IllustrationTHE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM HEATER COIL BROKE, CAUSING A CHEMICAL ODOR INSIDE OF VEHICLE & A MIST. HAD BEEN TO DEALER AT LEAST 8 TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM & EACH TIME THE HEATER COIL WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ENGINE TO CORRECT THE HEATER COIL FROM BLOWING. *AK
1997 Ford Taurus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Taurus years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Ford Taurus are substantially higher than the model-year median of 318.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Taurus years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 136 of 770 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 214 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 145 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
64 crash reports12 fire reports41 injury reports
What owners actually said
770 reportsENGINE HEADS CRACKED, CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, SCORING OF ENGINE CYLINDERS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE ENGINE
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WIPERS AND FLUID WORK INTERMITTENTLY. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IT'S OBVIOUS WHEN IT RAINS AND WOULD CONSIDER IT A SAFETY HAZARD. PLEASE HELP!
VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A "POPPING" NOISE (SIMILAR TO KNUCKLES BEING CRACKED) EVERYTIME A LOW SPEED TURN TO EITHER SIDE WAS MADE. SOUND SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM DIRECTLY UNDER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NOISE OCCURRED PREDOMINANTLY WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING OUT IN THE HOT SUN OR WHEN IT HAD BEEN RUNNING AND WAS HOT. WOULD NOT…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A "POPPING" NOISE (SIMILAR TO KNUCKLES BEING CRACKED) EVERYTIME A LOW SPEED TURN TO EITHER SIDE WAS MADE. SOUND SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM DIRECTLY UNDER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NOISE OCCURRED PREDOMINANTLY WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING OUT IN THE HOT SUN OR WHEN IT HAD BEEN RUNNING AND WAS HOT. WOULD NOT HAPPEN IN COOLNESS OF THE MORNING. TWO ATTEMPTS TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM BY A FORD DEALER RESULTED IN THEM HAVING NO IDEA WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. THE THIRD TIME A MECHANIC DROVE IT AND PINPOINTED THE "SUBFRAME INSULATORS". THEY ORDERED NEW ONES, INSTALLED THEM AND CHARGED ME FOR IT. NOW LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LATER, THE NOISE IS STARTING AGAIN. SAME LOCATION. I WAS TOLD TWICE BY THIS DEALERSHIP AND ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP, THAT THIS WEAR WAS NOT INDICATIVE OF BAD DRIVING HABITS OR DAMAGE AND THAT IT WAS NOT "A SAFETY ISSUE" IT IS HOWEVER, VERY ANNOYING AND UNNERVING TO HEAR THE SOUND NEARLY EVERYTIME THE CAR MAKES A SLOW SPEED 90 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT.
INTERMITTENT OPERATION ON LOW AND HIGH SPEED SETTINGS- DEALER DID NOT REPAIR AFTER COMPLAINT. PROBLEM OCCURS WITH RELATIVE FREQUENCY.
FAULTY WIRING IN THE HARNESS CAUSING THE DOOR ADJAR LIGHT TO REMAIN ON WHEN TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 80 DEGREES AND MALFUNCTIONING OF THE POWER DOOR LOCKS MECHANISM. MJS
ALL OF A SUDDEN, CAR STARTED JERKING SPEED DROPPED AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE.
ALTENATOR WENT BAD AT ONLY 38,989 MILES. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY DUE TO ALTENATOR DRAINING IT.
ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY THE FUEL REGULATOR--FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE MANIFOLD. *AK *ML
Official recalls
398V028000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights
Feb 10, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TEXT AND/OR GRAPHICS FOR THE VEHICLE HEADLAMP AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES ARE REPLACED, CUSTOMERS MAY BE CONFUSED BY THE AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES CAUSING THE HEADLAMPS TO BE IMPROPERLY AIMED.
Remedy: OWNER GUIDES CONTAINING REVISED AIMING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.
97V097000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jun 9, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AX4S AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES. THE LOW/INTERMEDIATE SERVO COVER CAN SEPARATE FROM THE TRANSAXLE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. IF THIS OCCURS, TRANSMISSION FLUID WILL LEAK CONTACTING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TEMPERATURE MAY BE HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACE THESE SERVO COVERS.
96V166000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
Sep 5, 1996
THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET HAS A SHARP EDGE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE PARKING PAWL TO HANG UP AND NOT ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNINTENDED AND UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAN RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.