IllustrationREAR BRAKE PADS COMPLETELY WORN, NEEDING REPLACEMENT AND MACHINING OF ROTORS. DEALER THOUGHT FRONT BRAKES HAD BEEN SERVICED BECAUSE PADS WERE IN SUCH GOOD SHAPE. ALL BRAKE PARTS WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FROM TIME VEHICLE WAS BUILT. DEALER CLAIMS REAR BRAKES DO 70% OF STOPPING ON THIS CAR BY DESIGN.*AK
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
What owners actually said
190 reportsTHE 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
FRONT WINDSHIELD WOULD FOGGED UP FIRST, AND THEN UNFOGGED WHEN USING DEFOGGER, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL CONCERN, BUT UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
MY CAR MADE A LOW ROARING NOISE FROM THE REAR END AFTER ABOUT 3 MONTHS, SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT DIDN'T OCCUR AGAIN FOR A FEW WEEKS I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT, HOWEVER, AFTER I HAD IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS THE NOISE GOT WORSE AND I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS, THESE WERE INSTALLED THE SAME DAY, A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SAME NOISE OC…
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MY CAR MADE A LOW ROARING NOISE FROM THE REAR END AFTER ABOUT 3 MONTHS, SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT DIDN'T OCCUR AGAIN FOR A FEW WEEKS I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT, HOWEVER, AFTER I HAD IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS THE NOISE GOT WORSE AND I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS, THESE WERE INSTALLED THE SAME DAY, A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SAME NOISE OCCURRED AGAIN AND THIS TIME I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW TIE ROD ENDS, THESE WERE INSTALLED THAT DAY, THEN IT WAS MY BRAKE PADS LATER IT WAS THE ROTORS, BRAKE PADS AND SHOES, I STILL HAVE THE NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE CAR AND NOW MY BRAKES ARE STILL NOT RIGHT, I CAME DOWN A HILL LAST WEEK AND WHEN I HIT MY BRAKES THERE WERE NONE, THE DEALER IS SAYING IT IS THE FACT THAT I DRIVE A LOT FORD MOTOR CO IS SAYING THEY AREN'T RESPONSIBLE AND BUD SHELL IS SAYING IT IS MY FAULT CAN YOU HELP ME I HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN THE SHOP FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM ABOUT 10 TIMES SINCE SEPT 1999 I AM AFRAID THAT MY BRAKES WILL FAIL ME AGAIN IN A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION THAN THE LAST TIME. *AK
MAKES A PRONOUNCED CONTINUAL "WINDING UP/DOWN" NOISE WHILE ACCELERATING/TRANS SHIFTS. TRANSMISSION SHOP CAN'T PINPOINT NOISE; ONLY THAT IT'S COMING FROM TRANSMISSION. *AK
AMERICAN GENERAL CONTINENTAL TIRE'S (P205 65 R15) STEEL BELT FLEW OFF, CONSUMER'S HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE WINDOW. *SLC
THE CAR LOST DRIVE POWER, AND APPEARED TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP LATER FOUND THAT A SHAFT, FROM THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO THE PUMP, HAD SNAPPED. THE SHAFT IS A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL PIECE OF METAL. THE SHOP REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION BUT COULD NOT MAKE A GUESS AS TO THE REASON FOR THE METAL FAILURE. I HAVE THE SHAF…
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THE CAR LOST DRIVE POWER, AND APPEARED TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP LATER FOUND THAT A SHAFT, FROM THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO THE PUMP, HAD SNAPPED. THE SHAFT IS A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL PIECE OF METAL. THE SHOP REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION BUT COULD NOT MAKE A GUESS AS TO THE REASON FOR THE METAL FAILURE. I HAVE THE SHAFT THAT SNAPPED AND CAN PROVIDE DIGITAL IMAGES. THERE IS NO OBVIOUS REASON TO ME WHY IT WOULD HAVE SNAPPED WETHER IT IS DESIGN OR METALLURGY. I CAN PROVIDE DIGITAL IMAGES OF THE COMPONENT BREAKAGE. IF YOU SO DESIRE, I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE PART IF YOU WISH TO PERFORM FAILURE ANALYSIS FOR METAL DEFECTS / MANUFACTURING PROBLEMS, OR DESIGN ISSUES. IN MY CASE, THE FAILURE HAPPENED ON A LIGHTLY TRAVELLED ROAD, WITH NO TRAFFIC AROUND. IF THIS A FAILURE THAT HAD OCCURRED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, WHILE TURNING IN TRAFFIC, OR DURING MANY SCENARIOS - THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A REAL PROBLEM FOR ME, PASSENGERS, OR OTHER MOTORISTS. I HOPE THAT ANYONE ELSE WITH THE SAME FAILURE IS AS FORTUNATE.
TURNED VEHICLE OFF TO FILL IT WITH FUEL. TURNED IT OFF & THEN ON WITHOUT STARTING. WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL TO BE MOVED. CONTACTED DEALER & WAS INFORMED HOW TO SHIFT WHEN ON BUT NOT RUNNING.*AK
CONSUMER HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWLY STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF, CONSUMER NUDGED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT DUE TO LOSS OF BRAKE CONTROL (NO DAMAGE). *SLC
A $2 RETAINING CLIP AFFECTING THE 4TH GEAR IN THE AUTOMATIC TRAN IS BROKEN OR HAS COME OFF, ACCORDING TO THE DEALERS COMPUTER CODE READING AND SERVICE BULLETIN, AND IT IS GOING TO COST UP TO $900 TO FIX IF IT DAMAGED THE HOUSING INSIDE.
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.