1989 Ford Taurus GL from North America - Comments

The only thing that has gone wrong with this car, is the rear motor mount that needs to be replaced.

I had to replace the brake pads.

I love this car, I have put almost 30,000 miles on it in one year and I have never had an ounce of trouble.

It is very dependable and comfortable, and I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

I personally love the Ford Taurus. I've got 2. An '89 and an '87. My Brother in-law has a '90. They truly are the best car ever made!!!

My Ford Taurus is one of the most dependable cars I have ever owned. I am a female 71 years old and have been driving since I was 13,so have had considerable experience with cars. This Taurus still gets 30 mpg, and more on long trips. Have put lots of miles on it and never had a problem. I have replaced the tires and had the brakes relined.. Other than standard maintenance that's it!!

My 1989 Ford Taurus GL has been perfect for me. I am 16 years old and I have owned this car for one and 1 half years. it has around 130,000 miles on it and I only need to replace the A/C.

It gets great gas mileage.

The only flaw is that it has a few little rust spots, but for a new driver, it is perfect.

I just bought an 89 Ford Taurus from my brother's friend. It only has 64,000 miles on it because it has sat for years. A week ago, after driving it for about an 15 minutes, the brake line snapped. Luckily it was in a parking lot. No I know mechanics tend to stretch the truth to make more money so maybe someone can comment and help me out. In addition to showing me how bad the damage on my break line was, he also showed me what color all of the fluids should be and all of the fluids in my Taurus were like brown and dark brown. He said the engine would soon start to overheat and I would have nothing, but problems. But I was told by a mechanic that I know that he wouldn't worry too much about it and my brother told me not to worry about the color of the fluids at all. So what should I do? I realize that it is very important to have light colored oil instead of dark. But does the colors of the rest of the fluids matter? As long as I make sure that all fluids are full, will I have no problems? Is my Taurus a bad car to be driving, considering that it has 64,000 miles, it has sat for years and it is an 89? Please help me out and comment and answer my questions everybody. Thank you.

Because a fluid is a different color, doesn't just mean that's the only thing about it. Fluids don't just change colors like toothbrushes when they wear out. When a fluid is a different color, that means that there is something in there that is making in that way, and it's not food coloring. They are usually contaminants that grind against the internal parts of your car and wear them out much faster than normal. For example, Transmission fluid is supposed to be bright red (if it's an automatic), but when it becomes dark brown and almost black, that means that the fluid has lost most of it's properties that assist the transmission to operate correctly. The fluid isn't just a lubricant, but actually plays a part in how the car shifts and drives. It's due to the correct viscosity of the fluid. Really, all I'm saying is, change the fluids, especially the transmission fluid and the engine oil. AND, change them AGAIN before the next scheduled service is due to make sure that you "flush" the remaining junk out that was left behind from the old fluids. After that, just follow regular maintenance schedules. The Taurus is EXCEPTIONALLY BAD for blowing transmissions, and having denatured fluid doesn't encourage it. If you maintain that car, you should see it reach the 100K mark as mine did and surpassed 160K just a few months ago. Make sure that this car is maintained and the fluids are changed at the correct intervals. Otherwise, that car might not make it to next week. You never know.

To the above commenter with the questions---

I'm not surprised your brake line snapped. You said the car sat a while?

Well, that is hard on any car because things can dry out and/or deteriorate.. Such as hoses, belts and even transmission seals.

And your fluids (oil, coolant, transmission fluid, ect)

can break down and deteriorate also. That makes them less able to do their job.

So you should change all these fluids especially if the car has been sitting for years.

And drain and flush your radiator and refill with fresh coolant. Inspect belts and hoses and replace if they are worn.

Hope this helps.