1997 Ford Taurus G review from North America

I have had 4 major problems with the vehicle.

The first occurred at about 45,000 miles when the dashboard cover partially separated from the instrument cluster top trim. This left a gap of about 1/2 inch between the two. This is not visible from outside the car, but is clearly visible when you are inside. Unfortunately I didn't buy the extended warranty. After pricing a new dash and looking at the installation I just decided to live with it. I believe this failure was due to extreme heat buildup in the car (black paint) during the Louisiana summers.

The second was at approximately 70,000 miles when the coolant overflow tank developed a crack on the bottom of the tank. The new tank cost me $30 and took me about 1 hr to replace.

The third problem was at approximately 80,000 miles. The windshield wiper motor started making a bad grinding noise when the wipers were running. I disassembled the wiper assemble and got a new motor for about $115. Total time to repair was about 3 hours.

The latest problem is that the driver's side rear window will no longer go down. The window motor doesn't seem to be running, so I guess it's an electrical problem going to the motor or the motor itself has failed. I have not had a chance to delve into this as I rarely put the rear windows down.

Firstly, several things I like about the car.

One, I still like the styling. The look is good and the interior layout is roomy with well placed controls.

Secondly, the 3.0L puts out decent power for a vehicle of this size. Acceleration is steady across across a wide range of engine speeds.

Lastly the ride is very comfortable. The cloth interior has held up well and is easily cleaned with typical car care carpet cleaners (which I also use on the cloth seats with good effect).

The primary down side of the car is that for best gas mileage I have to use mid-grade unleaded. With regular I lose 3-5 miles per gallon. On the other hand, premium only adds 1-2 miles per gallon over mid-grade. So I go with the mid-grade and I credit that partially in keeping the engine running well.

The one thing I have observed talking to Taurus owners is that the difference between happy Taurus owners and sad ones is maintenance. The ones who are most aware of the basic maintenance needs (oil change, belts, lube, plugs) seem to be the happy ones. This doesn't mean go to the dealer for every service need, but definitely don't put off the basics.