IllustrationBEGINNING ABOUT THE FIRST OF MARCH, 2012, I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING FEELING STIFF, JERKY AND HARD TO TURN. THE FIRST INCIDENT INVOLVED TURNING RIGHT ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM A SIDE RIDE AND FEELING THE FRONT OF THE CAR JERK SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. SINCE THEN, I'VE NOTICED THE STEERING REMAINS STIFF. *TR
2008 Mercury Sable
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 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
140–25K
1325–50K
1550–75K
475–100K
3100–150K
4150K+
53 reports with mileage · 8 unknown
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.
- Steering. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
Steering complaints
16 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND MAKING A TURN THE STEERING BECAME HAD BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. AFTER SHUTTING OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO HAVE RESET BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE. TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND MAKING A TURN THE STEERING BECAME HAD BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. AFTER SHUTTING OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO HAVE RESET BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT FRONT TIE RODS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,600.
RECENTLY I WROTE YOU ABOUT MY 2008 SABLE IT HAS ONLY 16,000 MILE ON IT AND I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING STIFFENS UP WHILE DRIVING. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING AND HAD IT DIAGNOSED BY A REPUTABLE PERSON. IT WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACKET PINION BAR. I DID NOT GO TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. …
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RECENTLY I WROTE YOU ABOUT MY 2008 SABLE IT HAS ONLY 16,000 MILE ON IT AND I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING STIFFENS UP WHILE DRIVING. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING AND HAD IT DIAGNOSED BY A REPUTABLE PERSON. IT WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACKET PINION BAR. I DID NOT GO TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. YOU IN TURNED SENT MY COMPLAINT TO FORD AND THEY WROTE BACK SAYING THEY WERE SORRY AND I SHOULD OF TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP SO THEY CAN DOCUMENT IT. I JUST FELT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY I WOULD GO TO SOMEONE REPUTABLE BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T SO COSTLY TO HAVE REPAIRED. I JUST WANTED TO PASS SOME INFO TO THE NHTSA ON FOR SAFETY REASONS. MAYBE THE PROBLEM DOCUMENTED [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE WHEEL STIFFENS UP WHILE MAKING A TURN. ALSO WHEN SITTING STILL/STOPPED THE WHEEL COMPLETELY FREEZES UP. THE BALL JOINTS, BEARINGS, AND RACKET PINION WAS CHECKED OUT BY A MECHANIC AND THE CONCLUSION HE CAME TO WAS HE THINKS IT COULD BE THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS FAULTED. THIS STARTED IN THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER AND CURRENTL…
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THE WHEEL STIFFENS UP WHILE MAKING A TURN. ALSO WHEN SITTING STILL/STOPPED THE WHEEL COMPLETELY FREEZES UP. THE BALL JOINTS, BEARINGS, AND RACKET PINION WAS CHECKED OUT BY A MECHANIC AND THE CONCLUSION HE CAME TO WAS HE THINKS IT COULD BE THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS FAULTED. THIS STARTED IN THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER AND CURRENTLY IS GETTING WORSE. DUE TO THE CAR ONLY HAVING 16,000 MILES AND HE HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER MERCURY'S WE WERE WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY SORT OF RECALL, AND IF THERE ISN'T IF THIS PROBLEM COULD BE NOTED FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. *TR
2008 MERCURY SABLE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILED AS HE WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE RACK AND PINION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE RACK AND PINION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.
Official recalls
116V247000 · Air Bags:frontal
Apr 26, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
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
1PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking
Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve
ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO