Faults:

Got this car in March; two weeks later had to replace the radiator, thermostat, and water pump. 600 dollars there.

June had to replace the driver side window motor; 300 dollars there.

Two weeks later I had to put it into the shop and have completely new brake lines, including main lines too replaced.

And most recently the A/C went out, and when it went out, so did the windshield wipers, headlights, taillights.

And don't forget the radio coming on by itself. Never again will I own a Ford.

General Comments:

Terrible horrible car.

Faults:

Right Rear window stopped working

Air conditioner condenser went out/leak

Transmission shifts erratically

Molding on side started peeling off.

General Comments:

This car is very fast and handles very well.

If you want a sport and you are to tall or big this is the car to buy.

If your inside lights stay on after you shut the door**spray silicone or wd40 on the door hatch/locking latch and it will fix the problem. Easy fix if you know what it is or you have a mechanic that is honest. I have to do this every 6 months or so.

Overall this car has been a good ride and I consider it a sport.

Still having erratic shifting problems but ford says the transmission is fine and shifting fine. It happens around 55-60 mph.

Faults:

Brakes/pads 139K

Rotors 139K

Sway bars 139K

Radiator 139K

Cam angle shaft sensor 170K

Wheel bearing 185K

Ball joints 185K

Alternator 175 K

Battery 175K

Alternator belt 165K

Exhaust - due to a minor accident

So many others I can't think about!!

General Comments:

I loved this car. This was my very first car. I bought it at 139K for 1500, which was exactly what I needed.

However, I got hit with a 2,000 bill on it for the first couple things on the list. After that I drove this car till the trans died at 189K; it was very sad.

Minus all the major problems I had on it, this car treated me very well. I drove it everywhere because it was just that comfortable and spacious.

It went well on long car rides and the gas mileage was awesome, don't have exact numbers.

Handles amazing, takes great turns and has excellent steering, perfect for a new teenage driver, However when the speed kicks in, it goes FAST!

Drivers side window gave me a couple problems, it would stick a lot. Have no source of the problem, even after taking the door panel completely apart.

I changed the oil on this car regularly and kept it well maintained. If I wasn't due for an update, I would put a new trans in the Taurus and keep driving it, that's how much I loved it.

General Comments:

I bought the car and it needed struts. It still needs struts.

If you try to get accelerate quickly the transmission will lurch a little. It has been doing that since I bought the car.

The serpentine squeals when the car is running. I replaced it and it was fine for a while, but now it does the same thing. I fixed it by keeping the radio a little louder.

I really want to, but another car, but it keeps running without any major issues that need to be addressed.

Bought in 2004 for 2000 dollars and haven't spent more than 500 in repairs. That is including brakes, tires, serpentine belt, battery and starter.

Faults:

Bought with 31,000 and brand new paint job, immaculate interior, looked "showroom new" although 9 years old. Engine was spotless. Within 12 months and 27,000 miles I have

1. replaced the radiator (plastic end caps fatigued) which was a horribly complex job

2. replace the bushings between the frame and the subframe

3. major realignment (tires were running bald on the inside right side)

4. new gasket around the timing chain (major leaking of radiator fluid)

5. multiple flushes of heater core (poor heat in cabin)

6. transmission was leaking, needed new gasket

Thanks to complicated designs, these fairly small tasks cost me $4,000 in total including parts; had they hit all at once I'd have chucked the car.

My wife's recent car, a 1991 Taurus, was purchased 5 years ago with 100,000 and now up to 160,000 with $0 on repairs except brake pads. This is why I bought a '97. Next used car, I'm checking the internet carefully for shared experiences. Everything is hard to reach and many labor hours to fix, and fix it I must.

General Comments:

The Taurus also seems to ride much rougher than my Chevy Lumina of the same year and approx mileage. Stereo is proprietary and very expensive and complicated to replace with a CD player, so I passed on that.

Personally I like the look of this era Taurus.