1996 Ford Taurus GL review from North America

Got at it almost 64k, and not sure what had been replaced. However I do know there were a few problems when I bought it that were still there when I wrecked it.

The transmission had a good cutoff at the red line, but it shifted into 3rd gear like jerked pretty rough. Not the worse I have ever felt, but not good.

It had a bad vibration in the pedal at acceleration. I suspect the car may have been hit before I owned it. Something in the front end vibrated terribly between 25, and 50 mph. It was badly out of alignment, and the front tires were pretty worn after only 11k miles.

The ball joints sounded like popcorn in a microwave when I went over bumps. Also this car had rigged up plastic control arms or something in there. Don't know if that was stock or what.

Camshaft position sensor was bad at 73k. The service engine soon light was on, and I had it scanned at auto zone. Never fixed it, and it never gave me a problem. Still ran it for 2k miles before I wrecked the car.

One day I took a turn too fast on a winding road. Don't know what happened, but I lost control pretty good, and I went into a ditch, and couldn't get out. The wheel was hanging off the car, and I messed up the transmission. The end.

I didn't have to put any money into it in the 11k+ miles I had it. Just oil, and trans fluid, cause I think it leaked. It had an oil burning problem, but it may have been a leak somewhere. This car was a volcano waiting to erupt. I'm not saying the Taurus was a bad car, but mine sucked. The radio, and ac control in the same unit sucked too. And the tape player wouldn't stop skipping. I wouldn't buy another one, because this car has a weak front end that falls apart so early. Same could be said for most front wheel drive cars.