1998 Mercury Sable Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 5%of 190 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 91,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the visibility of the 1998 Mercury Sable, 5% of the 190 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 91,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The cabin air filter equipment leaks rainwater into the vehicle on the passenger side. This creates an excessive amount of moisture in the vehicle, hence causing excessive fogging of the window glass, obstructing the driver's view of the road, presenting the opportunity for collision due to reduced visibility.”
NHTSA complaint #10104017, filed 2004-12, 91,000 miles“The Mercury Sable has a serious safety defect in the design of the windshiel d. The front and rear windows leaves water on the windshield. The front window is particularily dangerous because when the windshield wippers it brings the water to the drivers side. At times you can not see out of the window. That minute the vision is blurred there could be an accident. I would like to know how many accidents there have been as a result of this design flaw. The rear window is not as bad because you can turn-on the rear defogger. I purchased a new set of wippers”
NHTSA complaint #706231, filed 1999-05“Front windshield would fogged up first, and then unfogged when using defogger, which could lead to a vehicle crash due to poor visibility. Dealer notified, and informed consumer that this was a normal concern, but unable to correct the problem at this time. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.”
NHTSA complaint #875875, filed 2000-12“Vehicle had been parked in garage. Wife started car in order to back out when rear window shattered or exploded without warning. Glass exploded outward covering the intire rear half of the vehicle's interior. No injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #866321, filed 2000-07“Windshield has swirls inside of glass. This causes poor visibility, especially at night. Alright during daylight. Has to go back to dealer according to glass co. Swirls are getting worse due to being more noticeable during the day.”
NHTSA complaint #838422, filed 1999-05Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 | 5% |
| 2005 | 4 | 5% |
| 2004 | 1 | 2% |
| 2003 | 19 | 9% |
| 2002 | 27 | 6% |
| 2001 | 11 | 3% |
| 2000 | 12 | 3% |
| 1999 | 21 | 8% |
| 1998 | 10 | 5% |
| 1997 | 22 | 10% |
| 1996 | 27 | 9% |
| 1995 | 15 | 4% |
| 1994 | 25 | 6% |
| 1993 | 47 | 7% |
| 1992 | 13 | 4% |
| 1991 | 7 | 3% |
| 1990 | 6 | 4% |
| 1989 | 2 | 1% |
| 1988 | 2 | 2% |
| 1987 | 1 | 1% |
| 1986 | 2 | 4% |
Other parts of the 1998 Mercury Sable
32 complaintsBrakes
29 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
25 complaintsSuspension
22 complaintsEngine cooling
19 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsAir bags
14 complaintsBody and structure
10 complaintsSeat belts
9 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsTires
8 complaintsInterior lighting
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Mercury Sable
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology