Faults:

None at all.

General Comments:

I drove a '95 Mercury Sable for years and this car is better in every way. The suspension is softer, the ride is better and quieter, the chassis is more solid, it is bigger and more comfortable. I have ridden in my brother's 2003 Volkswagen Passat, which has nearly the same MSRP as a new Taurus, and would put the Taurus up against the Passat any day of the week.

I am not a big fan of the rear brake drums, though.

I like the 200 hp engine, but is seems to propel the car a little more sluggishly than a 200 hp engine should.

Faults:

Nothing big to this point. I routinely do my own minor maintenance (Oil changes), and I have changed the transmission fluid and filter once (at 30000 miles). Other than that, no problems.

General Comments:

This car is a pretty good upgrade from my last car (91 T-Bird). The 3.0L, 24 valve V6 is what I would highly recommend over the standard V6 engine.

This car has some pickup, and it handles the New England weather and potholes great (16 inch alloys and traction control).

The engine in this car is an upgrade from the head gasket prone ford/mercury 3.8L V6 engine of the early to mid 90s.

The stereo is a bit disapointing, as you cannot put an aftermarket radio in. The radio is integrated with the digital climate control (DCC), so your only option is to, but an OEM CD Changer. However, if you have the old knob heat controls and you didn't get the DCC, you can buy an aftermarket console with a hole where the current radio would be. Then you can just purchase a nice head unit and pop it in.

The leather seats have great back support, and the adjustable pedals are a must for a taller person like me, or a shorter person like my girlfriend.

Faults:

Middle trim of all 4 door panels falling off.

Rubbing noise when turning steering wheel.

General Comments:

This car is a big improvement in comparison to the last model, it is faster, handles better and looks better, I love the finish of the leather interior except that the front seats have absolutely no lower back support, the lumbar support is not located in the proper position, Even with adjustable pedals, the steering wheel is to far forward to get in a good driving position, with the redesign of the steering wheel you no longer have slots at the 9 and 3 o'clock hand position.

Faults:

My father owned the car before I did, but, it was constantly in the shop and most recently, it caught on fire due to something faulty on the hood insulation.

After the fire which resulted in no exterior damage and was completely resolved, according to the dealer, my father got a new car and I got the hand me down. Oh boy!

The car repeatedly wouldn't start on cold mornings and it would take numerous times and numerous pumping the gas to get the car to start during the winter.

I ran out of windshield wiper fluid one day and opened my hood to fill it up and my hood wouldn't shut!! Luckily the safety latch was intact and I could make it to the dealer safely. Ford fixed this at no cost.

Today, we came out of a store and I went to put it in reverse and my shift was jammed! My father came out to rescue me and found it was an electrical problem... now my car is in the shop again...

I have the same seatbelt problems other owners of 2000's complained about also.