1998 Ford Taurus from North America

Summary:

It's a POS

Faults:

Well when I first bought the car in March of 06, it worked fine... then it started to sputter, and act like it would stall... Now the High Beams won't go off!!! It kills my battery, and I haven't been able to drive it for over a week now! My husband has tried to pull just about every fuse, and according to the book and where the fuses are located, they don't match up, so we have no idea what to do next!!! Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just my car?

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

Review Date: 8th November, 2006

21st Nov 2006, 17:39

I know, this is a crazy idea, but have you considered CONSULTING A MECHANIC about either problem?

The high beams that won't turn off could be a simple broken switch, so when you flip the stalk back and forth, nothing happens. If you mean that the lights stay on when you turn the car off, there should be a dial on the dashboard that controls how long they stay on; it can be set so that they do not stay on (on my '94 SHO it resembles a mouse wheel).

If you don't have an owner's manual, you can download one (as of November 2006) and print it yourself. The "autolamp" control is on page 17. Google for "Taurus owners manual".

The faltering, sounds like it's going to stall could have several problems including air filter full of junk (ever checked it?), fuel filter full of junk (same question), timing might need to be adjusted, etc. A mechanic would know much more about this than I would.

The point is, you have written off the car as a POS without any sign of ever putting it in the shop. If the car was brand new, you would have a valid complaint about these problems, but on an older vehicle, they are par for the course. If they are too much to bear, I would suggest that you lease in the future. With eight years of unknown service history, you should be braced for anything. A friend of mine once bought a six year old 80000 mile Honda Accord that died of engine failure after a year; apparently the only time the oil was ever changed before he got it, was when the used car dealer bought it.

1998 Ford Taurus SE 3.0 V6 volcane from North America

Summary:

Can't break it

Faults:

My tires wear a lot due too bad alignment.

General Comments:

I love this car now. I used to hate it at first and did everything possible to break the transmission or engine, but had no success. Throughout the years I fell in love with it. I've been driving my Taurus pretty hard for the last five years, but have never had anything go wrong with it except a couple of lights that needed replacement and general maintenance. It starts every time, drives smooth, and has never failed me. The only problem is that it's a tire eater, but other than that I would recommend it to everyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th November, 2006

5th Nov 2006, 18:21

Welcome to the REAL world. I get so tired of people putting down Ford (and GM and Chrysler) because they are made by loyal, hardworking Americans. Since my first car (a 1949 Ford) I've driven literally dozens of cars from all of the Big Three. I have NEVER had a problem with a Ford. My family drove a 1975 Granada 320,000 miles with only routine maintenance. I don't even know anyone who ever got over 100,000 miles on a Toyota, Nissan or Honda without at least one major repair.

1998 Ford Taurus from North America

Summary:

I changed the oil once or twice a year and put 229000 miles on it

General Comments:

Best car I ever had. I changed the oil once or twice a year and put 229000 miles on it. It had 96000 when I bought it (total miles 325882). It was rear ended for the second time on 7-31-06 and was totaled, although I still drove it home. I took the family on a 700 mile round trip vacation the weekend before the accident. I would have had no problem taking this car to California from NC and back.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th August, 2006