10th Jan 2005, 11:24
An add-on to my last comment about my 60000 mile "gem".
The frame around each window lost the luster of its black color. It peeled. A friend in the automotive industry tried to paint the frames back to the original color, but it peeled as well down to its metal. As the car ran very well, I gave up trying to preserve the frames other than waxing them and hoping for the best.
29th Nov 2005, 20:07
I have a 97 Taurus GL with 228,000 miles on it. Had transmission rebuilt by Cottmann, it failed after 6 months. Got junkyard trans for $30.00 replaced the trans pump and valve body myself now the car runs like new. After overheating, I replaced the water pump and replaced a cracked head.
I am very happy with it. Good strong car. I drive the Taurus to and from work about 100 miles per day. Very dependable car.
12th Dec 2005, 16:38
To the person with the snow tires from December 12th: Without knowing all the details, I wonder if this could be a simple problem like low power steering fluid or a weak power steering pump. That would be easiest and cheapest for you to check first. A loud groaning noise at low speeds (like turning corners) can often be the power steering when the engine isn't turning it as fast as usual. Try checking the fluid. The ABS light could just be a coincidence, or maybe the tires, if oversize, could have worn away a connection? I don't know much about ABS, so I don't know if the computer has to be re-calibrated for different tire sizes? We had a Chevy van and the ABS light came on suddenly one morning, and it turned out that mice had eaten through the wire, so it's hard to say if it has anything to do with your new tires... Good luck!
12th Dec 2005, 19:03
You spent $6000 on a 1997 Taurus with 152000 miles??? No wonder you are having problems with it. You could have purchased a 2002 with less miles on it than that for that kinda money.
3rd Jan 2006, 12:05
We spent $6000.00 Canadian, and this included taxes, new tires and shipping it to our door. Trust me, I looked around, that was the best deal in town. You can't find a anything for less than 5 or 6 grand that's any good around here.
Anyway, the problems have turned out to be poor workmanship on the part of the mechanics who rushed to ship the car to us. We have since dealt with a local dealership who agree that we would scammed on the repairs that were supposedly done. The local dealership re-did all the repairs at no charge to us.
As it turns out, the groaning noise was a result of one of the hubcaps not being on probably and wearing into the tire (which also had low pressure) on turns. The ABS light is on because both sensors were damaged when the brakes were "repaired".
Everything has been fixed, we're loving the car and it was well worth the money.
Thanks for the help!
22nd Feb 2006, 21:27
I bought a '97 Ford Taurus GL in October '05 and have had few problems with it. My dome light stayed on so I just took out the light bulbs. That's fixed. However, my cam shaft censor is acting up and I'm not sure what that all means. Does anyone know if that's expensive? I paid $2100 for it. It had 150k when I got it. I love the way it handles! I would buy another if I had to.
6th Mar 2006, 20:52
I too have the same problem with the check engine light coming on. The error code is the cam shaft... I purchased the same $35.00 part to fix the problem... every three months for the past year and a half... My advice, sell it, but not to someone that you like.
14th Aug 2006, 17:01
The dome light problem in the Ford Taurus is easy to fix. The door close switch is in the latch. Just spray the latch with WD40 and open and close the door a few times. In my case it was the driver's door.
22nd Aug 2006, 13:55
I just bought a 1997 taurus for 500, the thing runs great. drives good at highway speeds. I have a few minor things to fix like the knobs on the heater and a broken rear sway bar end link.
20th Dec 2006, 03:51
This usually means that the car is overdue for service. Either buy a service indicator reseter or get a garage to reset this. If this does not go away this means that you have some kind of problem with your car. Get a fault code reader for your car, buy it from the internet or get the same garage to diagnose it, they'll probably have a fault code reader for your car. Fault code readers are generic and can usually be used on a wide range of cars. If your car starts OK, runs OK and emissions are OK, there is probably nothing major.
3rd May 2007, 12:40
"The 24-valve (duratec) has better performance, gas mileage, and reliability".
Other than better performance and maybe gas mileage its the other way around.
16th Jun 2007, 17:00
I have been driving my 1997 Tarus since 2001. Currently 232,000 miles only replaced starter, battery and brake pads. Excellent vehicle.
4th Sep 2007, 16:01
I'm about to buy a 97 Ford Taurus GL with 69,000 miles on it. No the mileage is not a mistake. I've been reading everyone's comments on these vehicles and I hope that it turns out to be a good purchase. I've always been a Chevy or Toyota girl myself, so this is kinda of scary, buying a Ford. Wish me the best.
5th Sep 2007, 23:17
I have a 1997 Ford Taurus, currently at 113k miles, still strong. One issue is the camshaft position sensor which is very inexpensive. I haven't replaced it since it doesn't affect my driving.
14th Sep 2007, 23:28
So I went ahead and bought the '97 Ford Taurus GL with 69,000 miles on it, and it was a hassle to register. The emissions failed because of the camshaft sensor and drive, ended up having to replace both so the engine light would go off. Finally got the vehicle registered and now my antifreeze leaks like crazy. So far I have yet to find out where it's coming from, as I can't see the radiator. This is very frustrating and I don't want to have to take it back to a mechanic. Does anyone have any suggestions or has anyone had this problem?
8th Oct 2007, 00:13
Hi. How much did you buy your 1997 Ford Taurus 69,000 miles for? I am thinking of buying one with 109,000 miles ($2,100). Either that or a 1997 Escort with 129,000 (about $1,600). Could anyone please tell me if I should just spend some more money for an older Honda or Toyota, or would Ford be worth it? Thanks.
9th Jan 2005, 22:43
Contrary To the comments I have read, my 1997 Ford Taurus GL was a gem. I had no major problems with it and it was a joy to ride in. The only problem I had was condensation fogging up the windows. No matter how much I wiped them or put on the fan, the windows were a mess.
I say was because I recently had an accident and it would cost too much to fix. I only had 60,000 miles on it and it recently had its 60000 mile checkup. I had no problems with my "gem" except what I mentioned.