Most common 2008 Mercury Sable problems
Share of the 61 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 →
2008 Mercury Sable recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Mercury Sable:
Tire valve cracking
On October 14, 2008, odi opened pe08-060 to investigate allegations of cracked and leaking snap-in tire valves in model year (my) 2007 vehicles manufactured by Ford motor company.the valves were supplied to Ford by topseal auto-parts, a subsidiary of the shanghai baolong automotive corporation in china.valves made by topseal for aftermarket sale were the subject of two recent safety recalls by tech international…
What 2008 Mercury Sable owners say
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Sable. While driving in reverse, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was later taken to hennessy Ford Lincoln atlanta (located at 5675 peachtree industrial blvd, atlanta, ga 30341, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the power steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the repair fees. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
Steering froze up and could not turn to left / was hard to steer and then when trying to turn left could not do it, had to make right hand turns. Took it to the Ford dealer I bought the car from (2015) they said there was no recalls and had to replace the steering gear/ cost ,me $600.00 there were no complaints on the car fax of trouble. .bought the car in nov 2015 and had to have steering fixed in June of 2016. Today I went to see if there was any recalls lately and found 51 complaints about this car and a lot of them were for steering and power train. Don't you think this should be a recall. Going to look for a new car and not a Ford
Transmission & drivetrain
On April 12 I exited my drive onto the 55 mph highway in front of my house when suddenly the car began to shudder. I jammed the gas to get up to speed to prevent oncoming cars from hitting me which made the problem much worse. It was violently shuddering and wouldn't accelerate. I took my foot off the gas which stopped the shaking. I gassed it slowly and I could accelerate to speed much slower than I would have liked. It wasn't smooth. One half mile later it suddenly and violently began again. Taking my foot off the gas it smoothed out and I could accelerate again. I changed plans and went to the service garage to see what the problem was. It seems the problem is a known issue that hasn't been addressed. I'm glad there were no cars coming from the opposite direction which could have impacted the drivers side while I was floundering out of my drive. I will enclose the garages assessment.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mercury Sable. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the engine, throttle, wrench, and air bag indicators remained illuminated simultaneously. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. The vehicle was restarted and the gear shifter was placed in reverse, and the contact heard a loud knocking noise from the transmission. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Electrical system
On April 12 I exited my drive onto the 55 mph highway in front of my house when suddenly the car began to shudder. I jammed the gas to get up to speed to prevent oncoming cars from hitting me which made the problem much worse. It was violently shuddering and wouldn't accelerate. I took my foot off the gas which stopped the shaking. I gassed it slowly and I could accelerate to speed much slower than I would have liked. It wasn't smooth. One half mile later it suddenly and violently began again. Taking my foot off the gas it smoothed out and I could accelerate again. I changed plans and went to the service garage to see what the problem was. It seems the problem is a known issue that hasn't been addressed. I'm glad there were no cars coming from the opposite direction which could have impacted the drivers side while I was floundering out of my drive. I will enclose the garages assessment.
On Thursday around 11:30 pm, on sept.12, 2013, while my 77 year old mother slept her 2008, Mercury Sable premier mysteriously caught fire and burned while parked under her car porch attached to her home. The vehicle was totaled and damage occurred to her home. Were it not for her little dog barking and running back and forth from her bedroom to the car porch door, she likely would not have awaken. She looked out the peep hole of her door to the car porch and say smoke and fire emitting it is very likely her home and she could have been lost in the fire. Although shook up emotionally, we are thankful only her car was lost. Fortunately, my mother remained calm enough to call emergency services (police and fire department) that arrived in very short time to put the fire engulfed vehicle out. …
2008 Mercury Sable engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Mercury Sable a good car?
Based on 61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Sable rates better than average: 76% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sable at the same age. It is one of the best Sable years by this measure. 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 2008 Mercury Sable?
The steering — 16 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about hydraulic power assist system. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (11) and electrical system (11).
How many recalls does the 2008 Mercury Sable have?
There is 1 recall for the 2008 Mercury Sable, the most recent from April 26, 2016 (frontal). 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 2008 Mercury Sable problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 48,000 miles; 51% 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.