Most common 1999 Mercury Sable problems
Share of the 258 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercury Sable complaints by model year
Best Sable years: 2009, 2004, 2008. Years to avoid: 2000, 2001, 2002, 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
1999 Mercury Sable recalls (5)
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the…
Remedy: Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, Ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles,…
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The seat belt retractor May have a pin shaft in the switchable elr/alr mechanism that is incorrectly formed. In some circumstances, the switching mechanism could become nonfunctional, preventing the seat belt webbing from being extracted from the retractor.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the lap and shoulder belt assemblies. Assemblies with julian date codes of 200 through 223 are suspect and will be replaced.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Cooling unit and lines
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equpped with the "california" emissions package. An incorrect transmission oil cooler line was installed. The line contacts the anti-lock braking system module support bracket and over time, can wear and develop a leak.
Remedy: Dealers will install the appropriate transmission oil cooler line.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A dash insulator retainer clip was not fully assembled to the accelerator cable dash fitting. The clip can disengage from the accelerator cable and fall into the accelerator pedal arm pivot area.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles to ensure proper installation of the accelerator cable clip, and re-install if needed.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and stud assembly.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1999 Mercury Sable:
Front suspension coil spring fracture
Odi possesses 130 vehicle owners questionnaires (voq) alleging front suspension coil spring failure in the subject (model year 1999-2000) vehicles.an additional 11 voqs concerning my 2001 vehicles have been found, bringing the total to 141.more than 75% of these reports allege that the broken spring damaged or punctured the adjacent tire.all of these reports originated in the salt belt states located in the…
Front suspension coil spring fracture
A total of 161 front suspension spring failures are known to odi and Ford from all sources, 59 of these leading to tire damage.these failures are concentrated in the corrosion states, where 253,814 subject vehicles were sold.warranty and consumer complaint data show that the subject fleet experienced a spring fracture rate of 0.009% at 30,000 miles and 0.03% at 60,000 miles.these rates are very low when compared to…
What 1999 Mercury Sable owners say
Suspension all 48 →
I own a 1999 ,Mercury Sable.on May 13, 1999, while backing out of my driveway,I heard a very loud popping sound then a very loud grinding noise. I called my dealership and was told to bring my vehicle in. I then had it towed there. When they called to inform me of the problem, iwas told that the front right coil spring had broke and in the process had ruined my tire also. I wastold it would cost about $300.00 to fix and that it was not covered under my extended warrenty. I gave them the okay to fix it. Later that day, I was talking to an individual who told me about two other incidents that he had heard of this happening. Being a parent, with small children,I became concerned of their safety. …
Car was two years old when purchased, and had 60K miles. I noted that car would shake, especially during braking. I also noted that vehicle pulled to one side during braking. I took car to shop and found that the brake discs had to be turned due to warpage. (I was told that this was common on these vehicles, including tuarus') this eleviated most of the problems, but was told that the tie rods, and tie rod ends were wore out and had to be replaced. I personally looked at the original tie rods after they were replaced and noted that they were wore out. This problem could have possibly resulted in premature braking and lose of control of the vehicle. There was a notable difference in the braking distance and ability to control vehicle at higher speeds. I still have the original tie rods, and ends.
Steering all 33 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Mercury Sable wagon. While driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel became loose and was unable to control the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was able to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then to an independent mechanic who stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 149,000. The VIN was not available.
While driving the steering wheel became loose and made it very hard to steer almost causing me to have a accident after coming to a stop the steering wheel was off center and very hard to turn had to get car towed.I find this to be a complete rip off because I see numerous complaints of steering problems of the same matter
Brakes all 29 →
On Sunday aug. 17th I drove onto a steep exit from a 4 lane highway to a fiveline highway. I had no brakes. The light at the bottom of the ramp stayed green (there were about 40 cars waiting to enter the intersection)--I crossed all five lanes and crashed my car into a dirt bank. I had no brakes --the man following me said (and told the police) that he smelled a burning ordor or brake smell and had commented to his wife that he thought something was wrong with my brakes before the incident. He advised the police. The police checked the brakes and the pedal was on the floor. I was advised yesterday (8/19) that state farm is totalling the car--that they can find nothing wrong with the brakes. Now there is no way that something did not go wrong with those brakes--my father and I were almost killed. I want to know if other Ford sables or taurus--1999 models have had a similar problem?
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Mercury Sable. While driving various speeds, the brakes hesitated to stop the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.
1999 Mercury Sable engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Mercury Sable a good car?
Based on 258 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Sable rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sable at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mercury Sable?
The suspension — 48 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › springs › coil springs. Next are the steering (33) and brakes (29).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mercury Sable have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1999 Mercury Sable, the most recent from July 15, 2004 (coil springs). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercury Sable?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2004 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 2001, 2002, 1995 and 1996. See the full Mercury Sable years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Mercury Sable problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 27% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.