1997 Ford Taurus GL review from North America

Purchased vehicle with:

Bad Water Pump.

Rear Defrost not working.

Bad spark plugs (Bosche Platinum)

Bad tires.

If ever there was a car made for the budget minded, it would be the second generation Taurus (1996-1999).

Some would call it a maintenance headache. Indeed, the car is plagued with some problems. Most notably, some of the AX4S and sometimes the AX4N transmissions have given poor service lives and the cooling system has corrosion problems. There are also numerous complaints for "door ajar" indicators malfunctioning and power windows failing (a common Ford problem) among other lesser issues.

Apart from several "known" weaknesses, the Gen 3 Ford Taurus has many strengths. First among them is the nearly indestructible Vulcan 3.0L V6 engine. It is not uncommon to find many Ford Tauruses with well over 200,000 miles on the clocks, running just as well as they did the day they were made. Few engines ever manufactured exhibit such tenacity and durability.

The car itself, is wonderfully designed. Ergonomically, it is nearly perfect, being one of the most comfortable cars to drive. It is roomy enough for four adults, a trunk with generous space and fold down rear seats and ride and handling qualities that are still a standard today. The styling was ahead of it's time which means that it is not dated and even though some of these cars are exceeding 10 years in age, they do not look out of place on the road today.

Fuel economy can be quite impressive from a well maintained and tuned example. It is reasonable to expect 21-23 mpg average under normal driving conditions and 30 mpg or more on the freeway. Some owners report higher.

The best thing about these cars is that they are absolute bargains on the used car market. The Taurus' were produced in such high numbers and the reputation for poor reliability (arguably justified) has caused the resale value on these cars to be on par with a Yugo. You can literally buy 3 or 4 (or more) 1997 Ford Taurus GL's for the price of a 1997 Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. The parts, available everywhere new and used, are dirt cheap and every mechanic in the world knows how to work on these things.

I submit that a clever person, armed with modest tools, a good service manual and some patience, could keep a couple of 1997 Ford Tauruses running like Swiss watches for many, many years, at a cost that would never surpass the original investment in a like model from a Japanese manufacturer. And compared to buying a new car, forget about it. Driving a Gen 3 Ford Taurus is like throwing money in the bank. I have had several Tauruses (1994, 1999, 1997) and have had very good results from all of them. In fact, my 1999 SE never gave me a single problem in well over 70,000 miles of service.

There is so much information on the Internet on these cars that an informed purchase can be made easily and maintenance is not an issue if you already know what these cars are likely to have happen to them. If you know what to look for, you can beat the asking price down dramatically.

Bottom line; a car that you can enjoy driving, safe, economical and reliable if maintained properly, all for rock bottom clearance pricing. And if you think these cars don't last, just take a look on eBay and see how many of these cars are for sale that have over 100,000 miles on them.

A Taurus is like a person, you will never find one that's perfect, but usually, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.