Faults:

Everything. This car is nothing but trouble. And talk about a gas pig. I am lucky to get 325 KM out of a tank of gas, and that's with taking it easy on the gas pedal. Anyone thinking about getting a car like this. Don't.

Faults:

Starter began shorting-out at 58,000 miles.

(6-mos after purchase) traced to a cracked cylinder head leaking coolant on to starter. Cylinder head and starter both replaced.

Intermittent starter operation 60,000 miles. After several service dept. visits was traced to a partially severed connector-end on the starter lead wire.

Ignition switch tumbler replaced at 62,000 miles. Due to said tumbler being able to be turned and the car started without the ignition key in the switch.

Variable-speed, intermittent windshield wipers. Occasionally will hit a 'dead-spot' in the switch when changing wiper speed causing wipers to stop completely; till switch is moved again.

General Comments:

Transitioning from my '91 Cavalier Wagon. The roomy interior of the Taurus seemed like a limousine compared to the Cavalier.

With the 3.8L engine, its extremely quick and fairly nimble. I had to master using a 'light touch' on the accelerator pedal to preclude 'jack rabbit starts'.

Extremely well equipped with power accessories, the only things I truly miss are not having a power antenna and being a CD fan, having a factory stereo cassette player instead of a CD. But not to be daunted, I installed a CD Changer in the cavernous trunk.

Once the problems with the starter and the cylinder head were corrected, the car has been a total joy to drive. I use it commute to work daily, and have taken it on several trips. Its performed beautifully.

Faults:

Two starters have been replaced. Both rear window electric motors do not work. Windshield wipers don't seat completely after use. Intermittent wiper delay does not work properly. Heater fan motor is noisy. Fuel door release cable rusted.

General Comments:

This is a very reliable car. It is my third in the Taurus / Sable family. My other two lasted over 150,000 miles with severe use (100 MPH daily commute).

The Sable with the 3.8 was fabulous to drive and also very reliable.

Faults:

Transmission died twice in the one year I had it.

General Comments:

So we figured this would be a good fix-em-up opportunity, because when we first bought it, it had multiple problems, for example the motor mounts, the brakes, exhaust, and of course, the transmission among other things.

We finally got it drivable, everything seemed fine, except the transmission made a rattling noise when coming out of a stop. It was about that time when I found this was going to be a birthday present for me. I got it about a week and a half early, and told not to let the transmission bother me, as it "should" last a good six months to a year. Sure enough, it didn't even last until my birthday, coming out of a stop was much worse; instead of making a rattling sound, the whole car would just shake, then it would just grind and not get into gear.

Anyway, we had the transmission fixed, and it was running just fine, however about a few months later, the air conditioner gave away in the most obscure way: I was driving down a highway doing about 70 miles per hour, when the windshield got a bit fogged up. I turned on the defrost to get rid of it, but all I got was a face full of smoke. So, I had to drive that fast blindly until I could get my window down and drive like Ace Ventura, but this could have caused a serious accident.

Back to the transmission, it just gave out again last week, and left me stranded out in the middle of Bums ville, Texas. Needless to say I got no warning; no lights, no gages, nothing. Now the people who originally fixed it want to charge another arm and leg for it, so I'm stuck without a car right now.