NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Mercury Sable. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE AND STOPPED ON A HILL THE CAR WILL ROLL BACK WHEN YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BREAK EVEN WHEN IN DRIVE. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. YOU NEED TO USE BOTH FEET WHEN ON A HILL, ONE ON THE BRAKE AND THE OTHER ON THE GAS TO AVOID ROLLING BACK INTO ANOTHER CAR. WHEN THE LOCAL DEALER WAS IN BUSINESS THEY INDICATED THIS WAS NORMAL. AT THIS TIME I HAVE NO LOCAL MERCURY DEALER TO REVIEW THIS SITUATION. *TR
ON A 2008 MERCURY SABLE, ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAS BEEN FULLY OR NEAR FULLY DEPRESSED, IT HAS BECOME CAUGHT UNDER THE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO CONTINUE TO RACE EVEN WHEN ALL PRESSURE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED,THE CONSUMERS WIFE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. 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. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/15/09.*JB
LTR FROM CONSUMER RE PROBLEM WITH THE HOOD LATCH ON HIS 2008 MERCURY SABLE. *NJ THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE HOOD LATCH RELEASED BECAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE WAS LOCATED BELOW THE HOOD LATCH RELEASE HANDLE. WHEN PUSHING ON THE PARKING BRAKE PEDAL, TO SET OR RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE, HIS SHOE WOULD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE HOOD LEASE HANDLE. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH UP A HILL, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT IT AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE RELATED TO THE ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOUR TIMES BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT DUPLICATED. THE ODOR SEEMED BE INSIDE OF THE VENTS WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 231. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000.
2008 MERCURY SABLE AWD HAD AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE[MELT DOWN] THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN ELECTRICAL HARNESS. 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 *BF UPDATED IVOQ 05/17/10.*JB
I OWN A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE FIRST MONTH I HAD IT I DROVE 2300 MILES ROUND TRIP TO YELLOWSTONE. ALMOST EVERY TIME I STOPPED I FOUND THE HOOD UNLATCHED (PARTIALLY OPEN). I DISCOVERED THAT THE UNFORTUNATE LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF THE HOOD RELEASE (DIRECTLY ABOVE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL AND PIVOTING UPWARD RATHER THAN PULLING UP OR OUT) MUST HAVE SNAGGED MY TENNIS SHOE EACH TIME. IT HADN'T HAPPENED SINCE I TRAINED MYSELF TO MOVE MY FOOT SIDEWAYS AS I RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE. THE HOOD PULL NEEDS TO BE RELOCATED OR REORIENTED. *TR
THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE WITH NO WARNING AND BURNED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCURY SABLE. THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CONTACT COULD NOT SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES. HE STATED THAT IN THE MORNINGS HE CANNOT SEE HOW FAST HE IS DRIVING, BUT IN THE EVENINGS, WHEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATE, HE CAN SEE THE SPEEDOMETER. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND COULD NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15. UPDATED 5/19/08 *CN UPDATED 05/19/08. *JB UPDATED 07/30/08. *JB
1. TRANS FAILS TO DOWNSHIFT,INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM APPR. 50 MPH ON AND INCLINE, REVS TO 5500 RPM BUT CAR SLOWS DOWN. ALMOST GOT HIT BY TRUCK ON FREEWAY YESTERDAY. 2. THE CAR GROUND TO A HALT WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND ACCELERATING AT ABOUT 15-20 MPH. OCCURRED ONE TIME, ALMOST REAR ENDED. 3. ON SLIGHT INCLINE, IN DRIVE, CAR WILL ROLL BACK AS IF IN NEUTRAL, ALMOST HIT CAR BEHIND ME SEVERAL TIMES AND DIFFICULT TO PARK VEHICLE. THERE ARE OTHER TRANS RELATED ISSUES, BUT THESE THREE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS. CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, FOR DAYS, THEY TEST DROVE IT, HAD AN ENGINEER FROM FORD DRIVE IT, STATE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE ANY OF MY CONCERNS. IN OTHER WORDS, NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. THESE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO BE EASY FOR ME TO RE PRODUCE, ALONG WITH OTHER PROBLEMS, SHIFTING LATE AND HARD, ETC.. I HAVE CALLED THE REGIONAL SERVICE PERSON ABE BUSH, TWICE IN THE LAST 3 1/2 WEEKS, AND RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM HIM. *TR
HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE IS DEFECTIVE IN SUNLIGHT. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS COMPOSED OF GRAY BACKGROUND WITH SILVER NUMERALS ON TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER AND GREEN LED READOUT OF ODOMETER, DIRECTION, AND MILES TO EMPTY. SUNLIGHT WASHES OUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAKING IT UNREADABLE. DRIVER MUST SHADE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND LEAN CLOSE TO DETERMINE DATA THUS TAKING ATTENTION FROM ROADWAY, AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PRACTICE ON HIGH-SPEED, MULTIPLE-LANE HIGHWAYS. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, EVEN THIS EFFORT IS FRUITLESS. MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEM BUT STATES IT IS NOT THEIR POLICY TO REENGINEERING SUCH DEFECTS. *TR