Faults:

The rear coil springs broke at 21,000 miles. One of the broken springs cut into the tire.

The trunk has developed a leak in which water accumulates in the spare tire well.

The left rear quarter panel has started to rust along the edge of the rear passenger door.

At 20,000 miles, the front end developed a rattle in the suspension components (this problem was not corrected even after Ford replaced the front coil springs under a recall).

At 21,000 miles, the rear stabilizer bar had to be tightened down, but there is still a knocking noise in the rear suspension area.

General Comments:

This vehicle was purchased new in 2001 and has not been wrecked or abused.

Faults:

The power steering pump went at 24k miles.

Computer re-flashed at 30k miles to fix a no start problem.

Replaced oil pan gasket at 34k miles and 50k miles.

Replaced injectors 4, 5, 6 at 55k miles along with #4 plug wire.

Rotors severely warped at 40k miles to the point it was hard to brake.

Tires dry rotted at 45k miles to where I could see the nylon sidewall.

Coil springs sagging and replaced under recall.

Crankshaft positioning sensor failed twice in one week at 70k miles (last straw).

General Comments:

I liked the style and price of the car when I bought it. It had a comfortable interior, and handled well. What I came not to like is the fact that I averaged about 3k miles between shop visits. I counted 15 different trouble service records in the 3 years I've had the car. It is by far the worst car I've ever owned, and will not buy a Ford product until they get their act together.

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

This 2001 Taurus was assigned to me, as an insurance appraiser, in January 2001. I had very low expectations for this car as I turned in a 1996 Crown Victoria in for this FWD insubstantially cheaply built car.

I didn’t like the car at first and thought it would never hold up. I have been driving this car super hard. It has been at wideopen throttle, many times daily, as I pull onto streets and on ramps.

While we do have to service the cars according to the owners manual, this particularly Taurus has gone 10,000-miles between oil changes and the Transmission has never been serviced at all.

I told myself, that if this thing actually makes it to 50,000 miles, I’d be impressed, but it has right over 100,000 miles and it still runs and drives like new. The car is still as tight and crisp as it was right out of the box. The front end has never been realigned and wears the tires as it should.

The car actually averages about 24 mpg and this is super aggressive pedal to the metal acceleration.

My only complaint about the car is the design of the front floor pan. I cannot stretch out my left leg, while driving, like I could in the Crown Victoria. Also the engine is loud at idle. The check engine light has stated to come on occasionally and this started around 95,000-miles. My immediate supervisor told me not to worry about it, or waste the money on it, as the car would be disposed of, at auction, in a few months, but the car runs like new still. It has started to ping slightly while going up hills and this started when the Light came on.

I have literally ramped this car over rail road tracks and sped over ruff dirt roads and speed bumps and the car has held up fine. My 17 year old son has even driven the car around with his buddies in it and God only knows how they treated it. I’d rather him abuse the company car rather then ours.

I turn the car in next week for a new Ford Fivehundred and hope the five hundred is as good as the Taurus was. The FiveHundred that I drove has the same floor pan issue as the Taurus, but the rear doors on the FiveHundred only seem to open up half way. The Taurus would out run a FiveHundred in a heart beat, but the list that I was given, to pick out a new car from, did not have the Taurus as an option. The Fusion, FiveHundred, Ranger, Freestar, or Freestyle were my options. I took the FiveHundred.

The current Taurus is way under rated and very finely crafted cars. I was not a believer and would have never of bought a Taurus, but I believe in them now.

I will buy a Taurus for my daughter when she starts driving in a few years. They feel safe and handle very well.

My son would not take anything less than a Chevy Truck, other wise he would be driving this Taurus as I would have kept it and I am fully confident that this Taurus would be good till 200,000 miles easily.