14th May 2008, 23:35

My daughter bought a used 1998 Ford Taurus and it seems to run pretty good. There was some transmission slippage but the tranny fluid was low, topped it up and the slippage went away. She has had the "door ajar/interior light" problem but WD40 worked like a charm (many thanks to everyone who suggested that). Now she has a new issue, the radio and the digital clock won't come on. Battery voltage is up and the fuses are all OK. Next step is to buy the shop manual with schematics. Electrical problems are always the hardest to find.

15th May 2008, 13:22

1998 Ford Taurus, DOHC 24 Valve V6, 201 horsepower, dual exhaust, 120,000 one owner hard, very hard, driving miles.

Problems, engine light and low coolant light after 60,000 miles, never anything wrong, just on, too much to turn off. Brakes suck, door ajar message always on, air intake valve always comes off.

Positives: For 21K, and 120,000 miles this car is a beauty, a bargain. Sure it's no lexus, or even a Camry, but it does it's job, in an old reliable appliance type manner.

I drive this thing like a Mustang, beat it up, rev it out, squak the tires, and accelerate like mad, and this car has done well. I've beaten better cars off the line (stop light). I could buy a new car, but why, this is everything I need, paid for, nice looking, (the round figure is coming back), and 21 mpg. Thanks Ford.

15th May 2008, 14:17

As a mechanic, I'd recommend checking for fluid leaks in the transmission, as low fluid should not occur unless it is going somewhere. I've put 200,000 miles on Fords without ever having to add fluid. Also, I'd replace the filter if it has not been replaced recently. Lots of luck. We've gotten 300,000+ miles out of Fords. They are some of the most reliable cars on Earth.

15th Jul 2008, 11:15

I bought a 1998 Taurus SE from the government at an auction. I thought I got a great deal cause the car only had 15000 miles. So far, this POS has given me nothing but trouble.

1) An idler pulley on the fan belt was squealing, 435$ at the dealer to have it replaced.

2) The A/C blower motor only had 1 speed, the dealer charged me 500$ for a new blower motor and some resistor.

3) A right rear brake pad disintegrated, and subsequently wiped out the rotor. New pads and rotor 150$

4) I thought I was being proactive by changing and flushing the transmission at Kaufman tires, now I notice the transmission has a leak. I brought it back to them, they say the transmission pump is leaking. (I guess an internal pump)

Now the transmission will not shift out of 1st gear.

This POS has less than 20000 miles on it, and it's sitting at the ATL airport. I'm thinking of driving to the shutdown Ford plant at the end of the runway in Atlanta and burning it below the sign that says "Home of the Ford Taurus"

What a pile of junk, Ford should be ashamed of the engineering in this car. I have no sympathy for the American automotive industry, they are getting what they deserve.

12th Aug 2008, 19:23

98 Taurus, SOHC 3.0. Have had it for about 4 years and put about 50,000 miles on it. Have had 3 blown head gaskets, 1 replaced freeze plug, and the heads turned twice. Not to mention I am having to replace the engine as we speak, with 129,000 miles. Always have had the door ajar problem, car didn't even have interior lights when I got it. It seems like I am always taking it to the garage to get it checked out. And when I have it put on a computer, I get different readings every time. The way I see it, I will never be able to sell it for what I have in it, not even half. Paid 2 grand and have put in at least another 2 grand.

Before the Taurus I had a 97 Escort, with no options. Ran it to death, wrecked it, and still drove it with one door riveted shut. Best car I ever had. There were no extras to break so I never had any problems with it. Sold it for $200 with about 300,000 miles on it. Still ran like the day I bought it, and wish I would have kept it.

16th Aug 2008, 17:23

I have a 98 Taurus SE. I thought the car was fine until recently when I took it on a few long trips.

I'm guessing this is related to the transmission.

After something like 30 minutes on the highway, suddenly the tachometer will drop to 0 RPMs. And the speedometer does as well, despite the car still moving in excess of 60 MPH down the highway.

The engine is no longer transferring power to the wheels. And if you accelerate the engine idles at a high rate, but the car continues to glide and slow down.

I really haven't driven the car much. But I am not happy with this scary turn of events. And I'm afraid I'll have to go to a Ford dealer to fix the problem and they all screw you.

13th Sep 2008, 20:42

I have a 98 Ford Taurus. Has had most of the the other problems. Well now when I am driving and put it in Park or Neutral, about 2 minutes later it cuts off. I am able to crank it back up. The check engine soon light is on; all it reads is system lean low. Somebody please help.

27th Sep 2008, 21:32

You made two main mistakes:

First, GSA (Government Services Administration) doesn't maintain fleet vehicles for jack. Oil changes every 7,000 miles is about the only routine maintenance, and since employees don't have a stake in the vehicle, nobody takes care of them. Thus, the cars are beat on and driven hard, fluids are never checked, tune-ups are never done, and they are driven into the ground. A car with 15,000 miles in 10 years is a car that has never been maintained.

Second, taking your car to a lube and tire place to have a transmission flush is like getting a.30-'06 and putting a bullet in the transmission. They ruined it.

You probably could have saved this car if the first thing when you bought it, you had the transmission fluid and filter changed, had the coolant flushed and filled, changed the filters, changed the oil, and checked the brakes.

20th Jan 2009, 09:16

I just want to thank the folks that have positive things to say about their 1998 Ford Taurus, simply put regular maintenance is the key.

The folks who had the trouble got their cars without knowing the maintenance history of their cars, and most had high miles on them. Just putting gas in them and running them in the ground will kill any car.

Check the owner's manual; I bet it tells you when to change filters and fluids to keep it going.

Also did these folks ever find out from the repair shops what trashed the transmissions or was it blind faith, could have been a cheaper fix?

I just purchased a 1998 Taurus for my son's first car at 126000 miles. I am going do all the maintenance myself; it's a safe, reliable car, and cheap on insurance. Looks great, drives great, paid $800 for it.