1998 Ford Taurus Wagon SE from North America - Comments

Poor quality instrument stalks - have had to jiggle stalk to get the right wiper speed from day one

Ball joints every 30k-40k

CD changer went at 50k

Poor transmission kickdown/upshift calibration - has the typical Ford skip-shift-bog if anything other than a heavy foot is applied.

Fragile plastic interior trim breaking all over - latest was the cigarette lighter socket that pulled out in my hand and blew fuse from resulting short

Rust rust rust, but this is Michigan after all

Fuel pump (check valve failure) at 70k

Door ajar lights staying on (thanks for the WD40 tip)

This is my first American car as a daily driver (I have a '65 Mustang hobby car) after a string of imports (VW, VW, Toyota, Honda, Honda). We decided to give it a go after moving to the Detroit area, kind of our way to be a hometown booster, and we wanted wagon for our growing family instead of a minivan (lower CG, a bit better mpg, braking, handling for the dollar). This will be, unfortunately, my last Ford daily driver. I have been very disappointed in the build quality and reliability. The car has been well maintained (severe-duty oil change schedule, regular maintenance on everything else). The first set of ball joints had me scratching my head (gee, the Hondas never did that, all the way past 100+k), but there was definitely "clicking" in the joint. 30-40k later, same thing. The car was getting ~19-20 mpg in mixed urban/suburban driving, which is good for a car of this size. Suddenly, at 80k, the mileage is at 11-12 mpg for 6 months and the dealership is clueless as to the cause (no codes, fresh tuneup, no brake drag, no fuel leak, no impact on performance other than mpg). There was also rust coming out of the door edges at 50k. I would have hoped to at least get 75k before the rust took over, but it is Michigan after all. I've never liked the electronic calibration of the automatic transmission. The completely hydraulic C4 in my old Mustang has far superior shift quality, or at least it's predictable. My Taurus shares a fault that I have found in other auto-tranny Fords (rentals) where it has an over eager upshift (2nd to 4th skip shift) at even the slightest lift from a heavy throttle application that can leave you with an unpredictable, and sometimes scary when crossing traffic, bog. I could never quite get comfortable in the front seats, but the main problem has been the poor build quality and now the abysmal fuel economy.

It's really a shame. The vehicle had promise. It has acceptable acceleration, with 200 hp on tap, which was particularly good considering the low initial purchase price. It has fairly good 4-wheel disk/ABS brakes. With a set of performance summer tires and good winter tires, I have been fairly pleased with braking, handling, and ride considering that this is not exactly a sport sedan. The sound system was relatively good (I now have a CD changer again after a trip to the junkyard), and the climate control was excellent.

Now I think it's time to unload it before the tranny goes, as I have been forewarned that I'm on borrowed time on that. It's hard for me to change cars at less than 120k - it just isn't right. Maybe it's time to go back to imports and driving them up to insane high mileage until they rust appart. I never had the issues with build quality and basic design that I have seen while living with the Taurus wagon every day for 7 years. Ford has finally moved on and replaced the Taurus with other offerings. I am disappointed enough with this vehicle and with their terrible dealer service that I will not be a repeat customer.

I must disagree with your review. My 1998 Taurus wagon has 276,000 miles on it and I have not replaced a ball joint, and am only now beginning to see signs of rust. I have not had to have any work done on the fuel pump, and consistently get 24 to 26 mile to the gallon around town, and consistently 28 MPG on the highway.

I also disagree with the review. Our 1997 Mercury Sable station wagon with 3.0 Liter Vulcan has 180,000 miles (we've put 120,000 miles on it) and has had no problems, except for the famous heater issue that required a coolant flush. No other issues, just change fluids, filters, and spark plugs. Everything works and always has. It regularly gets 29 mpg on the highway. I wouldn't be afraid to buy another Ford, based on that experience.