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1998 Mercury Sable

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Mercury Sable do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 201.

About this comparison →
190Owner complaints

Model-year median: 201

2Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
350
1995304
1996228
1997190
1998258
1999464
2000430
2001
Compare all Sable years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Vehicle Speed Control
32Service Brakes, Hydraulic
28Power Train
25Suspension
22Engine And Engine Cooling
19
All reported categories
Electrical System
16Air Bags
14Structure
10Visibility
10Seat Belts
9Tires
8Fuel System, Gasoline
6Interior Lighting
6Steering
6Unknown Or Other
6Exterior Lighting
5Equipment
2Fuel System, Other
2Latches/locks/linkages
1Seats
1Service Brakes
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 45 of 190 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

28 crash reports3 fire reports15 injury reports

What owners actually said

190 reports
Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 2002
Fuel System, GasolineInjury

PRIOR TO RECALL REGARDING OBDII, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED FAINTNESS, NAUSEA AND DIZZINESS, FOLLOWED BY HEADACHES AND WEAKNESS WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER BECAME AWARE OF THE RECALL AND HAD REPAIRS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER CONSUMER SOUGHT A SECOND OPINION AND EMISSION LEAKS WERE FOUND IN THE MANIFOLD AREAS AND THE CATALYTIC CONV…

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PRIOR TO RECALL REGARDING OBDII, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED FAINTNESS, NAUSEA AND DIZZINESS, FOLLOWED BY HEADACHES AND WEAKNESS WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER BECAME AWARE OF THE RECALL AND HAD REPAIRS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER CONSUMER SOUGHT A SECOND OPINION AND EMISSION LEAKS WERE FOUND IN THE MANIFOLD AREAS AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION PIPE, CONSUMER DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #564546

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2002
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ACCIDENT OCCURRED, AND DRIVER WAS INJURED. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8003441

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2002
Vehicle Speed Control

ENGINE INCREASES RPM IN PARK OR NEUTRAL WITHOUT ACCELERATOR BEING PRESSED. THIS CONDITION IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T NOTICE THE ENGINE IS INCREASING IN RPM, AND YOU PLACE THE SHIFT LEVER IN DRIVE, THE CAR LEAPS FORWARD.

NHTSA ODI #757431

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2002
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED, HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER SIDE. DRIVER WAS INJURED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *YH

NHTSA ODI #8002896

Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2002
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

I HIT SAND THAT IS ON THE ROAD TO HELP YOU FROM SLIDING ON BLACK ICE,BUT IN MY CASE IT MADE MY CAR GO SLIDING AND I HIT CURB ON RIGHT SIDE OF ME,WHICH KNOCKED MY HANDS OFF STEERING WHEEL.BY THE TIME I HAD MY HANDS BACK ON THE WHEEL AND BRAKING I WAS ON LEFT SIDE OF ROAD.AT THIS POINT I WAS OFF THE ROAD AND ON THE MUD, WHICH MY B…

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I HIT SAND THAT IS ON THE ROAD TO HELP YOU FROM SLIDING ON BLACK ICE,BUT IN MY CASE IT MADE MY CAR GO SLIDING AND I HIT CURB ON RIGHT SIDE OF ME,WHICH KNOCKED MY HANDS OFF STEERING WHEEL.BY THE TIME I HAD MY HANDS BACK ON THE WHEEL AND BRAKING I WAS ON LEFT SIDE OF ROAD.AT THIS POINT I WAS OFF THE ROAD AND ON THE MUD, WHICH MY BRAKES DIDN'T DO ME ANY GOOD I JUST KEEP GOING UP AND OVER INTO THE CANYON WHERE I WENT DOWN ABOUT 15-20 WHERE I HIT AN OAK TREE HEAD ON.THE BACK OF MY CAR WENT UP IN THE AIR AND WENT SIDE WAYS SLAMMED DOWN ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF CAR.DURING ALL THIS NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.I RECEIVED 31 STITCHES IN FACE AND SEPARATED RIBS AND BRUISED WREST AND BUMPS AND BRUISES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #756893

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SPRING CLIP FOR REAR BRAKE PADS HAS SNAPPED AND DISCONNECTED DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE TWICE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH 17,000 AND 19,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8000799

Mileage unknown · Nov 14, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE OVERHEATED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON. CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. MECHANIC CHANGED THERMOSTAT. NEXT DAY WATER WAS ALL OVER THE GROUND. PROBLEM WAS STILL OCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #899141

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 2001
SteeringInjury

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT DUE TO A SPRING WITHIN STEERING BOX. *AK CONSUMER LISTS PROPERTY DAMAGE AND AN INJURY, HOWEVER DOES NOT MENTION ANY ACCIDENT. *YH

NHTSA ODI #898286

Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2001
Interior LightingStructure

INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON & WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK MALFUNCTIONS AT THE SAME TIME

NHTSA ODI #753285

Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2001
Unknown Or Other

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT GOES OFF AND ON,WAS CHECKED BY DEALER,STILL GOES OFF AND ON

NHTSA ODI #751753

Official recalls

2

98V198000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Aug 25, 1998

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET AND STUD ASSEMBLY.

98V028000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Feb 10, 1998

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: OWNER GUIDES CONTAINING REVISED AIMING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.