IllustrationTHE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING FRONT COILS SPRINGS WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY FRACTURE WHEN OPERATED IN HIGH CORROSION AREAS. *NM *SC THE CONSUMER HAD TO WAIT 5 MONTHS BEFORE GETTING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE DEALER WOULD ONLY REPLACED THE COIL SPRING IF THEY CRACKED. *JB
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 reportsWHEN CONSUMER WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE STOPPED. THEN, SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE. FROM THAT POINT ON EACH TIME VEHICLE CUT OFF, RESTARTED, AND MOVED A BIT. AFTERWARDS, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND CONSUMER RESTARTED IT UNTIL HE GOT HOME. THEN…
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WHEN CONSUMER WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE STOPPED. THEN, SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE. FROM THAT POINT ON EACH TIME VEHICLE CUT OFF, RESTARTED, AND MOVED A BIT. AFTERWARDS, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND CONSUMER RESTARTED IT UNTIL HE GOT HOME. THEN, HAD IT TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO TOLD HIM THAT THE SPROCKET CAME LOOSE. MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT BECAUSE THE LABOR AND PARTS WOULD COST ABOUT $6000.00 - $8000.00. CONSUMER TOLD MECHANIC NOT TO BOTHER BECAUSE HE COULD NOT AFFORD IT. HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO HIS HOME. *AK THE CAM SHAFT WAS BROKEN, 2 CYLINDERS WENT BAD, THE TRANSMISSION WAS AFFECTED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL POSSIBLY DUE TO THE COIL PACKS AND THE STRUTS WENT BAD. *SC
WHILE BRAKING AT A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND LURCHED FORWARD INTO THE REAR BUMPER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AND UPON PRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE ONLY WAY CONSUMER COULD STOP THE VEHICLE WAS TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. HOWEVER, THE LAST TIME SHE DID THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT FULL SPEED. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING TRAFFIC LIGHT WAS CHANGING, WENT TO PUMP THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE WAS TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER. BRAKE LINE COMPLETELY RUSTED FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK. *AK
BRAKE LINE BURST ON 2 DIFFERENT FORD CARS IN SAME WEEK! AND IN BOTH CASES IT WAS ROT, AND IN BOTH CASES IT WAS THE HARD TUBING, NOT THE HOSES. ONE A 1997, SO IT WAS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. BRAKE LINE ROTTED ENOUGH TO BURST DURING FIRM STOP. THE NEW ABS STYLE BRAKE LINES ARE DANGEROUSLY THINNER THAN THE OLDER STYLE BRAKE LINES. TH…
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BRAKE LINE BURST ON 2 DIFFERENT FORD CARS IN SAME WEEK! AND IN BOTH CASES IT WAS ROT, AND IN BOTH CASES IT WAS THE HARD TUBING, NOT THE HOSES. ONE A 1997, SO IT WAS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. BRAKE LINE ROTTED ENOUGH TO BURST DURING FIRM STOP. THE NEW ABS STYLE BRAKE LINES ARE DANGEROUSLY THINNER THAN THE OLDER STYLE BRAKE LINES. THEY ALSO SEEM TO HAVE ELECTROSTATIC PROPERTIES THAT CAUSE PREMATURE ROTTING IN SOME CASES. THE PIECE THAT BROKE WAS MUCH MORE ROTTED THAN THE OTHER PIECES ATTACHED THE HOLDING CLIPS ACTUALLY CAUSES MORE ROTTING BECAUSE WATER COLLECTS IN THE OPEN SPACE WHERE IT HOLD THE THINNER BRAKE LINE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THAT THESE BRAKE LINES ARE BEING MADE MUCH THINNER. ALSO ON THE 1997 FORD TAURUS THE BRAKE LINES HANG DOWN LOWER THAN OTHER SUSPENSION IN THE MIDDLE AND PRESENT A HAZARD DURING WINTER WHEN CARS MAY BE DRIVEN ACROSS FROZEN SNOW. FORD ENGINEERS NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. BRAKE LINE TUBING WALLS MUST BE MADE THICKER. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS AND DRIVEN THEM OVER 100K MILES EACH AND NEVER HAD A BRAKE LINE BURST FOR ROT BEFORE. THIS CAR BROKE AT AROUND 80K I THINK. DATE IS APPROXIMATE...I'M NOT GOING TO LOOK UP THE REPAIR BILL RIGHT NOW. FORD COULD EASILY BE NUMBER ONE IF THEY STOP DOING STUPID THINGS LIKE THIS.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS MOMENTARILY AND THEN SUDDENLY JUMPS INTO GEAR WHILE DRIVING. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 14 MONTHS AGO AT A COST TO ME OF $2684 AND NOW I'M TOLD IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STOPPED. FIRST, HAD IT TOWED TO HIS HOME. CONSUMER WILL HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER LATER. TRANSMISSION FAILED. AFTER VEHICLE STOPPED CONSUMER TURNED IT OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON. WHEN HE TURNED IT BACK ON AND TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. *AK
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. *MR *SC *JB
SPEEDOMETER WOULD STOP OPERATING AND VEHICLE WOULD STALL AFTER DRIVING TWO MILES. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS. EACH MECHANIC COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT MIGHT BE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OR THE OXYGEN SENSOR . *AK
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.