IllustrationTHE AIRBAGS AND SHOULDER HARNESS BOTH FAILED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AT HIGHWAY SPEED RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. *LA
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
Seat Belts complaints
9 reportsREAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS STUCK, IT ALWAYS GETS STUCK, AND NOW IT CAN'T BE USED AT ALL. *AK
ALL FOUR SEATBELTS WILL NOT CLICK IN/ RETRACT AND WILL NOT HOLD. *AK
CAR HANDELS POORLY AND GOES ALL OVER THE ROAD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, CONTACTED FORD AND WAS IGNORED. NOW THE SEAT BELT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR SEAT ISN'T OPERATING PROPERLY AND IS UNSAFE TO USE.IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE?*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE WOULD COME UNLATCH INTERMITTENTLY. NLM
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK AND WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NLM DEALER REPROGRAM THE ENGINE PROCESSOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY AND CONSUMER…
Read full complaint
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK AND WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NLM DEALER REPROGRAM THE ENGINE PROCESSOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY AND CONSUMER DOES NOT REALIZE IT, UNTIL LEANING FOWARD. *TT
THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NEVER WORKED WELL, BUT LAST MONTH ONE FAILED COMPLETELY. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY MERCURY. *AK
THE FAILURE OF THE FIVE POINT HARNESS (MAKER: COSTCO, MODEL: 20448BNG, MADE: 03-03-00) FAILS IN THE REGARD THAT THE CHEST CLIP IS EASILY SLID DOWN BY THE CHILD ENABLING THEM TO FREE THEIR ARMS. THIS CREATES ENOUGH SLACK IN THE STRAPS THAT THEY CAN CONCEIVABLY FREE THEIR LEGS FROM THE RESTRAINT AND, INDEED, THEIR ENIRE BODY. *AK
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.