1999 Mercury Sable LS 3.0 DOHC from North America

Summary:

Durable, safe, paid off

Faults:

Speed Sensor went out at 144,000 miles.

Dashboard lights behind gas and temperature gauges have burned out.

Both rear torsion bar linkages have broken ($18 part, fixed myself, pretty simple).

Replaced ball joints in both front wheels, both after 100,000 miles.

General Comments:

While the performance of this car is not stellar, most of its power comes above 2,000 rpm, meaning that passing on the highway is a breeze.

Slow acceleration.

Great ride on the highway, cruise control maintains constant rpm up hills, no downshifting.

Overall a decent car. It was free to me, so no complaints!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th November, 2008

1999 Mercury Sable GS 3.0 V6 from North America

Summary:

Don't waste your time and money on this car!

Faults:

O2 sensor caused the check engine light to come on; $175.

Right inner tie rod needed to be replaced; $170.

Transmission is now shifting weird from first to second gear. My mechanic says it's an internal problem and the tranny has to be rebuilt; $2,500.

General Comments:

I was sixteen years old when this car first came out back in the mid ninties; well this generation anyway, and for my 27th birthday my boyfriend bought me this car. The car lot I bought it from always sold me pretty decent cars; however after buying this car, there were problems almost immediately.

Had all fluids flushed immediately, but the car needed a tie rod, then an O2 sensor, which those aren't a big deal.

I noticed almost a month after owning the car that it would stick in between first and second gears on take off, or sometimes while coming to a stop. The transmission shop stated that on this car, the tranny fluid can't be flushed, it must be changed only, and that's mostly what did it in.

I have always owned American cars, and mainly General Motors, and never had any problems like that from flushing the transmission. I think the car was already on the way to transmission failure when I bought it, but I didn't notice it during the test drive because it only shifts this way once you have been driving the car all day.

I hear reviews on here about this is why people went to Toyota or Honda, but I've always owned American cars and never had problems like this, and with this amount of miles. Point I'm making is don't write off American cars just because of this Sable/Taurus crap Ford put out and called a car. I think it's best to stick with General Motors; I'm trading it in for a Grand Am.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd February, 2008

22nd Feb 2008, 14:53

Do you know how well it was maintained before you bought it?

Cars will only run to high mileage if they are looked after.

23rd Feb 2008, 02:36

Do not get a Grand Am or you will be very sorry, they are notoriously unreliable. Your Sable broke because of the transmission fluid change, which is the same as a flush. Don't fall for these flushes that lube shops love to offer, they make a killing off of them and they do harm and no good. Transmission fluid does not need to be changed, I have a '98 Sable with 270K, and it's on the original transmission. Ditto with a '90 Tempo I used to own as well, except it had over 300K and no transmission fluid changes.

1999 Mercury Sable LS 3.0L SOHC V6 from North America

Summary:

A piece of heaven on wheels..

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Very nice car indeed. We've only had the car for 1 year, and it has sounded and ran the same ever since we bought it.

The nice and cold A/C works perfect, no squeaks in the motor, CD changer still works, and it still smells like brand new.

We purchased the car for just under 4000 dollars including the 2 year warranty. In 2006 when we got it, I always wondered what a Sable LS would look like when it had most of the options. I had found one of my dream cars. Since we went on a Saturday afternoon when they were closing, we got there first thing Monday morning and bought right away. Boy were we lucky to find this car in the neighborhood close by.

The Engine is the 3.0L SOHC version, so there is less moving parts. I've compared this car with my 1993 Ford Taurus GL with the same engine in it, and the Sable is much much better.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th July, 2007