Problems · by component
1999 Mercury Sable steering problems
33 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Mercury Sable cite steering, 12% of all 267 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
33
12% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the steering
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY SABLE WAGON. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND THEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
“WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND MADE IT VERY HARD TO STEER ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HAVE A ACCIDENT AFTER COMING TO A STOP THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER AND VERY HARD TO TURN HAD TO GET CAR TOWED.I FIND THIS TO BE A COMPLETE RIP OFF BECAUSE I SEE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF STEERING PROBLEMS OF THE SAME MATTER”
“EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE SECOND POWER STEERING PUMP , IT IS HORRIBLE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL MOST OF THE TIME. ALSO, IT IS NOISY WHILE I'M DRIVING IT. IT HAD A NEW RACK AND PINION ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT . PARKING IN A PARKING LOT IS AWFUL AS IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MANEUVER AROUND OTHER CARS. TURNING CORNERS ,SOMETIMES IT'S OKAY AND OTHER TIMES REALLY HARD. NOT SURE IF THIS COMPLAINT BELONGS HERE, BUT HEATER DOESN'T WORK ,EITHER. FEELS LIKE A/C IS ON . HAD A FRIEND CHECK IT AND HE IS HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING IT OUT. DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER "DATE HAPPENED" AS IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN AUGUST.”
“WHEN I DRIVE MY VEHICLE THROUGH ANY PUDDLE OF WATER, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, THE CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS; THE STEERING FAILS AS YOU TRY TO MAKE A TURN!!!!!*JB”
“THE STEERING GEAR ASSY BROKE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. WE DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE MERC DEALER. THE MECHANIC WOULD NOT EVEN TEST DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS. *NM”
“NOISY POWER STEERING PUMP & LOSS POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK AND PINION WERE REPLACED ON OUR 1999 SABLE WHEN IT HAD 56,000 MILES. *JB”
Showing 6 of 33 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.