1988 Ford Taurus LX 3.8 V6 from North America

Summary:

The best older car on the road still

Faults:

Replaced head gaskets at 150,102 miles.

Regular maintanance. It will pull us out of any trouble we can get into.

General Comments:

The most comfortable car we have ever had.

Very dependable, especially for its age and its mileage.

The 3.8 V6 is powerful enough.

Easiest thing to work on, besides the old cars.

It has tons of trunk space.

This car looks very good.

One of the roomiest cars in the family.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th July, 2002

1988 Ford Taurus GL 3.0 litre 12v V6 from North America

Summary:

A well equipped car for the money

Faults:

Constant velocity joints, water pump had to be replaced at 123000 kilometres.

Rear struts/springs failed at 140000 kms

Heater core failed 146000 kms

Constant coolant system problems, such as blown heater hoses plagued the car for as long as I owned the car.

Pump for washer fluid failed twice.

Tie Rod ends dangerously loose, replaced at 160 000 k's.

Brakes and rotors replaced, usual wear and tear.

Chronic corrosion problem below gas filler cap, repaired twice, seems to be a common problem.

General Comments:

A roomy, comfortably riding sedan, great for hauling around a bunch of college students.

Adequate performance with the V6, although slow down shifting on expressway on ramps is a bit frightening if you're not used to it.

Handles well for a car this size, better than most mid sized cars I have driven. Handled snow and ice well, but the tail had a tendency to slide around corners if you're not careful.

Not the cheapest car to maintain, with relatively high fuel consumption, frequent repairs etc. Don't buy this car without some mechanical knowledge, money set aside for costly repair work.

A decent first car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th April, 2002

1988 Ford Taurus Sedan 1.8 from North America

Summary:

This car is the worst car I've ever owned

Faults:

First, the key broke off in the ignition. $100 to fix.

Second, the A/C compressor broke (that means no more air conditioning). Too expensive to fix, $500-$600.

Third, an electrical problem that had to do with idling. Cost $110 for a small piece of plastic to fix it.

Fourth, the power steering hose leaked. Cost $300 to fix.

Fifth, the radiator plug broke. Tried to replace it on my own, but the seat that the plug went into actually came off. $75 to repair.

General Comments:

This car stinks. Things break all the time. It's comfortable, but that's all. We have put so much money into this car thinking, "this will be it, now it will run for awhile". Then something happens - something breaks. We are still waiting for the transmission to go out... it will be soon...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th October, 2001

16th Oct 2004, 15:17

Headaches ford Taurus sedan gave us

1) Power steering hose leakage -$350

2) Air conditioning gone-$300

3) Brakes of both, front and rear had to be changed- completely (including rotors and calibers) -$650.

4) Radiator plug was gone, (hope radiator was fine).

I got rid of the car.

10th Jun 2005, 23:42

When you buy a car with that much mileage, you have to be prepared to fix that kind of stuff. I hate it when people complain about how crappy their car is, when in reality they haven't really taken care of it if at all. Remember, it's your fault the car is unreliable, not the car's fault.

16th Apr 2008, 17:33

First, keys don't just "break off" in the ignition unless somebody torques on them and snaps them off. Sometimes if the steering wheel is at the wrong angle, it prevents the anti-theft ignition lock tumblers from turning. Cure No. 1 is to jiggle the steering wheel while turning the key. Cure No. 2 is to spray a spritz of WD-40 into the slot to lubricate the lock. Savings: $100.

Second, you can buy a replacement power steering hose for $15 at Advance Auto et al., and install it in 20 minutes yourself. Savings: $335.

Third, brakes wear out. That's why they are a routine maintenance item. A set of front and rear brakes costs $70 for decent quality, and takes an afternoon of leisurely activity to change. Savings: $580.

Fourth, fixing the AC on a 15-20 year old car is like putting gas in the tank of a car you've already wrecked. That's why there are windows. However, a can of refrigerant costs $7 to recharge the AC, and you can bet that for only $300, this is all the work that your mechanic did. Savings: $293.

You're looking at it all wrong. This wasn't a money pit, it was an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars.