1997 Ford Taurus GL review from North America
"Stay away"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing until 85000 miles, then:
Engine Light on
Crank Shaft sensor bad
Clogged heater coil, antifreeze is brown
Transmission torque converter bad
Windshield wiper arms corroding.
General comments?
We took this car to the dealer for all services every 3000 miles. We have serviced this car religiously according to owners maintenance guide. The paint, interior and all interior electronics work fine. We are now retired and can't afford a new car. We also can't afford to get the transmission torque converter fixed or the heater core replace. So, we have no heat. Since the computer recognizes the torque converter failure, it doesn't engage it, so the car gets poor gas mileage. We had the crank shaft sensor replaced. The estimate for the transmission was $2k and the estimate for the heater core was $200. This is more than the car trade-in value. We are so disappointed. We will continue to drive it until it dies along the road somewhere. If you see me in a red 1997 Taurus on the side of the road, please stop and help. Thanks.
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? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 Vulcan V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 5 miles |
| Most recent distance | 88000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 11th August, 2004 |