1998 Mercury Sable Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sable years
- About as many complaints as other years 9th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 190 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mercury Sable. That ranks 9th out of 14 Sable model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (32 complaints, 17%), typically at around 71,182 miles. Complaints mention 28 crashes, 3 fires, 18 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 190owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 28complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 32 | 17% | 71,182 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 28 | 15% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 13% | 106,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 22 | 12% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 10% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 8% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 7% | 94,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 5% | 122,750 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 5% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 5% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 4% | 143,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 3% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 3% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 3% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3% | 148,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 179,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Mercury Sable recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual seat tracks. The front seat belt buckle attaching stud may have been improperly heat treated. This heat treatment may have resulted in cracks developing in the stud.
Risk: If the stud is cracked, in the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and stud assembly.
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.
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.
Rear coil springs broken on both sides. Poor design. I was told there is a recall on this, but i do not see it. This is unsafe, because it will throw the car as it goes over a bump. It can also push up into the trunk, if not fixed. Very, very dangerous.
The high beams do not function, unless the lever (which changes the beam from low to high) is pulled towards me and held constantly in that position. When this lever is released the high beams go off, but there are no low beams. The defective part , according to my mechanic, is the "lighting…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. While driving 35 mph, the brakes failed. Due to the brake failure, the vehicle was involved in a crash at an intersection with an oncoming vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and passenger sustained injuries to the back and face that…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. The contact stated that he would hear a rattling noise from under the hood and assumed that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The contact repaired the vehicle but the failure recurred. The contact inspected under the vehicle and noticed that the…
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…
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 | 190 | 2 |
| 1997 Sable | 228 | 3 |
| 1996 Sable | 304 | 5 |
| 1995 Sable | 350 | 5 |
See all Mercury Sable problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Mercury models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mercury Sable?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 32 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Mercury Sable?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.