1996 Ford Taurus GL review from North America

My automatic transmission failed at around 105,000 miles. When this happened, we had to pay for a tow truck and it brought the total to around $2800.00 The rear hatch door lock mechanism got stuck in the closed position shortly after we unloaded some groceries and would not release the key. I was unable to close the hatch. I had to use a spare key to drive the car and park it in a location where it would not be stolen. I then had to remove the real panels to figure out what happened. Once that was done, I made a trip to the local junkyard to obtain a replacement part. I did the job myself and it was a simple fix for about $20.00. The other major expenses included replacing a failed water pump. It was not an expensive fix and came out to around $100.00..

The station wagon has been a reliable car that is easy to maintain and cheap to operate. I have not had any major problems with it. I do not hesitate jumping into the vehicle and driving it from coast to coast (San Diego, California to Corpus Christi, Texas - Gulf of Mexico). I also drive frequenly from California to Texas and I have never had any problems. The A/C still blows cold air and the heater is still working well. My Ford Wagon has never left me stranded.

I have owned various other vehicles and the V6 3.0 engine in the wagon is sufficient but could use more power. Although the seats are not too bad, in my opinion, they need to provide more lower back and side support. I have considered replacing the seats with something better, but haven't found a good replacement that will fit the stock location. I also replaced the stock oval radio and added a single-DIN radio with a compact disc changer and have not had any electrical problems. The stock speakers were also replaced with better units. This is a good vehicle that has served me well (as long as it is properly maintained).