Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Mercury Sable submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 33 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 33, in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND MADE IT VERY HARD TO STEER ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HAVE A ACCIDENT AFTER COMING TO A STOP THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER AND VERY HARD TO TURN HAD TO GET CAR TOWED.I FIND THIS TO BE A COMPLETE RIP OFF BECAUSE I SEE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF STEERING PROBLEMS OF THE SAME MATTER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY SABLE WAGON. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND THEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE STEERING IS HORIBLE, ABOUT 3YEARS AGO CHANGED RACK APPION STEERING, AND JUST A WEEK AGO, PUT NEW STEERING PUMP ON, STILL.
EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE SECOND POWER STEERING PUMP , IT IS HORRIBLE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL MOST OF THE TIME. ALSO, IT IS NOISY WHILE I'M DRIVING IT. IT HAD A NEW RACK AND PINION ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT . PARKING IN A PARKING LOT IS AWFUL AS IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MANEUVER AROUND OTHER CARS. TURNING CORNERS ,SOMETIMES IT'S OKAY AND OTHER TIMES REALLY HARD. NOT SURE IF THIS COMPLAINT BELONGS HERE, BUT HEATER DOESN'T WORK ,EITHER. FEELS LIKE A/C IS ON . HAD A FRIEND CHECK IT AND HE IS HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING IT OUT. DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER "DATE HAPPENED" AS IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN AUGUST.
WHEN I DRIVE MY VEHICLE THROUGH ANY PUDDLE OF WATER, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, THE CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS; THE STEERING FAILS AS YOU TRY TO MAKE A TURN!!!!!*JB
THE STEERING GEAR ASSY BROKE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. WE DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE MERC DEALER. THE MECHANIC WOULD NOT EVEN TEST DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS. *NM
NOISY POWER STEERING PUMP & LOSS POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK AND PINION WERE REPLACED ON OUR 1999 SABLE WHEN IT HAD 56,000 MILES. *JB
STEERING VERY NOISY AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. YOU PRACTICALLY HAVE TO ENTER THE OTHER LANE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT A CORNER. THIS IS NOT GOOD. *JB
THE VEHICLE WAS LOOSING POWER STEERING FLUID THROUGH THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLUID WAS LEAKING THROUGH THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY. *AK THE TURNING RADIUS WAS NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN WITHOUT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ENTERING THE LEFT LANE OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD BEING TURNED ONTO. *SC *JB
WHEN I DRIVE IN THE RAIN OR THROUGH A PUDDLE, THE STEERING COMPLETELY FAILS AND MY BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. TWICE I HAVE COME SEVERELY CLOSE TO CRASHING MY CAR AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF STEERING COMPLETELY! *AK
REPORT OF CATASROPIC FAILURE OF STERING SYSTEM ON 1999 MECURY SABLE / RACK AND PINION GEAR FRACTURE/ SEEMS THERE IS MAJOR DEFALT WITH STERING SYSTEM, TOTAL CRACK IN FRAME /GEAR SYSTEM, ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED, DIDNT SEE ANY RECALLS, MECHANIC WHO FIXED SAY THIS NEED TO BE REPORTED TO MANAFUTURE, MILAGE IS 100K, NO ACCIDENTS IN VEHICLE, JUST FAILED WHILE DRIVING. *AK
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AFTER DRIVING MY 1999 MERCURY SABLE STATION WAGON IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN, I LOSE POWER STEERING DURING TURNS. THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO EXCESSIVE BELT SLIPPAGE FROM WATER. IT GOES AWAY IF I STOP FOR A FEW SECONDS TO LET THE BELT REGAIN TRACTION. THIS CONDITION OCCURS UNEXPECTEDLY IS A RISK TO LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT POWER STEERING. *JB
REAR RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA RECALL 99V25000. ALSO, RACK AND PINION STEERING HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A SEAL LEAK.*AK *TC
WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL FEELS REAL LOOSE, ND MAKES A LOUD NOISE. DEALER REPLACED THE TIE ROD AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $200. *AK *MR
POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER HEARD A WINDING COMING FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, LIFTED UP THE HOOD, AND NOTICED POWER STEERING FLUID WAS DRY INSIDE OF THE CANISTER PUMP. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR STEERING FLUID. THEN, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT RACK PINION FAILED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
VEHICLE IS 1999 MERCURY SABLE,POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED MAKING NOISE. EXAMINING PUMP SHOWED NO LEAKS ALTHOUGH FLUID WAS LOW. FLUID ADDED TO PROPER LEVEL. WITHIN DRIVING 2 MILES PUMP AGAIN MADE NOISE. BACKING UP CAR ALLOWED VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF FLUID LEAK ON GROUND. ALTHOUGH SOME FLUID WAS IN STEERING PUMP, POWER ASSIST WAS LOST WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE CAR HARD TO STEER AND CONTROL. TRIP TO MECHANIC REVEALED RACK AND PINION FAILURE AND MASSIVE FLUID LEAK. MILAGE ON VEHICLE IS 67,100 MILES. MECHANIC FEELS PREMATURE FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED AT 67K MILES. PRICE TO REPLACE IS APPROX $500 TO $800 SHOULD HYDRAULIC HOSES ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
THE STEERING RACK FAILED WITH NOT VISIBLE INDICATION OF FLUID LOSS. THE PLUG ON THE RACK BLEW-OUT WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE STEERING TO BECOME MANUAL REQUIRING VEHICLE TOWING. THE CAR HAS BEEN DUTIFULLY MAINTAINED WITH NO INDICATION OF FAILURE WHEN INSPECTED. FORD MOTOR CO. HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK
PROBLEMS WITH ABS. *MR THE VEHICLE WAS IN TWO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE INABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, WHERE THE ABS DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR REPAIR 7 TIMES. THE FOLLOWING ARE REPAIRS AND OR PROBLEMS THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED: TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED AFTER TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FOUND LOW, EXHAUST LEAK FIXED, WASHER FLUID WOULD SPRAY WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL AND LIGHTS WERE ON, SHAKING WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED/RESURFACED ROTORS, TRUNK LEAKED WATER, REPLACED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH TO FIX WASHER FLUID PROBLEM, ABS NOT WORKING WHEN THERE WAS A PANIC STOP, LEFT AND RIGHT SPINDLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, FRONT END ROTORS WERE REPLACED AGAIN, WHEEL ALIGNMENT, THE ABS DID NOT ENGAGE AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, AND REPLACED LEFT SIDE OUTER TIE ROD END. *SCC *JB
A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM THE REAR OF VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING FLUID. THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CRACKED STEERING RACK AND WAS REPLACED. *JB *SCC
DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINION STEERING CAUSED NOISE WHILE DRIVING. *AK *NLM
RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED. CAUSING POWER STEERING PUMP TO BOIL OVER CONTINOUSLY. MAKING YOU THINK THAT THE PUMP WAS BAD.
VEHICLE'S STEERING GEAR HAS MALFUNCTIONED 3 TIMES AND MADE LOUD HOWLING NOISES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *TS *NLM
CONSUMER STATES THAT POWER STEERING FAILED. VEHICLE CHECKED BY DEALER WHO DETERMINED NEEDS NEW RACK AND PINION. CONSUMER STATED UNSAFE TO DRIVE VEHICLE BECAUSE TURNING CAPABILITY IS GREATLY REDUCED.*JB
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN AND THE POWER STEERING BECAME STIFF AND HARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY FOUND THAT POWER STEERING COLUMN MODULE DEVELOPED A LEAK. *AK *SCC
WHILE TURNING STEERING WHEEL THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. MECHANIC STATED THEATPOWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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