IllustrationCAR IDLES 1,000-1,100 RPM. WILL TRAVEL MORE THAN A MILE ON LEVEL HIGHWAY AFTER ACCELERATOR RELEASED. BRAKING IS NEVER ASSISTED BY ENGINE AS SHOULD HAPPEN TO ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
111 reportsI WAS DISENGAGING CRUISE CONTROL WHICH WAS SET AT 62 MPH TO DEACCELERATE ON A DECLINE TO MANEUVER CURVES IN ROAD. I APPLIED BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT RESPOND. CAR ACTUALLY STARTED TO ACCELERATE RESULTING IN A CRASH AGAINST A GUARD RAIL. AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND RESULTED IN TWO INJURIES ALTHOUGH NOT SEVERE
WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, ENGINE ACCELERATED, HIGH IDLE SPEED AND SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WOULD NOT BRING DOWN. HAD TO SHUT ENGININE DOWN. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, NO CODES. DLR SAID TO RETURN IF PROBLEM ARISES AGAIN.
WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS SET IT ACCELERATES AL LEAST 15 MPH PAST THE SPEED IT WAS SET FOR. *AK
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING WHILE DRIVING . VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK
VEHICLE DOES NOT DECELERATE AFTER THE DRIVER HAS REMOVED FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL. DEALER SAYS THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING NORMALLY, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.
INCONSISTENT SPEED CONTROL, VEHICLE WILL NOT DECELERATE, WILL PICK UP SPEED ON HILLS, ABSOLUTELY NO ENGINE BRAKING, REQUIRES EXCESSIVE USE OF BRAKES
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT A SPECIFIC SPEED VEHICLE WILL EXCEED THAT SPEED BY 25 MILES. *AK
THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE IN PROXIMITY, CAUSING ACCIDENTAL SLIPPING ONTO PEDALS. MJS
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED FOUR INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION, ALSO HAS PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE CONTROL, DUE TO POSSIBLE (FUEL/THROTTLE/LINKAGES) FAILURE. MJS
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.