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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

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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

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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

10 reports
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75 miles · Mar 22, 2016
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL ON A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FROM 72 TO 85+ MPH. BRAKES DID NOT DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL AND COULD NOT SLOW DOWN CAR. I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF TO REGAIN CONTROL AND WITH FLASHERS ON I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND STOP THE CAR. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR TO E…

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WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL ON A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FROM 72 TO 85+ MPH. BRAKES DID NOT DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL AND COULD NOT SLOW DOWN CAR. I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF TO REGAIN CONTROL AND WITH FLASHERS ON I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND STOP THE CAR. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR TO ESTABLISH IF CONDITION CLEARED UP, BUT COULD NOT. HAD CAR TOWED TO FORD DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONDITION THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THEY CHANGED THE MASS AIR SENSOR BUT SAID IT WAS UNRELATED TO THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #10850959

54,000 miles · Nov 2, 2015
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT CAR REV'D ON IT'S OWN AND BOLTED FORWARD WHILE AT A FULL STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT . CAR WAS DRIVEN IN TWICE AND TOWED IN ONCE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP ,OVER THE COURSE OF THE 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT ,WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY HAVE NOT BEE…

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UNINTENDED ACCELERATION RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT CAR REV'D ON IT'S OWN AND BOLTED FORWARD WHILE AT A FULL STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT . CAR WAS DRIVEN IN TWICE AND TOWED IN ONCE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP ,OVER THE COURSE OF THE 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT ,WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. CAUSE UNKOWN. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. TRIED TO ATTACH REPAIR INVOICE AND INSURANCE CLAIM , BUT "SELECT IMAGE OR DOCUMENT LINK " BUTTON BELOW IS NOT WORKING.

NHTSA ODI #10787846

35,000 miles · May 7, 2015
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASION…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MULTIPLE DEALERS WHO WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

NHTSA ODI #10715162

108,483 miles · Sep 17, 2014
Electrical SystemService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

WE WERE STOPPED BEHIND TRAFFIC, AND AS WE SLOWLY STARTED TO PROCEED, THE CAR SURGED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, AND AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THEY EITHER WERE NOT WORKING OR ELSE IT WAS THE ABS COMING ON. THIS WAS A DRY, SUNNY DAY-NO MOISTURE ON THE ROAD-OF COURSE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A BEARING ON WHY THE CAR SURGED/ACCELER…

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WE WERE STOPPED BEHIND TRAFFIC, AND AS WE SLOWLY STARTED TO PROCEED, THE CAR SURGED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, AND AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THEY EITHER WERE NOT WORKING OR ELSE IT WAS THE ABS COMING ON. THIS WAS A DRY, SUNNY DAY-NO MOISTURE ON THE ROAD-OF COURSE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A BEARING ON WHY THE CAR SURGED/ACCELERATED. THEN THE CAR SHUT ITSELF OFF COMPLETELY. WE THEN GOT IT STARTED AGAIN, AND NOTHING HAPPENED GETTING IT BACK THE APROXX. 4 MILES BACK TO HOME-ALL WAS NORMAL AFTER THE INCIDENT ALL THE WAY TO HOME, THOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FORD HQ'S AND TO THE DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED FROM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10637091

36,000 miles · Sep 17, 2014
EngineVehicle Speed Control

THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE. INCIDENT #1 WITH FIRST DRIVER: AT ABOUT 5 MPH, THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN. THE GAS PEDAL THEN STUCK DOWN IN THAT POSITION AND THE CAR STARTED TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE. AFTER A QUICK TAP ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE GAS PEDAL STARTED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. AT NO…

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THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE. INCIDENT #1 WITH FIRST DRIVER: AT ABOUT 5 MPH, THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN. THE GAS PEDAL THEN STUCK DOWN IN THAT POSITION AND THE CAR STARTED TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE. AFTER A QUICK TAP ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE GAS PEDAL STARTED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. AT NO POINT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. WE TOOK OUR CAR IN TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR BUT DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS. INCIDENT #2 WITH SECOND DRIVER: A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER (ESTIMATED MILEAGE 38,000), WE WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND I PRESSED THE PEDAL DOWN ALMOST ALL THE WAY. THE GAS PEDAL STUCK AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY TO ABOUT 65 MPH. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON OR NOT. I SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WHILE THE ENGINE WAS AT HIGH RPM. AFTER AGGRESSIVELY STOMPING ON THE CAR PEDAL, THE GAS PEDAL STARTED WORKING AGAIN NORMALLY. I SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE CAR THEN DROVE NORMALLY. THE FIRST DRIVER WAS IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. BOTH DRIVERS HAVE ABOUT 35 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED! IN OUR CASE, NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT WITH LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVERS IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10636970

50,420 miles · May 23, 2013
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemSteering

ACCELERATOR STOPPED RESPONDING AND VEHICLE STALLED SHORTLY AFTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10513359

108,000 miles · Jul 1, 2011
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE PEDAL, THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE PEDAL, THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 108,000.

NHTSA ODI #10410169

31,998 miles · May 3, 2010
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed ControlCrash

2008 MERCURY SABLE AWD HAD AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE[MELT DOWN] THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN ELECTRICAL HARNESS. THEN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008 A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM CAUSED IT TO JUMP A CONCRETE PARKING LOT BARRIER AND TRAVEL DOWN INTO A DRAINAGE BASIN--40 FEET. $9000+ DAMAGE. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO FORD HAS FALLEN IN DEAF …

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2008 MERCURY SABLE AWD HAD AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE[MELT DOWN] THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN ELECTRICAL HARNESS. THEN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008 A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM CAUSED IT TO JUMP A CONCRETE PARKING LOT BARRIER AND TRAVEL DOWN INTO A DRAINAGE BASIN--40 FEET. $9000+ DAMAGE. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO FORD HAS FALLEN IN DEAF EARS. UPDATED 05/12/10 *BF UPDATED IVOQ 05/17/10.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10328594

8,000 miles · Apr 15, 2010
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO TWO OTHER VEHICLES. THE POLICE ARRIVED TO THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO TWO OTHER VEHICLES. THE POLICE ARRIVED TO THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED ACCORDINGLY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT LEAST THREE TIMES PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8,000. UPDATED 05/19/10. *LJ

NHTSA ODI #10325861

44,980 miles · Nov 25, 2009
Vehicle Speed Control

ON A 2008 MERCURY SABLE, ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAS BEEN FULLY OR NEAR FULLY DEPRESSED, IT HAS BECOME CAUGHT UNDER THE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO CONTINUE TO RACE EVEN WHEN ALL PRESSURE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10293524

Official recalls

1

16V247000 · 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

1

PE08060 · 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