IllustrationCONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN VEHICLE GOES THROW A PUDDLE OFF WATER THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP. DEALER CONTACTED. TS
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
What owners actually said
228 reportsTHE FREEZE PLUGS CONTINUOUSLY RUST OUT CAUSING THE COOLANT TO BE BROWN MAKING THE ENGINE OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS WORKED ON (2) MONTHS AGO WITH THE PROBLEM REOCCURING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *MR
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE WILL STALL. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NLM
CAR OVERHEATED, TAKEN TO MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED BLOWN HEADGASKET - RETOOLED HEADGASKET. ALSO REPLACED WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, PLUGS, PLUG WIRES, COIL, THERMOSTAT, SINCE HEADGASKET PROBLEM - CAR HAS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED CONSTANTLY. STILL HAS CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE. CAR IS 5 YRS OLD. SEEMS LIKE EXCESSIVE PRBLEMS FOR A CAR THAT NEW.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED AS A BAD FUEL PUMP WHICH WAS NEVER NEEDED, THEN THE PROBELM WAS DISCOVERED TO BE A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS.*JB
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A CHILDS SEAT, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. IT STAYS IN THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION.*AK
FRONT CRASH AT 55 MPH, AND BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. PASSENGER'S AIRBAG EXPLODED AS SOON AS IT DEPLOYED. NO INJURIES, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE WITHOUT FOOT PRESSING THE THROTTLE. SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T REGISTER SPEED, VEHICLE'S SPEED WAS INCREASING. DEALER WILL BE REPLACING SPEED CONTROL CHIP FOR SIXTH TIME. ALSO, CONSUMER HAS CHECKED TO SEE IF CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT ENGAGE. DEALER HAS DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.…
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VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE WITHOUT FOOT PRESSING THE THROTTLE. SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T REGISTER SPEED, VEHICLE'S SPEED WAS INCREASING. DEALER WILL BE REPLACING SPEED CONTROL CHIP FOR SIXTH TIME. ALSO, CONSUMER HAS CHECKED TO SEE IF CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT ENGAGE. DEALER HAS DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
I PURCHASED 8 OF THESE EXACT TIRES. 4 FOR MY 1994 FORD TURUAS AMD 4 FOR MY MERCURY SABLE. PREVIOSLY ON MY 1994 THREE OF THE ORIGINAL 4 TIRES I PURCHASED HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALL WITHIN A MONTHS TIME ALL AT AROUND 20,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIRE BLEW THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. A WEEK OR SO LATER…
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I PURCHASED 8 OF THESE EXACT TIRES. 4 FOR MY 1994 FORD TURUAS AMD 4 FOR MY MERCURY SABLE. PREVIOSLY ON MY 1994 THREE OF THE ORIGINAL 4 TIRES I PURCHASED HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALL WITHIN A MONTHS TIME ALL AT AROUND 20,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIRE BLEW THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. A WEEK OR SO LATER I NOTED THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPERATING FORM THE LEFT FROM TIRE. I CONTACTED MICHELIN REGARDING THIS AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE WAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION THE MICHELIN DEALER FOUND A NOTHER TIRE THAT WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND THEY REPLACED THEM BOTH AT NO CHAGE TO US. LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT ON MY SABLE THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SIDE WALL WAS PEELING THE SAME AS THE OTHERS HAD DONE ON MY 1994 FORD. I NOTIFED MICHELIN THIS TIME THEY INFORMED ME TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO REPLACE THIS TIRE ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME DEFFECTS AS THE OTHER TWO THAT WHERE REPLACED EARLIER THIS YEAR. AT OR AROUND 20,000 MILES THE SIDE WALLS OF TIRES BEGINS TO CRACK AND THE TREAD BEGINS TO PEAL AWAY FORM THE SIDE. IT HAS HAPPEN TO TWO DIFFERENT CARS THAT I OWN. THE SAME TIRE, TWO DIFFERENT DRIVERS YET THE SAME DEFECT. I AM NOT CONVIENCED THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. I HAVE PURCHASED 8 OF THE SAME TIRES AND 4 OF THE 8 HAVE GONE BAD. THREE TIRES SHOWED THE SAME TIPE OF DEFECT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS OTHERS MAYBE UNAWARE OF THE DANGER THESE MICHELIN SYMMETRY TIRES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*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.