IllustrationWINDSHIELD HAS SWIRLS INSIDE OF GLASS. THIS CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. ALRIGHT DURING DAYLIGHT. HAS TO GO BACK TO DEALER ACCORDING TO GLASS CO. SWIRLS ARE GETTING WORSE DUE TO BEING MORE NOTICEABLE DURING THE DAY. *AK
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 →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sable years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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 reportsTHE MERCURY SABLE HAS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE WINDSHIEL D. THE FRONT AND REAR WINDOWS LEAVES WATER ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE FRONT WINDOW IS PARTICULARILY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPPERS IT BRINGS THE WATER TO THE DRIVERS SIDE. AT TIMES YOU CAN NOT SEE OUT OF THE WINDOW. THAT MINUTE THE VISION…
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THE MERCURY SABLE HAS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE WINDSHIEL D. THE FRONT AND REAR WINDOWS LEAVES WATER ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE FRONT WINDOW IS PARTICULARILY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPPERS IT BRINGS THE WATER TO THE DRIVERS SIDE. AT TIMES YOU CAN NOT SEE OUT OF THE WINDOW. THAT MINUTE THE VISION IS BLURRED THERE COULD BE AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY ACCIDENTS THERE HAVE BEEN AS A RESULT OF THIS DESIGN FLAW. THE REAR WINDOW IS NOT AS BAD BECAUSE YOU CAN TURN-ON THE REAR DEFOGGER. I PURCHASED A NEW SET OF WIPPERS
STOPPING AT INTERSECTION WITH BRAKES APPLIED, ENGINE BEGAN THROTTLING AND CAUSED RACING AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT. STANDING ON THE BRAKES DID NOT CONTROL THE CAR AND DISENGAGING THE TRANSMISSION INTO "N" LEFT THE ENGINE STILL RACING! *AK
CONSUMER IS 6' TALL AND THE ADJUSTING SEAT IS NOT ADJUSTING PROPERLY. DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE DRIVER'S SEAT NOT GOING UP. *AK
ENGINE ACCELLERATES WHEN YOU COME TO STOP THE CAR; YOU CAN NOT STOP THE CAR AND CAN NOT PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. ALMOST CRASHED 2X AND ALMOST RAN OVER CHILDREN IN CHURCH PARKING LOT. PLEASE HELP
LOCKED TORQUE CONVERTER SEEMS TO DISENGAGE WHEN GOING DOWN HILL. ALSO, SPEED CONTROL CANNOT CONTROL SPEED OF CAR GOING DOWN ANY SLIGHT HILL. SEEMS TO BE NOT LOCKED UP, ETC. CANNOT USE ENGINE COMPRESSION, ETC, TO SLOW VEHICLE. CRUISE CONTROL US IS USELESS ON ANY TYPE OF DOWNGRADE! IS THIS A DESIGN FLAW OR CAN IT BE REPAIRED?…
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LOCKED TORQUE CONVERTER SEEMS TO DISENGAGE WHEN GOING DOWN HILL. ALSO, SPEED CONTROL CANNOT CONTROL SPEED OF CAR GOING DOWN ANY SLIGHT HILL. SEEMS TO BE NOT LOCKED UP, ETC. CANNOT USE ENGINE COMPRESSION, ETC, TO SLOW VEHICLE. CRUISE CONTROL US IS USELESS ON ANY TYPE OF DOWNGRADE! IS THIS A DESIGN FLAW OR CAN IT BE REPAIRED? VEHICLE IS A LEASED CAR THROUGH WHEELS, INC. THANK YOU. *AK
4 BRAKE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES BECAUSE THEY OVERHEATED/WARPED AND WERE OUT OF ROUND. CAUSE UNKNOWN. CONSUMER CLAIMS BRAKE MUST BE APPLIED CONSTANTLY WHILE DRIVING. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH
POWER RADIO ANTENNA FAILED. YH
SEAT BELT FAILED. YH
Official recalls
298V198000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.