1997 Mercury Sable Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sable years
- About as many complaints as other years 7th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 228 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Mercury Sable. That ranks 7th out of 14 Sable model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (43 complaints, 19%), typically at around 72,000 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 5 fires, 11 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 228owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Mercury Sable problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 43 | 19% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 42 | 18% | 61,100 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 28 | 12% | 53,894 | — | — |
| Visibility | 22 | 10% | 65,200 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 21 | 9% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 8% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 19 | 8% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 18 | 8% | 57,216 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 7% | 94,200 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 12 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 12 | 5% | 77,200 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 5% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% | 39,469 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 4% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 4% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 7 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 140,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 84,400 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Mercury Sable recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk: If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may be confused by the aiming instructions provided in the owner guides causing the headlamps to be improperly aimed.
Fix: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with ax4s automatic transaxles. The low/intermediate servo cover can separate from the transaxle while the vehicle is being driven. If this occurs, transmission fluid will leak contacting the catalytic converter.
Risk: The catalytic converter temperature may be hot enough to ignite the transmission fluid and cause a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the transmission and replace these servo covers.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
Risk: Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Yes i have a used car and the dash from the heat has rose off or has buckeled up and i have contacted the company well apparently it is obsolete and it is hard to come by so i cant drive without a dash and i cant get one either
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercury sable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a safety inspection, where the mechanic notified her that the brake lines were corroded and the ball joints were detaching from the vehicle. Also, the mechanic advised the contact that the vehicle was…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercury sable. The contact stated that when braking to a complete stop, the engine rpms would increase abnormally. In addition, the vehicle would slightly pull forward as if it were attempting to accelerate. As the contact was approaching a traffic stop, she crashed into…
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 mercury sable. The contact stated the sub frame that holds the motor and transmission together was detached from the right side of the vehicle due to rust. While driving the vehicle was making noise; however, during the diagnostic test the mechanic confirmed that the…
Constantly having to service brakes on my 1997 mercury sable. I have had brake calipers seize up to the point the wheel was too hot to touch and i currently have brake lines rusted out for the second time in about 2 years this is simply unacceptable for such an expensive luxury model and from a…
Other Mercury Sable years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Sable | 20 | 0 |
| 2008 Sable | 61 | 1 |
| 2006 Sable | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 Sable | 83 | 0 |
| 2004 Sable | 52 | 1 |
| 2003 Sable | 201 | 3 |
| 2002 Sable | 440 | 3 |
| 2001 Sable | 430 | 8 |
| 2000 Sable | 464 | 7 |
| 1999 Sable | 258 | 5 |
| 1998 Sable | 190 | 2 |
| 1997 | 228 | 3 |
| 1996 Sable | 304 | 5 |
| 1995 Sable | 350 | 5 |
See all Mercury Sable problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercury Sable?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 43 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Mercury Sable?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Mercury Sable a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sable model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.