AI Damage2008 Mercury Sable: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mercury Sable filed 61 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 61
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 26% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 16% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 7% of all complaints
- Steering: 16 complaints (26% of all).
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (18% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 10 complaints (16% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 5 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 61 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 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.
The contact's son sustained injuries to the left side that struck the driverâs side window, and the front of the head from possibly striking the steering wheel, a slight concussion, injury to the left arm, neck and back. The contact's son was referred to a doctor who was a specialist with spinal cord injuries.
The air bags did not deploy. The driver does not remember if there was any warning light illuminated on the vehicle. The crash caused damage to the front bumper and pushed in the front grill and hit the radiator of the vehicle. There were no injuries reported. A police report was filed.
Unintended acceleration resulting in an accident car rev'd on it's own and bolted forward while at a full stop at a red light and hit the car in front of it . Car was driven in twice and towed in once to the local ford dealership ,over the course of the 2 years prior to the accident ,with the same complaint.
As a result, the contact crashed into a light pole and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to multiple dealers who were unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle.
Upon further investigation, two local mechanics who are evaluating the car have stated that they cannot understand why the airbags did not deploy, for the sensors were activated, and the airbags should have came out.
Then in september of 2008 a sudden acceleration problem caused it to jump a concrete parking lot barrier and travel down into a drainage basin--40 feet. $9000+ damage. Repeated attempts to ford has fallen in deaf ears. Updated 05/12/10 updated ivoq 05/17/10.
Tl contact owns a 2008 mercury sable. While driving at approximate speeds of 3 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the brakes would not engage. The vehicle proceeded to crash into two other vehicles.
The air bags failed to deploy. She sustained injuries to her chest and face. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop for further inspection, no conclusion has been made regarding the air bag failure. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. A police report was filed.
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 4,799 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sable has 216 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 61, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
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 1999258 sources
- Sable 2000464 sources
- Sable 2001430 sources
- Sable 2002440 sources
- Sable 2003201 sources
- Sable 200452 sources
- Sable 200583 sources
- Sable 200920 sources
- Sable 999913 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercury Sable?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 61. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (16%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), airbags did not deploy (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.