1997 Ford Taurus LX review from North America
"Good performance, not reliable"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission replaced twice, once at 40,000 km, again at 60,000 km.
Suspension creaking now.
Intermittent wipers aren't.
General comments?
Quick car, comfortable to drive. Reasonably quiet inside.
However, reliability is poor as is dealer service. When transmission went first time, they did a partial repair. When it went the second time (2 weeks past original warranty) the first mechanic told me the piston cracked and ruined the rest of the transmission. When the service manager realized that was the part they replaced 6 months earlier, suddenly their story changed and it had nothing to do with the piston. I called the next day and spoke to another mechanic and he confirmed it was the piston. Fortunately I recorded that phone call.
The service manager decided that he would pick up the cost of a new transmission.
Recommended Reviews:
  | Beware of repair costs; every little item requires major shop time |
| A decent car with a serious case of planned obsolescence |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1992 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 Duratec Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 2/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 40000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 76000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Ford Taurus |
| Date of Entry | 24th August, 2001 |