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1999 Mercury Sable Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

302 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.91 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical98V288000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Cooling Unit And Lines

TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD OR CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE APPROPRIATE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE.

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.

Serious99V250000

Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

IF THE MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONS AND DOES NOT ALLOW THE WEBBING TO BE EXTRACTED, THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT COULD NOT BE WORN BY A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLIES. ASSEMBLIES WITH JULIAN DATE CODES OF 200 THROUGH 223 ARE SUSPECT AND WILL BE REPLACED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MAY HAVE A PIN SHAFT IN THE SWITCHABLE ELR/ALR MECHANISM THAT IS INCORRECTLY FORMED. IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SWITCHING MECHANISM COULD BECOME NONFUNCTIONAL, PREVENTING THE SEAT BELT WEBBING FROM BEING EXTRACTED FROM THE RETRACTOR. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT MALFUNCTION OF THE MECHANISM COULD PREVENT THE BELT FROM BEING SWITCHED INTO THE ALR MODE. THE ELR MECHANISM IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION.

Serious04V332000

Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs

IF THIS OCCURS, THE TIRE MAY RUPTURE RESULTING IN A RAPID AIR LOSS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELDS. IN ADDITION, FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS IN ALL OTHER STATES, FOR FRACTURE ONLY, UP TO 10 YEARS OF SERVICE OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. IF THE VEHICLE HAS ALREADY ACCUMULATED MORE THAN 150,000 MILES, THIS COVERAGE WILL LAST UNTIL JULY 31, 2005. IF EITHER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES, DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. AN INTERIM NOTICE WAS SENT TO OWNERS ON AUGUST 2, 2004. PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE 2000-2001 MY VEHICLES AND OWNERS WERE SENT A LETTER ON JANUARY 10, 2005, ADVISING THEM TO BRING IN THEIR VEHICLES FOR REPAIR PARTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE 1999 MY VEHICLES BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 2005 AND OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE NOTIFIED THEN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD FRACTURE DUE TO CORROSION ASSOCIATED WITH SALT USED ON THE ROADWAYS DURING THE WINTER. A FRACTURED SPRING COULD MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE.

Serious98V198000

Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

IF THE STUD IS CRACKED, IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, raises the risk of PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET AND STUD ASSEMBLY.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL SEAT TRACKS. THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ATTACHING STUD MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. THIS HEAT TREATMENT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE STUD.

Moderate98V204000

Vehicle Speed Control

IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE ENGINE MAY NOT FULLY RETURN TO IDLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES TO ENSURE PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ACCELERATOR CABLE CLIP, AND RE-INSTALL IF NEEDED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A DASH INSULATOR RETAINER CLIP WAS NOT FULLY ASSEMBLED TO THE ACCELERATOR CABLE DASH FITTING. THE CLIP CAN DISENGAGE FROM THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND FALL INTO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM PIVOT AREA.

Complaint volume

302 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

33Crashes
4Fires
49Injuries
0Deaths

Across 302 complaints. Severity Index 0.91.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Suspension · Front · Spri…36 · 12%Power Train · Automatic T…13 · 4%Steering · Rack And Pinion13 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control11 · 4%Air Bags · Frontal11 · 4%Visibility · Windshield W…9 · 3%Steering8 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…8 · 3%
  1. Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs — 36 reports
  2. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 13 reports
  3. Steering:Rack And Pinion — 13 reports
  4. Vehicle Speed Control — 11 reports
  5. Air Bags:Frontal — 11 reports
  6. Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer — 9 reports
  7. Steering — 8 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 8 reports
  9. Seat Belts:Front:Retractor — 7 reports
  10. Unknown Or Other — 7 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (6) · 1996 (5) · 1997 (3) · 1998 (2) · 1999 · 2000 (7) · 2001 (9) · 2002 (4) · 2003 (4) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (1) · 2008 (1) · 2009

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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