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Mercury SableModel year report

2009 Mercury Sable Problems

Complaints
20filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
34,450miles, 19 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 18 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Mercury Sable (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 2009 Mercury Sable. The part named most often is engine, with 5 complaints (25% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control (5) and suspension (3). 19 of the complaints include a mileage, and 68% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 34,450 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 7 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “In cruise control--speed set between 37 & 39 MPH I engaged brakes to slow car--eng stopped running --all lites on console lit..lost pwr brakes and steering. Almost hit car coming in opposite direction. Happened again in april, 2014 plaza lincoln cannot find problem--scales ford cannot find problem--several independent professional mechanics cannot find problem--no computers will identify problem--I'm afraid to drive car 32159,,I have reported this to ford motor co and ntsb. Need help --please”

NHTSA complaint #10594418, filed 2014-05, 37,565 miles

Vehicle speed control: “The contact owns a 2009 Mercury Sable. While pulling into a parking space at 2 MPH, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The failures occurred intermittently for three years. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failures. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 22,300.”

NHTSA complaint #10615571, filed 2014-07, 22,300 miles

Suspension: “I now have 75,000 miles on the vehicle, but at around the 15,000 mile point the driver's side front strut went out followed by the passenger front strut 4,000 miles later. In total both front struts have been replaced three times (the original and two replacement sets) and the driver's side front strut is again making a clunking sound, same as before. The dealer has replaced the original and first replacement set at their cost but the last set was at my cost. …”

NHTSA complaint #10992237, filed 2017-05, 15,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Having driven 150 miles or so of highway driving using cruise control, stopping two times to rest, driving approx. 65 - 70 MPH. I arrived at waltham on rt. 128 where the traffic was bumper to bumper. I had to keep my foot on the brake until I was at exit 38 or 39. We travelled 5 - 15 MPH. After I was in the slow traffic for approx. 20 minutes my car started to lurch forward while gassing up and wanting to jump ahead. My foot was on the brake and I needed to brake even harder to hold onto the force that the car was exerting. …”

NHTSA complaint #10537773, filed 2013-08, 61,077 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

68% of the 19 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 20,750 and 61,077 miles.

11%0–1032%10–2526%25–5026%50–750%75–1005%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (19 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 34,450 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

2010201120122013201452015201620172021
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Mercury Sable. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Sable · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 11.3% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Mercury Sable version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Sable AWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172419$3,550
Sable FWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182821$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2009 Mercury Sable in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 7 on record; the latest 7 are shown.

Other model years of the Mercury Sable

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20092034,4500—21—Falling
20086148,0001—22Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20058380,0000—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20045273,8971—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200320170,0003—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200244075,0003—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200143065,0008—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200046464,1227—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199925867,8505—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199819091,0002—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199722878,0003—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199630495,0005—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199535081,5455—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199438796,0004—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199367486,9216—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1992364103,6034—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199122190,0004—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199016679,5005—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1989238123,6156—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1988126144,0005—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198776131,0008—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198646111,0008—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Mercury Sable model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Mercury Sable have?

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 2009 Mercury Sable as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Mercury Sable is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 5 complaints (25% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 5.

Has the 2009 Mercury Sable been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Mercury Sable get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Mercury Sable (Sable FWD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Mercury Sable reported?

Among the 19 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 34,450 miles and the middle half falls between 20,750 and 61,077 miles; 68% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.