1999 Ford Taurus SE review from North America

Rack and Pinion failed at 129,000mi - $800 fix.

Recently sprung a major coolant leak. Could empty the whole reservoir in one hour of driving. Currently attempting to fix the problem myself.

Windshield wipers randomly trigger. This was an issue from the beginning. Dealer claimed all Tauruses do it and that nothing could be done to help.

Rear suspension has made more noise than I'd expect. This was always an issue with the car.

Being a heavy car, the Taurus can sometimes chew up brake pads quicker than expected.

Uneven tire wear despite several alignments over the course of time.

Wheel bearings began to get noisy at 70,000mi and again at 130,000mi.

Rear left door sticks badly for no apparent reason.

Gas mileage recently plummeted from the standard figure for this car to less than 12mpg. Dealer wants $80 just to diagnose the problem. It apparently involves the exhaust system.

Solid, reliable car offering decent performance mixed with a comfortable ride.

The weight of the car degrades handling somewhat and the car has weak brakes for its size (posts longest stopping distances in class), but it is over 200 inches long, and offers a ton of cargo and passenger space.

Winter driving is easy, even without ABS.

Vulcan V-6 provides more fun than the numbers would indicate. It offers plenty of torque for quick launches and sounds very nice. I would still suggest fronting the money for the Duratec, though. It will pay itself off in time through offering better gas mileage. The extra performance will also put a smile on your face.

Overall, the ride is quiet and composed. Suspension has kept the ride smooth even after all these miles. Road noise is minimal.

Seats are comfortable. Overall driver comfort is at a premium for the price. Gages are easy to read, switches are easy to operate.

Stock stereo sounds great for a simple 4-speaker setup. Blows my old Sunfire and Camaro out of the water. Added a 6-CD changer and the fun is endless.

Gas mileage has never been stellar. You might be best suited finding a more efficient car.

Exterior styling is just plain ugly. The newer generation (model year 2000 and later) of Taurus looks much better than the late 90's series. One person wisely called it a "large-mouth bass on wheels," and this is not far from the truth.