AI Damage1999 Mercury Sable: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Mercury Sable filed 258 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 258
- involving a crash
- 22
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 19% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- Suspension: 48 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 33 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 29 complaints (11% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 28 complaints (11% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 22 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 258 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 48 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 28 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 17 | 13 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon further inspection he noticed that the corrosion on the chrome plated wheel caused the passenger front tire to lose pressure. All four wheels were replaced with alloyed wheels. The failure and current mileages were 122,000.
Air bags did not deploy on our 1999 mercury sable [xxx] after an accident. The front of our car hit the side of a mini-van with enough force to tip the mini-van over. Police estimated we were traveling at 30 mph. Updated 07/16/2012 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35mph, the vehicle was involved in a front impact collision and the airbags did not deploy. Although both occupants were wearing seatbelts, the buckle assembly did not lock resulting in forward motion, which caused the occupants to strike the dash panel area.
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.
The following are repairs and or problems the vehicle experienced: torque converter replaced after transmission fluid was found low, exhaust leak fixed, washer fluid would spray when the turn signal and lights were on, shaking when the brakes were applied/resurfaced rotors, trunk leaked water, replaced multi-function…
While driving at 45 mph consumer was hit on side of vehicle, knocking vehicle into a pole, and air bags deployed and exploded. Consumer hit steering wheel opposite to air bag.
Consumer was involved in a 30 mph side impact collision in which the driver and passenger front airbags failed to deploy. Consumer's vehicle was not equipped with side airbags, however the front airbag sensors should have been triggered because side of vehicle was smashed. Dealer has been contacted.
When a moose impacted front and right side of vehicle while traveling at approximately 55 mph rear seat experienced structural collapse in frame of back of the seat. There were no injuries during this event. Please provide any additional information/attachments.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sable has 216 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 258, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Sable 198646 sources
- Sable 198776 sources
- Sable 1988126 sources
- Sable 1989238 sources
- Sable 1990166 sources
- Sable 1991221 sources
- Sable 1992364 sources
- Sable 1993674 sources
- Sable 1994387 sources
- Sable 1995350 sources
- Sable 1996304 sources
- Sable 1997228 sources
- Sable 1998190 sources
- Sable 2000464 sources
- Sable 2001430 sources
- Sable 2002440 sources
- Sable 2003201 sources
- Sable 200452 sources
- Sable 200583 sources
- Sable 200861 sources
- Sable 200920 sources
- Sable 999913 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Mercury Sable?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, steering, service brakes. Total complaints: 258. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (7%), seat belts (7%), A/C or heater (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Mercury Sable?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Mercury Sable from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.