IllustrationCONSUMER REQUESTING INFORMATION REGARDING 1999 FORD TAURUS.*MR *JB
1998 Ford Taurus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Ford Taurus do not stand out strongly from 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
80–25K
1325–50K
3550–75K
3075–100K
39100–150K
16150K+
141 reports with mileage · 404 unknown
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.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
61 crash reports14 fire reports38 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
12 reportsBRAKES: FRONT BRAKE ROTORS CONTINUE TO WARP IN SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. SINCE PURCHASING VEHICLE ON 26 FEB 99, WITH 14622 MILES ON IT, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE DISC ROTORS 3 TIMES AND ALSO HAVED THEM TURNED (CUT) 3 TIMES. THIS TIME (AUGUST 03) I HAVE HAD THEM DONE BY A MECHANIC. AT LEAST 40% OF THE MILEAGE THAT I HA…
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BRAKES: FRONT BRAKE ROTORS CONTINUE TO WARP IN SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. SINCE PURCHASING VEHICLE ON 26 FEB 99, WITH 14622 MILES ON IT, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE DISC ROTORS 3 TIMES AND ALSO HAVED THEM TURNED (CUT) 3 TIMES. THIS TIME (AUGUST 03) I HAVE HAD THEM DONE BY A MECHANIC. AT LEAST 40% OF THE MILEAGE THAT I HAVE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIGHWAY MILEAGE. OTHER: VEHICLE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS CONTROL MODULE IS FAULTY. THIS HAPPENED APROX. 2 YEARS AGO. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE FROM DEALER, WHICH WAS DELIVERED DO TO A RECALL, MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS BECAME VERY DIME AND WERE OF NO BASIC USE. UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, IT WAS FIRST STATED THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE DYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, ONCE THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED, THEY THEN IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM TO SOME ELCTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. DO TO THE COST, APROX $250.00, I CHOSE NOT TO HAVE IT FIXED.
TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING SMOOTHLY, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, FORD DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS LOW TRANSMISSION PRESSURE ERROR CODE. THEY REMOVED THE TRANSMISSION, FOUND IT HAD FAILED AND REPLACED IT. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED MOST, NOT ALL, OF THE COST, BUT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT SHELL OUT AFTER ONLY 49,000 MIL…
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TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING SMOOTHLY, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, FORD DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS LOW TRANSMISSION PRESSURE ERROR CODE. THEY REMOVED THE TRANSMISSION, FOUND IT HAD FAILED AND REPLACED IT. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED MOST, NOT ALL, OF THE COST, BUT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT SHELL OUT AFTER ONLY 49,000 MILES ON A WELL-MAINTAINED CAR. I DON'T THINK THE FORD ENGINEERS HAVE A GOOD MATCHUP OF COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION HERE, IT SEEMS TO SEARCH FOR GEARS TOO OFTEN AND HESITATE DURING DOWNSHIFTS. I ESPECIALLY HATE THE WAY THE COMPUTER KICKS UP THE IDLE TO SIMULATE A FREE-WHEEL SPRAG THAT BETTER AUTOMATICS USE. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO COAST UP TO DANGEROUS SPEEDS ON LONG DOWNHILL STRETCHES - I HAVE HAD THE CRUISE SET UNDER 60, BUT THE CAR HIT 80 WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM ME - THIS IS ON HILLS THAT NO OTHER CAR I DRIVE GAIN MORE THAN 5 MILES-AN-HOUR. *AK
ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON ALL DAY. HAD VEHICLE DIAGNOSED BY SEVERAL DEALERS, AND THEY ALL CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION.*AK
A FRIEND OWNS A FORD TAURUS AND IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM HERS IS A 1997. NO SAFETY DEFEC T LISTED. *AK
REMOTE KEY DOES NOT WORK. CONSUMER NOT ABLE TO UNLOCK OR LOCK VEHICLES DOORS. ALSO, ALARM DOES NOT SOUND WHEN ENTERING VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON, AND SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER FAIL TO FUNCTION WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
NO SUMMARY
V6 ENGINE HEAD GASKET CRACKED, CAUSING AN ENGINE FIRE WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN USE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, CONSUMER HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON. BUT, DEALER DID NOT DETECT A DEFECT. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS COME ON EVERYTIME I START MY CARE SINCE I PURCHASED IT. NOTIFIED DEALERSHIP BUT BECAUSE THE LIGHT WOULD GO OUT THEY OVERLOOKED IT. *AK
Official recalls
298V198000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Aug 25, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL SEAT TRACKS. THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ATTACHING STUD MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. THIS HEAT TREATMENT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE STUD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE STUD IS CRACKED, IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET AND STUD ASSEMBLY.
98V028000 · 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.
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.