Head-to-head reliability
Mercury Sable vs FORD F 150
How the Mercury Sable and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Mercury Sable vs FORD F 150: The Sable averages 222 complaints per year, with suspension and speed control issues, while the F-150 averages 1,131 complaints per year, mainly for transmission and electrical problems. The Sable has 28 recalls, the F-150 145. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Mercury Sable or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Mercury Sable
The Mercury Sable, a mid-size sedan, shows a heavy concentration of suspension complaints, with owners reporting repeated front strut failures and a tendency to bottom out or slide sideways over bumps. Speed control issues are also prominent, including reports of sudden unintended acceleration. Brake and powertrain problems add to the picture, making it a vehicle that may require frequent repairs and could pose safety concerns.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 pickup truck has a high volume of complaints, with powertrain issues dominating, particularly hard shifting and loss of power in the transmission. Electrical system problems, including camera and sensor malfunctions, are also common. Exterior lighting and engine issues round out the top concerns, suggesting a vehicle that may have reliability issues in key systems.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Mercury Sable | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1,777 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 28 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 128 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 222.1 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 94 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Mercury Sable
- 01SUSPENSION659
- 02VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL285
- 03SERVICE BRAKES171
- 04POWER TRAIN163
- 05HYDRAULIC132
Owners report front struts failing repeatedly, sometimes within 15,000 miles, and the car bottoming out or sliding sideways over bumps, which can affect handling and safety.
There are alarming reports of the car accelerating on its own, with the engine racing to high RPMs even when the brake is pressed, creating a serious safety risk.
Some owners have trouble shifting out of park, requiring the emergency brake and key manipulation, and brake lights may not illuminate, which could lead to rear-end collisions.
Loss of power while driving, such as being unable to proceed from a stop sign after a long drive, is reported, which can be dangerous in traffic.
“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 REPLACE…”
“I HAVE A 2009 MERC SABLE PREMIERE, WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD THE STRUTS BOTTOM OUT, AND THE CAR LIKE SLIDES SIDE WAYS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT FORD SAYS WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS THE CAR WI…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The transmission (10R80) is a major source of complaints, with hard and delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and even complete loss of power, which can be startling and unsafe.
Owners report warning messages for front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist not available, which may disable safety features and require dealer visits.
Headlight issues are common enough to be a top complaint, potentially reducing visibility at night.
Engine-related problems are frequent, though specific symptoms are not detailed in the sample, they contribute to the overall reliability concerns.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Mercury Sable — 28 recalls
The defect: Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, Brak…
The risk: A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
The defect: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER ADJUSTABLE SEATS MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY WELDED.
The risk: THE SEAT MAY NOT PERFORM AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY.
The fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE UPPER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY ON THE POWER SEATS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high spe…
The risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
The defect: Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, Brak…
The risk: A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Mercury Sable or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Mercury Sable has fewer complaints per year (222.1) compared to the Ford F-150 (1131.1), but the Sable's issues are more safety-critical, such as unintended acceleration and suspension failures. The F-150's higher volume reflects its popularity, but its transmission problems are widespread. In practice, the Sable may be less reliable in terms of safety, while the F-150 may have more frequent but less immediately dangerous issues.
Key differences
- The Sable has a higher proportion of suspension complaints (659) compared to the F-150's powertrain issues (3553), but the Sable's issues are more likely to affect vehicle control.
- The Sable has reports of unintended acceleration, a critical safety concern, while the F-150's transmission issues are more about drivability and can also lead to loss of power.
- The F-150 has a much higher total complaint count (11,311) over 10 years, but that's partly due to its popularity; the Sable's 1,777 complaints over 8 years is lower but still significant for a sedan.
- The Sable's brake issues include a shift interlock problem, while the F-150's electrical issues affect driver-assistance features.
- Inspect the front struts for signs of leakage or wear, and test drive over bumps to check for bottoming out or sideways sliding.
- Be alert for any unintended acceleration or high idle; have the throttle and cruise control systems checked by a mechanic.
- Test the transmission for hard shifts, especially between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and listen for clunks or jerks during a test drive.
- Check for warning messages on the dash related to the front camera or pre-collision assist, and have the electrical system diagnosed if they appear.
Before you buy
- For the Sable, have a pre-purchase inspection focus on suspension components, brakes, and throttle control.
- For the F-150, test drive at various speeds and pay attention to transmission shift quality.
- Check the vehicle's recall status for both models and ensure any open recalls are addressed.
- Review the vehicle's service history for repeated repairs on the specific problem areas.
- Consider a professional diagnostic scan for both vehicles to check for stored trouble codes.
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Mercury Sable or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Mercury Sable vs FORD F 150
- Mercury Sable total complaints
- 1,777
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Mercury Sable total recalls
- 28
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Mercury Sable avg complaints/year
- 222.1
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Mercury Sable
- Mercury Sable top complaint area
- SUSPENSION
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN