IllustrationTHE CAR SLAMS INTO 1ST GEAR FROM 2ND WHEN SLOWING DOWN, ALSO WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE FROM THE PARKED POSITION, AND SOMETIMES FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THE COOLANT RESEVIOR LOOKS AS THOUGH SOMEONE FILLED IT WITH MUD.
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
Power Train complaints
214 reportsWITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE JUMPED INTO NEUTRAL AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE AX4N TRANSMISSION. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION. *TT
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFTED AND BECAME STUCK IN FIRST GEAR, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 10 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. *AK CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY 1997 FORD TAURUSES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. (ACCORDING TO FORD DEALER, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY)…
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WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFTED AND BECAME STUCK IN FIRST GEAR, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 10 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. *AK CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY 1997 FORD TAURUSES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. (ACCORDING TO FORD DEALER, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY) *SCC
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE NUMBER OF REPORTED FAILURES ON THIS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COMPONENT FOR THIS MODEL YEAR VEHICLE. *AK
ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, OR STARTING UP FROM A RED LIGHT IN HOT WEATHER, WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING ON VACATION, AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE RPM SHOT UP TO APPROXIMATELY TO 4,200 RPM, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD TO LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR AND LET THE RPM DROP DOWN TO ABOUT 2400 RPM, WHEN …
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ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, OR STARTING UP FROM A RED LIGHT IN HOT WEATHER, WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING ON VACATION, AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE RPM SHOT UP TO APPROXIMATELY TO 4,200 RPM, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD TO LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR AND LET THE RPM DROP DOWN TO ABOUT 2400 RPM, WHEN I APPLIED THROTTLE SLOWLY AND THE CAR SLOWLY ACCELERATED UP TO 55 MILES PER HOUR. THIS ALSO HAPPENED WHEN MAKING A U TURN AND THE CAR REPEATED THE SAME ACTION EVEN WHILE MOVING AT SLOW SPEED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY ROAD TESTED AND PUT THE CAR ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG WITH THE CAR OR TRANSMISSION AND THAT THEY CONTACTED FORD MOTOR AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF THE 1997 TAURUS. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND MYSELF, AS I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK AND A CAR ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN THE PROBLEM AROSE.*JB
4TH GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. O/D OFF LIGHT FLASHED REPEATEDLY. THOUGH CAR WAS SERVICED ONE MONTH PREVIOUSLY AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS NOT BURNED, TRANSMISSION DISINTEGRATED PLANETARY GEARS. METAL CHUNKS AND BURNED FLUID FOUND WHEN EXAMINED AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER 3.8L/FORD TRANSMISSION DEFECT FAILUR…
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4TH GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. O/D OFF LIGHT FLASHED REPEATEDLY. THOUGH CAR WAS SERVICED ONE MONTH PREVIOUSLY AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS NOT BURNED, TRANSMISSION DISINTEGRATED PLANETARY GEARS. METAL CHUNKS AND BURNED FLUID FOUND WHEN EXAMINED AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER 3.8L/FORD TRANSMISSION DEFECT FAILURE AS IS WELL DOCUMENTED. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT OF THE REPAIR COSTS BUT THUS FAR HAS REFUSED. WHEN IS ANYONE GOING TO FINALLY HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ONGOING PROBLEM IN TAURUSES THROUGHOUT THE 90'S?. *AK
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *TT
UPON ACCELERATION AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL, RESULTING IN VEHICLE SLOWLY RESPONDING TO ACCELERATOR APPLICATION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK
ERROR CODE 0761-HYDRAULIC FAILURE OF SOLENOID/TRANSMISSION. CAME ON. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, VEHICLE AS CONSUMER DESCRIBES, WAS "DRAGGING" UPON ACCELERATION. OWNER HAS ANOTHER TAURUS WITH SAME CONDITION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AKI
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.