIGHTS AND DOOR LIGHTS CONSTANTLY ON. I KEEP THE DOME LIGHT OFF. THE FLOOR LIGHT BULBS WERE REMOVED. DOOR LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY ON. HOWEVER, 1.5 YEARS AGO, I LOST ALL HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT UPON ENTERING A HIGHWAY. I COULD RISK USING HIGH BEAMS BY HOLDING IN PLACE. MULTIFUNCTION ARM WAS REPLACED AND THE DIAL ON DASHBOARD. THEN BOTH DIALS WERE REPLACED FOR FAN AND HEATING, DEFROST AND AIR CONDITIONER. THEN TOLD MY COMPUTER CHIP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE NO DEFROSTER, HEAT, FAN OR AIR CONDITIONER. ALSO, LAST YEAR AFTER DEALING WITH SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON AND OFF THEN STAYING ON FOR YEARS, HAD TO REPLACE THE EMISSIONS SENSOR FOR CAR TO BE INSPECTED. WOULD A DEALER BE WILLING TO GIVE ME A DEFROSTER FIX AND/OR HEAT. MANY PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT FORD AND MERCURY ARE KNOWN FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. AND OVER 1500 DOLLARS LATER AND I STILL HAVE A DEFECTIVE, UNSAFE CAR. *NM”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.