1997 Mercury Sable review from North America
"Reliability beats out excitement"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Camshaft position drive and sensor at 57,000.
Upper O2 sensors at 64,000.
General comments?
7 years old when we bought it with 39K on odometer. Not what we wanted originally (it's a Wagon), but the price was good and we were in desperate need.
We have driven this car 40K miles over the past 2 1/2 years. It's not an exciting or fun car, but we are still very pleased with it. We don't like trucks or SUV's, so the Wagon is great for our frequent trips to the home improvement store.
The Ford 3.0 V-6 is a super engine and gets decent gas mileage (had same experience with a Taurus we owned previously).
Comfortable interior and upholstery has held up well for age and mileage. A/C is ice cold.
The only repairs are noted above - the rest is regular maintenance. We service it regularly and keep the fluids fresh which I believe is the key. I do worry about the fwd transaxle as they are not known for longevity. This car's a keeper so would replace a trans if needed.
If you're looking for performance and excitement, this car is not for you. If you are looking for a comfortable "every-man's" car, the Sable/Taurus is a great choice.
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| The Mercury Sable is a MONEY PIT, buy a Toyota or Honda to get reliability |
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| I will never buy a Ford product again |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 39000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 80000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Taurus |
| Date of Entry | 9th April, 2007 |