1998 Ford Taurus SE review from North America
"Good family oriented vehicle"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
A lot of problems with driver side front brakes. Three visits before they decided to replace the rotor. They also replaced the "computer" (I believe the EEC unit). All this under warranty.
General comments?
First, I had an issue with the fact they have the engine idle controlled when at cruising speed. Basically, if you are traveling at 60+ MPH, and take pressure off of the gas, the engine will
idle high and continue to travel at around that speed. This has been designed this way (with at least the '98) to lessen the jerking on the transmission/UV joints/etc.
Car has good power, but the transmission seems to be lacking. When travelling at ~50 MPH and "punching it", the automatic transmission drops two gears, throwing the RPMS into the red, when it should only drop down one gear.
Overall a good car. It is comfortable, very well engineered overall.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2000 |
| Engine and transmission | V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 15 miles |
| Most recent distance | 51000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Escort |
| Date of Entry | 19th March, 2000 |