1988 Ford Taurus L review from North America
"A car that will take you to the repair shop over and over"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Ignition Control Module
Distributor ($250 rebuilt)
Power Steering Hoses (twice) ($600 each)
Air Condition compressor ($900)
Car would not run once weather was warm.
General comments?
Would not recommend this car to anybody. Engine was smooth and strong. Taurus wagon was perfect sized for a growing family. Power steering hose started leaking at 95,000 miles. Hose was replaced at high cost only to start leaking again seven months later at 97,500 miles. Again paid the high cost to repair. Air conditioning compressor was leaky ($900 with retrofit). Worst of all, the car left my family stranded on the side of the freeway repeatedly. Engine would stall out and fail to restart when the outside temperature was above 80 degrees. Repeated attempts to repair before giving up on the car. In 2002, Ford was involved in a recall of the Thick Film Ignition Module on these cars, which is what my stalling problem was caused by. Ford tried to charge me $1000 to repair the stall problem when they knew all along that about this $50 part defect. Stay clear of this vehicle.
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| 1988 - Taurus LX 140 HP 3.0 V6 fuel-injected I'll never forget this car, it is the king of low budget transportation |
|
| Reliable for a year, then is a bottomless money pit |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1997 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 88000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 110000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Mustang |
| Date of Entry | 22nd April, 2003 |