IllustrationSAFETY HAZARD CAUSED BY FAILURE OF INTERIOR LIGHTS TO TURN OFF, AND AUTOMATIC UNLOCKING OF ONLY THE DRIVER DOOR, IMMEDIATELY AFTER USING POWER LOCK BUTTON TO LOCK ALL DOORS.
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
Electrical System complaints
62 reportsWHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTINTLY COME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE I TOOK IT BACK TO THEM TWICE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX IT. NOW THE PROBLEM IS ESCULATING. THE CAR NOW SHUTS OFF THE POWER TO THE RADIO SPEAKERS, POWER WINDOWS, POWER ASSIST AND PROBABLY OTHER COMPONENTS WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS TAK…
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WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTINTLY COME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE I TOOK IT BACK TO THEM TWICE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX IT. NOW THE PROBLEM IS ESCULATING. THE CAR NOW SHUTS OFF THE POWER TO THE RADIO SPEAKERS, POWER WINDOWS, POWER ASSIST AND PROBABLY OTHER COMPONENTS WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS TAKEN OUT OF PARK. ALL COMPONENTS WORK FINE WHEN CAR IS IN PARK SHIFT POSITION. OF COURSE I'M REQUIRED TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED EVEN THOUGH IT COULD PROBABLY BEEN FIXED RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE DECISION TO STOP GOING BACK TO THE DEALER IS BASED ON THE WORK THEY DID DO (SHABBY) AND THEIR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIX THE MAIN PROBLEM I TOOK THE CAR BACK INTO THEM. IS THE CAR SUPPOSE TO HAD A HIGH WIND NOISE - I WAS TOLD THAT WAS PART OF THE DESIGN AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THAT WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR. *AK
WHEN YOU FIRST START THE CAR BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. ONCE VEHICLE IS VERY WARM BRAKE LIGHTS WILL START WORKING AGAIN. CONSUMER FEELS THAT IF MAKING A SUDDEN STOP THE OTHER DRIVER MAY NOT SEE CONSUMER. *AK *ML
IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP WITH THIS CAR, MY BATTERY HAS BLOWN TWICE. I GO TO START THE CAR AND BATTERY JUST BLOWS UP. THE FIRST TIME I SIMPLY HEARD A CRACKLING NOISE. THE SECOND TIME I HEARD A POP LIKE THAT OF A BALLOON POPPING. INDIVIDUALS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE DEALERSHIP CANN…
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IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP WITH THIS CAR, MY BATTERY HAS BLOWN TWICE. I GO TO START THE CAR AND BATTERY JUST BLOWS UP. THE FIRST TIME I SIMPLY HEARD A CRACKLING NOISE. THE SECOND TIME I HEARD A POP LIKE THAT OF A BALLOON POPPING. INDIVIDUALS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG; THEY JUST REPLACE THE BATTERY. THEY DO TELL ME THAT IT MUST DEVELOP AN ELECTRICAL SPIKE, BUT THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHERE IT COMES FROM. I BELIEVE THIS IS DANGEROUS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT EVEN IF THEY CHECK ALL THE WIRING HARNESS, THEY MIGHT NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
BEFORE PARKING THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL. WHILE PARKED, SMOKE CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH, THEN FLAMES WERE COMING OUT, POLICE OFFICER PULLED THE FUSES/ BATTERY AND THEN FIRE WENT OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE PARKED. OWNER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT & BLACK SMOKE ESCAPED & THEN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED & PUT FLAMES OUT. GAVE NO INDICATION OF ORIGIN OF FIRE. INSURANCE INSPECTOR CHECKED VEHICLE & INDICATED A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM THAT CAUSED TH…
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VEHICLE PARKED. OWNER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT & BLACK SMOKE ESCAPED & THEN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED & PUT FLAMES OUT. GAVE NO INDICATION OF ORIGIN OF FIRE. INSURANCE INSPECTOR CHECKED VEHICLE & INDICATED A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK
THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. THIS CAUSES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO STAY ON, AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT LOCK WHEN USING THE POWER LOCK BUTTON WHEN THIS OCCURS.
BATTERY.
HORN WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE DEALER IS CHARGING OVER $300. *AK.ET.
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
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.