2001 Ford Taurus SES 3.0 V6

Summary:

Most reliable, yet not so appealing sedan

Faults:

Rear shocks needed replacing at 110,000.

Small coolant leak in hose at 120,000.

Some dummy lights won't shut off like the door open light.

General Comments:

I must say, for a large family sedan with only a 3.0, this car has some get up.

I've won many races in this beast, and it sounds amazing, very "muscle" like.

The car has been extremely reliable since day one, and continues to impress me.

130,000 miles (209,000km) and not one headache, and my driving style is erratic.

Highly recommend for a commuter, or just a family car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th January, 2011

2001 Ford Taurus

Summary:

My Taurus is my first and last Ford

Faults:

Gas pedal moves unexpectedly, engine slows down, then theft light comes on; it happens at all speeds and weather conditions. Sometimes all the warning lights will come on and the car dies. I'm barely able to start it. Local Ford mechanics cannot find the problem nor duplicate it. I'm certainly at a loss what to do.

General Comments:

For the first year I owned the car, it ran terrifically.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th October, 2009

25th Oct 2009, 19:27

"Local Ford mechanics cannot find the problem nor duplicate it. I'm certainly at a loss what to do."

- The solution to your problem is actually close at hand.

Just get rid of the lemon!

25th Oct 2009, 19:30

Skip the dealer, go straight to FMC regional rep... This is an ECU problem.

27th Nov 2009, 22:17

It never ceases to amaze me how people will buy horribly abused cars with high mileage, then scream "I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ----- (name your make) AGAIN!!" If a car has issues it is (99% of the time) a case of previous abuse or neglect. We have generally bought our Fords new. None of them had ANY problems before 100,000 miles. Several made well over 200,000 miles and one old trooper was traded (still running) for another Ford at 325,000 miles. We have bought three cars used in the past decade. but they had less than 36,000 miles on them. Even the WORST of abuse can't damage a Ford or GM in that short a time. You can buy a new Ford, drive it 36,000 miles without ever even opening the hood and never have any problems. I never even bother to check such things as belts, hoses, fluids or anti-freeze until after 50,000 miles.

28th Nov 2009, 12:26

"Even the WORST of abuse can't damage a Ford or GM in that short a time."

How I wish that were the case. However my GM couldn't even make 50,000 WITH regular maintenance.

28th Nov 2009, 21:34

"How I wish that were the case. However my GM couldn't even make 50,000 WITH regular maintenance."

You must have wrecked it. None of our GM or Ford cars or trucks has ever required any repairs in under 100,000 miles.

In reply to 28th Nov 2009, 21:34

29th Nov 2009, 12:05

If a connecting rod shooting out the bottom of the engine is considered a wreck, then I guess that is what happened.

2001 Ford Taurus LX 3.0L Vulcan 12V

Summary:

I love this car

Faults:

Camshaft synchronizer had to be replaced around 100,000.

Coolant reservoir cracked and had to be replaced.

Belt tensioner and idler pulley had to be replaced.

Replaced both front wheel bearings due to this irritating squeal they had developed.

Bought a new wheel because I hit the biggest pot hole ever - bent the factory steel rim causing some unwanted turbulence (not the car's fault...).

All four door panels have started to come apart (the vinyl fabric inserts have started to peel away from the panel due to the summer heat).

Really nothing out of the ordinary - all of these problems are common with this car; with the exception of routine maintenance, this car is rather low maintenance and all of these problems I have managed to fix myself.

General Comments:

This is an excellent car. I have enjoyed owning it for the past 6 years and putting over 50,000 miles on it. It is unfortunately underpowered with the 3.0L SOHC V6, but what the car lacks in power it more than makes up for in reliability.

I have never had any serious problems with this car. I've only had to deal with the common problems associated with all Ford Taurus' that I have listed above.

Despite the lack of power (155 HP), this car is a lot of fun to drive and the interior is very well organized and comfortable - I could live in this car, and I practically do with all the driving I do.

I was slightly disheartened that the LX package lacked keyless remote entry, cruise control, and a decent radio (it came with an AM/FM radio only!). But I've remedied that problem by purchasing a stock CD player from a salvage yard and adding the Mach stereo system that came standard on higher end Tauri (including tweeters in the sail panels).

Overall, I love this car and highly recommend it to others.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th September, 2009

14th Sep 2009, 14:33

I'm impressed with this review. I owned a 2001 Taurus (I wrote a review on this site, the LOOOOONNNG one).

I had a quirk with the coolant bottle sensor, but it never got replaced.

I had one carpet panel come out after the door was slammed, but I never bothered to replace it.

I never had any of the engine problems or sluggishness you (have) had, but I had the 200HP DOHC 24V.

I love that car and wish I still owned it! It brought home two beds, college stuff, weeks worth of camping gear, and it always came back for more!

29th Aug 2011, 00:06

In addition to what I said in my original review, I have encountered a few more problems that had to be addressed.

The Taurus developed a coolant leak at the timing cover - a problem that is very common for the 3.0 OHV engine that came in many Taurus' and Rangers. I managed to fix the problem myself with some extensive engine disassembly and reassembly.

While I was in there, I also decided to replace the timing chain/gears and water pump, since those are wear items and they were easily accessible at this time. After buttoning the engine compartment back up, I have discovered a failing A/C clutch, which also seems to be somewhat common with this model of compressor. I plan on fixing this whenever I have some free time and room in the garage.

The car only has around 130,000 miles on it now, but the age factor is starting to play a greater hand. By performing all of my own repairs, I have saved an extensive amount of money on this car - but this truly is a great car, and I would have ponied up the money to have it repaired if I was not capable of doing so.

Once again, all of these problems are common to the 3.0 OHV engine, but if you can get past these repairs, you will have a great car that will give you years and years of faithful service. But heck, this car is now 11 years old, which is far longer than most original owners hang on to a car - so it's really no wonder if problems are starting to pop up.

If you're reading this and currently thinking about buying a 2001 Taurus, you probably shouldn't be surprised if it's starting to have issues.