Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 11 | 18% | 50,000 miles |
| 2005 | 6 | 7% | 69,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 12% | 138,000 miles |
| 2003 | 10 | 5% | 110,000 miles |
| 2002 | 17 | 4% | 54,000 miles |
| 2001 | 26 | 6% | 50,000 miles |
| 2000 | 23 | 5% | 63,000 miles |
| 1999 | 7 | 3% | 69,000 miles |
| 1998 | 16 | 8% | 89,000 miles |
| 1997 | 19 | 8% | 80,000 miles |
| 1996 | 20 | 7% | 140,000 miles |
| 1995 | 32 | 9% | 120,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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. …
The check engine light keeps coming on. Each time I have the part repaired or replace only to have it come again with a new code. I have replaced numerous parts and have spent over $2000 so far. The check engine light still keeps coming on. The car runs good. Sometimes the transmission acts up but everything seems to be working fine. I just cant stop the check engine lite to stay off.
The engine suddenly quit running while cruising at 60 MPH in darkness on a heavily traveled congested 6 lane interstate highway. The time was 6:50 pm and there was no unusual weather. The car shook for a few seconds at the time of shut-down. I attributed the shake of the car to a loaded semi flat bed truck running in the next lane at approximately 65 MPH. We were at normal spacing between vehicles. There was neither contact with this truck nor any other vehicle. The incident occurred on i270 near bridgeton, mo. We merged onto mo 340 and continued coasting until we found a safe place to pull over to call for help. I tried to restart the engine several times while coasting, to no avail. While waiting for help to arrive, I tried to understand what May have caused the engine to quit running. The fuel tank registered one-half full. …
Car will not come out of park, nor will brake lights operate when pedal depressed. Exact symptoms as described in previous model year recalls. Only wayto get car out of park is to place in neutral after turning key in ignition to first avaialble position, then applying brake pedal to release shift lock. This is a recurring problem w/ a failed brake light switch assembly. It's too dangerous of a problem to not have a recall. Many other model vehicles have been recalled for the same exact problem. Why not this model?
While parked, tried to put car in reverse to back out of driveway but car will not shift out of park. Only way to get car to shift out of park is to apply emergency brakes then shift car into neutral while key turned to off position. Break lights will not illuminate when brake pedal applied. I checked all the fuses and replaced the break lamp bulbs to troubleshoot issue according to owners manual however problem still exists. When researching online I read about the same exact issues occurring in same model and make that were recalled. I went to my nearest Ford dealership to inform them about this issue and get some assistance in fixing the problem. However they would not help in the matter, and stated that my particular VIN # and year model 2004 had no recalls. The recall was issued for faulty break light switches in 2003 and previous year models of Mercury sables. …
Driving down interstate 90 in south dakota when the electrical just shut off at night. We had no power, lights or steering control going 75 MPH. This has happened several times a year since we got the vehicle in 2009. At that speed and with no one able to see us due to no lighting we become a hazard to ourselves and others. I would like to know if this is an endemic problem with this model and why no one can seem to find the issue. We have taken it to 3 repair places including a Ford dealership and no one can find anything wrong. We would like Ford to make it right.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Mercury Sable. The contact stated that while attempting to stop, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the computer system failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but, the failure recurred. In addition, the vehicle was diagnosed with corroded wiring and it was repaired. However, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Sable years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (32), 2001 (26), 2000 (23), 1996 (20) and 1997 (19) model years. Electrical complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Mercury Sable electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for any Mercury Sable model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercury Sable electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles; 35% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (17 mentions), followed by the wiring › interior/under dash (17).
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.