Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 3 | 15% | 25,000 miles |
| 2008 | 11 | 18% | 55,000 miles |
| 2005 | 26 | 31% | 83,000 miles |
| 2004 | 12 | 23% | 58,000 miles |
| 2003 | 30 | 15% | 70,000 miles |
| 2002 | 23 | 5% | 45,000 miles |
| 2001 | 22 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2000 | 31 | 7% | 48,000 miles |
| 1999 | 28 | 11% | 90,000 miles |
| 1998 | 25 | 13% | 124,000 miles |
| 1997 | 43 | 19% | 72,000 miles |
| 1996 | 69 | 23% | 90,000 miles |
| 1995 | 93 | 27% | 123,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Having driven 150 miles or so of highway driving using cruise control, stopping two times to rest, driving approx. 65 - 70 MPH. I arrived at waltham on rt. 128 where the traffic was bumper to bumper. I had to keep my foot on the brake until I was at exit 38 or 39. We travelled 5 - 15 MPH. After I was in the slow traffic for approx. 20 minutes my car started to lurch forward while gassing up and wanting to jump ahead. My foot was on the brake and I needed to brake even harder to hold onto the force that the car was exerting. I was in bumper to bumper traffic and had kept a distance betweeh myself and the car in front so the small jump did not hit that car before I pushed harder on the brake. The same thing happened again within 5 minutes. Once I arrived in danvers I drove to the dealer to report the problem and they gave me an appointment for wednesday8/28/13. …
Automobile engine inadvertently stopped running while driving at highway speed. Only indication was illumination of alternator system failure warning light and tachometer indication of zero. There was no associated shudder, lurching, or other physical indication that engine had failed. No engine service light or other indication was displayed. Vehicle transmission was placed into neutral, restart attempted, and engine resumed normal operation without further incident. This problem has occurred three times in the last 120 days. I contacted the dealer, where the vehicle was purchased - sentry Ford in medford ma., and the service rep on the phone found no apparent reason for the malfunction or to schedule a diagnostic dealer service appointment, since no engine service light came on, based on my testimonial. …
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.
This 2005 Mercury Sable (ls premium) just fell out of gear as I was on the road. Totally out of the blue with no warning whatsoever. I know now the transmission must be replaced for upwards of $1800.00. This car has just 30,000 miles on it. I find it completely unacceptable for a mildly driven car, owned by an elderly woman, should fail so badly after only 30,000 miles. This seems to be a common occurrence with this particular transmission also involving the Ford taurus and the windstar...which I understand was recalled. This particular transmission is known to fail prematurely and without notice. This is an accident waiting to happen and I hope this is taken seriously. This is a defect that is way too common in these models and I will be looking into legal recourse against any and all involved. Please check into this unfortunate public safety hazard. Thank-you.
While traveling down the interstate 90 highway southbound on 10 June, 2016 the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost forward motion power and the RPM level of the car shot up suddenly. The vehicle rolled to a stop on the side of the highway while still running, but there was no vehicle movement provided in any of the automatic transmission gears, including reverse. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop in spooner, wi where a repair bill estimate of $3-$4K was provided.....rebuild current or replace with remanufactured.
The car will not come out of park, nor do the brake lights work and sometimes the brake lights stay on. There was a recall for this very issue. Recall #04s12 or 04V106000. However the recall stops at 2003. My vehicle has the same defective switch in it but Ford is refusing to replace it. They claim my vehicle was made a few days after the recall stopped. Well that doesn't make my brake pedal switch any safer. I'm being handed a line of crap by Ford. They installed a defective switch and have admitted its defective and wont fix mine because of a manufacture date. What court wouldn't prosecute Ford if I have a serious accident because of this defective switch that they know is defective but refuse to fix it.
Without warning I experienced a loss of power with my 2004 Mercury Sable. After driving my car approximately 46 miles (I live 47 miles from job) I came to a stop sign and when I went to proceed through the stop sign, I was not able to do so. I had lost forward and reverse gears and the car would not move. There were no warning signs. No slipping, no banging, no grinding or any other noises that almost always are associated with transmission failure. I had the car towed to a transmission shop (aamco of mineola, ny) and the transmission was replaced. I never in all my 32 years of driving had a transmission fail in the manner that this transmission did. I also truly felt it was a torque converter or input shaft failure but I am not a mechanic (I do have a good knowledge of how a car and it's components work) and just decided to get the transmission fixed. …
Related recalls (5)
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.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with ax4s automatic transaxles. The low/intermediate servo cover can separate from the transaxle while the vehicle is being driven. If this occurs, transmission fluid will leak contacting the catalytic converter.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the transmission and replace these servo covers.
Power train › Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission park pawl shaft May not be free to rotate as intended. If the park pawl shaft does not rotate, it would prevent the park pawl from engaging the park gear when the shift lever is in the park position.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft rotation and those shafts with restricted rotation will be replaced with a shorter shaft that will not restrict rotation.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
Power train › Automatic transmission
The park pawl shaft was improperly positioned when the roll pin that retains it was installed during transmission assembly. If the shaft was not properly positioned, the roll pin May not have lined up with the groove in the shaft and have been crushed at assembly. Also, a burr could have been raised on the shaft.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft roll pin. If the roll pin is damaged, both the roll pin and the park pawl shaft will be replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercury Sable years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (93), 1996 (69), 1997 (43), 2000 (31) and 2003 (30) model years. Transmission complaints make up 27% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Mercury Sable transmission problems?
Yes — 5 recalls, including 98V-288 (cooling unit and lines, Nov 9, 1998); 97V-097 (automatic transmission, Jun 9, 1997); 96V-176 (automatic transmission, Sep 18, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercury Sable transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (195 mentions), followed by the manual transmission (16).
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.