The 1998 Mercury Sable has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 578,800 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 243 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the vehicle speed control. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
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.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET AND STUD ASSEMBLY.
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."
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.
OWNER GUIDES CONTAINING REVISED AIMING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Rear coil springs broken on both sides. Poor design. I was told there is a recall on this, but I do not see it. This is unsafe, because it will throw the car as it goes over a bump. It can also push up into the trunk, if not fixed. Very, very dangerous.”
“The high beams do not function, unless the lever (which changes the beam from low to high) is pulled towards me and held constantly in that position. When this lever is released the high beams go off, but there are no low beams. The defective part , according to my mechanic, is the "lighting…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. While driving 35 mph, the brakes failed. Due to the brake failure, the vehicle was involved in a crash at an intersection with an oncoming vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and passenger sustained injuries to the back and face that…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. While driving 35 mph, the brakes failed. Due to the brake failure, the vehicle was involved in a crash at an intersection with an oncoming vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and passenger sustained injuries to the back and face that…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. The contact stated that he would hear a rattling noise from under the hood and assumed that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The contact repaired the vehicle but the failure recurred. The contact inspected under the vehicle and noticed that the…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. The contact had been parked for two hours in the parking lot of a small community park. As the contact was driving approximately 5-10 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at a high speed. The contact did not have time to check the speedometer before the…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. The contact was driving in reverse 3 mph and in a residential driveway when the vehicle stopped moving. The engine was still running. While inspecting the vehicle, he found that the front coil spring had fractured and punctured the front driver side tire.…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercury sable. The contact stated that the vehicle would accelerate independently when driving at various speeds. In addition, the horn would sound independently. The contact further inspected the vehicle and stated that there was a buildup of corrosion found on an…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 Mercury Sable as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.