2005 Mercury Sable: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 83 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (44% of complaints); the 2004 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Im owner of Mercury Sable 2005 only 79000 miles..The car problem speed control idle over 2200 so high when stop red light have to brake pedal to slow the vehicle down, and the vehicle failed to accelerrate..”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Sep 2023
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercury sable. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently to 80 mph, without warning. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle down. In addition, the vehicle then failed to accelerate. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact contacted an independent mechanic and informed them of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. The VIN was not provided.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Oct 2020
“After leaving a stop, the car was able to move, then all of a sudden, the car would not change gears and stayed in a nuetral position. After safely parking the car, it will not shift into drive or reverse. Looking online I see numerous consumer with the same issue and the cost is more than the car is worth, but is a known issue that the manufacturer will not take the blame on.”Owner report · Power Train · Oct 2019
Show 7 more owner reports
“Gas pedal sticks. Cruise control randomly turns itself on vehicle accelerates on it's own without warning. Have had to shut the car off or shift into neutral while driving. It's absolutely terrifying.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Feb 2019
“Can not see out my front and back windows. I will clean the windows 3-4 times a day. Improper codes requesting repair and once repaired still the same thing. Starts no cranks. Very dangerous conditions, could not continue to work due to vision issues. Anti theft functions preventing me from operating my car.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Sep 2018
“I drived it on highway and suddenly there was noise and rmp passed 4000 but no accelerated. I managed to stopped on shoulder, and restarted the car, engine run ok, and car wasn't moving, either forward or backward. I could be hit by other cars if I didn't manage to shoulder. I searched online and I found out a lot of complaints about mercury sable's transmission issues. This is very dangerous and people may get killed because of sudden transmission failure without any warning. My car has about 88700 miles on it.”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2018
“The cars underbody has fully rusted every since I bought it back in 2015 my floor panels are completely rusted. The cars side skirts came off the car on both sides because I hit a pothole in the street, under that is full of rust. The car was driven to and from work. I feel like this is posing a threat to me as well as other drivers. Anything can come a loose and I can crash and who knows what else can happen.”Owner report · Structure · Jun 2018
“When entering the car after a basketball game I started the vehicle and tried to go into reverse but the car remained in neutral as it would not shift into gear. Prior to this I had never noticed any issues with the transmission. I was told by our mechanic the torque converter had given out and needs to be replaced. After doing extensive research I found there are hundreds if not thousands of other mercury sable owners that have experienced the exact same issue with their transmission. Ford recalled the same part on other similar make and models vehicles. This needs to be recalled of mercury sables as well.”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2018
“Shortly after buying this car last year, the throttle body failed at speed (approx 55), causing the car to accelerate uncontrolled on a curvy 2 lane highway. Had to break very hard against the surging engine to slow, and turn off engine with key to get car to stop. Very scary. Very dangerous. The ford dealer in kingston, ny, did not tell me this was a known problem! Towed, rented a car, and paid $420.00 to repair.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jul 2017
“I bought this car about two months ago drove it to rome ga.from centre al on way back the tires on back was eat down to wire belts”Owner report · Suspension · Jul 2017
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shim may shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.
Remedy: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2005 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Sable by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mercury Sable reliable?
NHTSA has 83 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2005 Mercury Sable. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (44% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2005 Mercury Sable problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 80,000 miles or less.
Does the 2005 Mercury Sable have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.