1998 Ford Taurus SE 3.0 Vulcan (base)

Summary:

Talk about service value, this car defines it

Faults:

Only one problem: The Shifter cable from selector to Transmission broke.@60,000 miles. fixed my self/no big deal.

General Comments:

This car has been fantastic; Run hard, cared for also. (I have a teenage son) Very Dependable service, Driven hard, Other than fliud changes on engine and transmission, spark plug/wire change. Brake pad change, I have not had to spend any extra money on this great sedan.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th December, 2002

1998 Ford Taurus SES V6 Vulcan

Summary:

I would buy another Taurus again

Faults:

I have had to have the front door ajar-switch replaced on both sides.

The front rotors had to be turned at 68000 due to heavy rust and warping.

General Comments:

I was not happy with the Ford Dealer that repaired the car after being rear-ended. I had to take it back a couple of times to get them to finish something or replace a broke part that should have been caught initially.

Other than the problems noted above and normal maintenance costs for brakes, oil changes, transmission fluid flush, I have been very happy with this car.

The mileage has been fairly steady in the upper teens to low 20's around town.

It handles well and rides well even with a need for new struts all around.

I don't hesitate to take it out on long trips, the comfort is remarkable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th December, 2002

1998 Ford Taurus

Summary:

Good car with some nagging problems

Faults:

Rear driver side window does not work.

Clicking sound inside car-sounds like safety belt colliding.

Washer fluid comes out very weak.

Cover/door to front passenger compartment broke within weeks.

Problems with door ajar light.

Front passenger safety belt sticks-does not retract.

Does not run well on regular unleaded gas-although manual recommends its use.

General Comments:

Overall maintainance costs have been low-regular oil changes, brake pads, etc. great comfort and roomy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th November, 2002

21st Feb 2005, 09:49

I have had the same problems with my Taurus. The rear driver side window does not work, the door ajar light stays on causing the dome lamps to stay on. And just recently the transmission went out after 86000 miles!

17th May 2005, 11:21

Ditto on those two problems with my car (60,000 miles currently). interesting that others are seeing the exact same problem.

9th Sep 2005, 11:55

I had the same problems with my Taurus as well. One of the first problems I had when I bought it used with 68,000 miles, is that the door ajar light would stay on and the dome light would stay on. That problem was fixed (so far). Now I have 94,000 miles on the car and when I press all of the buttons to have the 4 windows go up, the rear driver side window doesn't go up. I have to push that button by itself. I think this it just the beginning of that particular problem among other things that are going wrong.

27th Jan 2006, 14:52

I have owned the Taurus for a couple of years now. Overall I am very satisfied with it. I do have one VERY nagging problem. The door ajar light will stay on. At first it only did it in extreme cold weather. However I have moved to a warmer climate. I am now experiencing the problem again after I washed my car. coincidence? I have read where others have the same problem, but no one tells how to fix it. Any ideas? Please email me at philip_david_@yahoo.com with an answer. I have tried the wd40 trick and it didn't work. Thanks.

2nd Jun 2007, 08:37

My door ajar problem was fixed by spraying WD-40 into the latch on the door.

1998 Ford Taurus GL 6.0

Summary:

I feel cheated by Ford Motor Company

Faults:

We have to remove interior under dash bulbs, and the upper interior bulb every time We wash the car, or when it rains. Or the battery will be dead in a few hours. The diagnostic's cost $75.00 and the repair will cost Me an estimated $200.00 more or less is the Quote from Ford.

Transmission wet out 4 times in 2002, each time we had to rent a car from

Enterprise Car rental.

General Comments:

All Service Rep's are very good.

We take the car to the same Dealer at all the required service times. The last one was for the 50,000 mile each time they find more wrong.

Left bolt out of the window washer tank.

Left bolts out of the main support bracket of the Air intake Flex tube.

Stripped lug nuts on three wheels.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd June, 2002

7th Dec 2004, 23:07

I think you might need to find a new dealer to take your car to - 4 transmissions in 50,000 miles means that you:

1. Drive the car at AutoX's twice a week

2. Have REALLY bad luck OR...

3. The dealer is ripping you off big time and performing improper repairs <---------

The transmission in my GL has been raced on track several times (yes, I occasionally AutoX my Ford Taurus GL - also own an SHO), thrown into reverse at 35mph, and is still running strong after 132,000 miles.

Also, if you don't want to find where the lighting short is, just remove the fuse for the interior lights instead of all the bulbs (or just leave it out), it will save you some time.