1998 Mercury Sable Vehicle Speed Control Problems

NHTSA component category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · data through 07/14/2026

24Vehicle Speed Control complaints

12.6%Of all 190 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How vehicle speed control ranks on this vehicle

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL24 · 12.6%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION20 · 10.5%

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS15 · 7.9%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP11 · 5.8%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL7 · 3.7%

Share of the 190 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Mercury Sable overview page.

What owners report

“WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARK OR FOOT IS TAKING OF GAS PEDAL TO BRAKE, IT WILL ACCELERATE.HAS TO APPLY A LOT OF PRESSURE TO BRAKES…”NHTSA complaint 8014204 — filed 07/18/2002

“WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE REVVED UP WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD. CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY BRAKES EVEN HARDER TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED.*AIK”NHTSA complaint 8008489 — filed 04/24/2002

“CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK AND WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO…”NHTSA complaint 8007946 — filed 04/18/2002

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Vehicle Speed Control complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Mercury Sable have vehicle speed control problems?

Vehicle Speed Control is the most-reported problem area on the 1998 Mercury Sable: 24 of 190 complaints on file (12.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Mercury Sable have in total?

190 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 28 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 18 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's vehicle speed control category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.