Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Mercury Sable owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I drove the car to do errands and it was not having any problems. I parked the car at the mall and came back to drive home and the transmission failed. The gears would not engage. I was forced to have it towed home. It showed no signs of having a problem, and the transmission fluid was intact with no signs of a problem. This appeared to be a costly repair, so I chose not to fix it at this time.
While driving at any speed overdrive light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. This caused the speedometer to drop to zero, and the SRS light illuminated on the dashboard. Also, horn became inoperative. Vehicle was taken tot he dealer for inspection.
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. …
I've noticed since purchasing the vehicle, that it sometimes hesitates when you step on the gas from a dead start and you must maintain your foot on the pedal until it shifts or it would jerk. I've never driven a vehicle that performed this way and not knowing much about cars, didn't know there was a problem. Now it's stuck in gear at 60mph. It has also droped into neutral for no apparent reason but once I shifted it into reverse and then drive, the gear kicked in.
Locked torque converter seems to disengage when going down hill. Also, speed control cannot control speed of car going down any slight hill. Seems to be not locked up, etc. Cannot use engine compression, etc, to slow vehicle. Cruise control us is useless on any type of downgrade! Is this a design flaw or can it be repaired? Vehicle is a leased car through wheels, inc. Thank you.
Vehicle design allows for the PCM to maintain the same RPM as if the transmission were in 3rd gear with the torque converter locked, this does not allow for deceleration when foot is off accelerator causing wear of braking components and extended stopping distances which are unpredictable.
Vehicle experiencing a problem with not shifting into gear intermittently / momentarily while traveling. This problem had occurred on four occasions within 2 1/2 years. Vehicle been into dealer's shop on two occasions, and unable to locate the problem..
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.
The driver pressed down on the accelerated pedal and the vehicle did not move. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for analysis. The dealer found internal failure of the transmission. The transmission had to be replaced.
After turning a corner transmission hesitates if I try to accelerate quickly. I think it is "hunting" because it will drop down to 1st gear and accelerate rapidly. It does hesitate long enough to be dangerous.
Transmission complaints in other Sable years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1998 Mercury Sable?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1998 Mercury Sable, 13% of the model year's 190 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (20 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Mercury Sable transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1998 Mercury Sable, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Mercury Sable transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 124,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.