IllustrationTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOOSENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,000.
1997 Mercury Sable
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 49 of 228 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.
- Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports5 fire reports9 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
21 reportsWHILE MAKING A TURN ANOTHER VEHICLE IMPACTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AT UNKNOWN SPEED. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS CUT IN HALF. DRIVER WAS PROJECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK
I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED THAT SABLE WAS A BAD CAR AFTER THE ENGINE OF MY MOTHER'S '87 SABLE EXPLODED, CAUGHT FIRE AND BUSTED THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CAR BESIDE THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE (1993). LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OFF AND SITTING IN PARK FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I BOUGHT MY 97 SABLE IN…
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I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED THAT SABLE WAS A BAD CAR AFTER THE ENGINE OF MY MOTHER'S '87 SABLE EXPLODED, CAUGHT FIRE AND BUSTED THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CAR BESIDE THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE (1993). LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OFF AND SITTING IN PARK FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I BOUGHT MY 97 SABLE IN 2001. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH SO MANY CONSTANT PROBLEMS. I SPEND ABOUT $1200 A YEAR FIXING IT CONTINUALLY. I'M CURRENTLY HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO GOING OUT WHILE IN REVERSE OR WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE. THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WON'T MOVE UP OR DOWN UNLESS THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER PRESS THE BUTTONS AT THE SAME TIME. THE INTERIOR LIGHT STAYS ON, SO WE HAVE TO UNPLUG THE FUSE TO GET IT TO GO OFF. THE SEAT BELT SAFETY LIGHT AND THE WINDOW BUTTON LIGHTS KEEP CLICKING ON AND OFF. ONCE AGAIN, THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN EVEN THOUGH THE POWER STEERING FLUID IS AT THE RIGHT LEVEL. I HAVE TO GET THE WHEELS ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. THE CAR ALWAYS MAKES A HUMMING NOISE AND DOES NOT BLOCK OUT THE SOUND OF WIND. THE SHOULDER STRAPS OF SEAT BELTS ALWAY LOCK INTO PLACE TOO TIGHT. NAME THE PROBLEM... I'VE PROBABLY BEEN THROUGH IT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD/ MERCURY AGAIN EVEN IF IT IS THE #1 SELLING CAR.
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WOULD NOT RETRACT. *NLM
THE REAR SAFETY BELTS DID NOT RETRACT FROM THE HOUSING.*JB *TS
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A CHILDS SEAT, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. IT STAYS IN THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION.*AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT OR EXTEND, IT WILL STICK IN EITHER THE RETRACTING POISTION OR EXTENDED POSITION.*AK CONSUMER STATES SEAT BELT FAILURE STILL PERSISTS AND HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE, CONSUMER STATES THE SEATBELTS WILL LOCK UP AND NOT RELEASE, CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINED OF THE…
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PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT OR EXTEND, IT WILL STICK IN EITHER THE RETRACTING POISTION OR EXTENDED POSITION.*AK CONSUMER STATES SEAT BELT FAILURE STILL PERSISTS AND HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE, CONSUMER STATES THE SEATBELTS WILL LOCK UP AND NOT RELEASE, CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINED OF THE BRAKES SQUEAKING, HOWEVER DEALER COULD FIND NO PROBLEM.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THE REAR PASSENGER SHOULDER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP, AFTER REMOVING THE BACK OF THE REAR SEAT TO EXAMINE THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, CONSUMER NOTICED A TENSION SPRING, WHICH HAD ENGAGED THE BELT IN A LOCK POSITION. *YD
FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY FASTENED. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORRMATION.*AK
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT COMES UNDONE, EVEN AFTER MANUALLY TUGGING ON SAME TO SEE IF SECURED. I AM MOSTLY ALONE IN THE CAR AND DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER BELTS DO THE SAME. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE BELT CAN COME UNDONE WHEN I TUG ON IT, OR LATER. IT CAN COME UNDONE WHILE PARKED OR MOVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED. …
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DRIVER'S SEAT BELT COMES UNDONE, EVEN AFTER MANUALLY TUGGING ON SAME TO SEE IF SECURED. I AM MOSTLY ALONE IN THE CAR AND DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER BELTS DO THE SAME. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE BELT CAN COME UNDONE WHEN I TUG ON IT, OR LATER. IT CAN COME UNDONE WHILE PARKED OR MOVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED. I WOULD SAY IN RETROSPECT, I USUALLY NOTICE IT NOT TOO FAR FROM MY HOUSE AND I LIVE IN THE CITY, SO PERHAPS IT HAPPENS AT 0 TO LOW SPEEDS. I NOTICE ON THOSE OCCASSIONS THAT THE SEATBELT DOES NOT CLICK WHEN FASTENED. SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT FORCE IT TO CLICK SHUT. *AK
Official recalls
398V028000 · 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.
97V097000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jun 9, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AX4S AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES. THE LOW/INTERMEDIATE SERVO COVER CAN SEPARATE FROM THE TRANSAXLE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. IF THIS OCCURS, TRANSMISSION FLUID WILL LEAK CONTACTING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TEMPERATURE MAY BE HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACE THESE SERVO COVERS.
96V166000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Sep 5, 1996
THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET HAS A SHARP EDGE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE PARKING PAWL TO HANG UP AND NOT ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNINTENDED AND UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAN RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET.
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.