1991 Ford Taurus LX review from North America

Minor normal repairs, that tend to arise.

Struts needed to be replaced at the time I acquired the car.

The odometer stopped working around 130,000 miles. It now reads error. This car is equipped with a digital dash board.

Head gaskets blew at 128,000 miles. If this repair is not done correctly, the lower end of the engine are at SERIOUS risk - especially on the 3.8l, due to the long crankshaft stroke.

NOTE: This car was modified for oval track racing. I drove the car for a year before converting it into a "pure stock" class race car.

For a family/business sedan, the car handles beyond my expectations. All steering and suspension parts are put under EXTREME stress in this situation. So far we have had to change only the rear struts (due to normal wear), and a tie rod (due to a collision).

The AOD transmission is known for it's poor reliability. We have had no problems with this transmission so far. With the recommended services performed, it has proved valuable during its 2 years of pounding.

In its stock form, not considering reinforcements added, the car is very structurally sound. We have gotten into several hard impacts and the vehicle has stood up well.

NOTE: The 1986 - 1991 Taurus did undergo a recall, and some cars have NOT had this performed. The bolts that attach the uni-body to the front sub-frame were not zink coated, allowing them to rust. This causes the sub-frame to rust and allows the bolt to pull though the floor. When this happens, the vehicle's front member is detached from the car, losing all steering and possibly braking controls. It is very easy to check to see if this recall has been performed. If you pull the carpet back on the passenger side floor board, the will be a plastic plug in the shape of a circle, approximately 2.5 inches in diameter. If this plug is not there, the recall has NOT been performed. In this case, call your local Ford dealership and they will be happy to perform this on your vehicle. They did it on my Taurus for no cost.