IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED FORWARD AND THEN STALLED OUT. HAVE CONTACTED DEALERSHIP.*AK
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 reportsTHE TAURUS WAS PARKED AT DZ MIDDLE SCHOOL ON A SLIGHTLY SLOPED PART OF THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER INDICATING PARK AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THE LINKAGE CONNECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED THE SELECTOR LEVER TO INDICATE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACTUALLY…
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THE TAURUS WAS PARKED AT DZ MIDDLE SCHOOL ON A SLIGHTLY SLOPED PART OF THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER INDICATING PARK AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THE LINKAGE CONNECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED THE SELECTOR LEVER TO INDICATE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACTUALLY IN NEUTRAL. THE DRIVER THEN WENT INTO THE SCHOOL BUILDING AND UPON RETURNING A FEW MINUTES LATER FOUND THAT THE CAR HAD ROLLED APPROX 150 YARDS DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, ACROSS A STREET, THROUGH A BUS TURN-AROUND, DOWN A 15 FOOT EMBANKMENT, AND INTO A DITCH. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS IN THE CAR AND IT WAS AT NIGHT SO THERE WERE NO KIDS ALONG THE DRIVEWAY OR ON THE STREET.
BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON IT. HAD SEVERAL SENSORS REPLACED FAIRLY SOON AFTER THAT. AROUND 30K, REPORTED SEVERAL PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WHILE AT A STOP/STARTING FROM A STOP. DEALER COULD NEVER REPLICATE. EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED THAT THESE PROBLEMS WERE ONLY OCURRING WHEN THE CAR WAS WARM...WHICH IT NEVER WAS…
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BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON IT. HAD SEVERAL SENSORS REPLACED FAIRLY SOON AFTER THAT. AROUND 30K, REPORTED SEVERAL PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WHILE AT A STOP/STARTING FROM A STOP. DEALER COULD NEVER REPLICATE. EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED THAT THESE PROBLEMS WERE ONLY OCURRING WHEN THE CAR WAS WARM...WHICH IT NEVER WAS WHEN THE DEALER TESTED IT AFTER IT SITTING ON THEIR LOT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. PROBLEMS STARTED GETTING WORSE. WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AT STOPS. COULD SHIFT CAR INTO NEUTRAL, GUN IT ENOUGH TO GET THE RPM'S OVER 2000, AND THEN PUT INTO DRIVE AND IT WOULD CATCH. AFTER THE WEATHER TURNED WARM AGAIN, AND IT STARTED DOING IT MORE, THEN THE DEALER COULD FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SAID I NEEDED A REBUILD OR REPLACEMENT. DROVE IT UNTIL MY HUSBAND NAGGED ME ENOUGH, AND IT WAS DOING IT CONSTANTLY. TOTAL COST NOW, THROUGH A TRANSMISSION SHOP, NOT THE DEALERSHIP, IS $1800. STILL HAVING SOME ADJUSTMENTS MADE. STILL HAVING MORE SENOR PROBLEMS. THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN ON THEIR OWN A TIME OR TWO.*AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR SEATBELT WILL NOT PULL OUT OF RETRACTOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO THE FUEL PUMP. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED. MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS FUEL PUMP, AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS IF NEEDED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH STARTER MALFUNCTIONED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS IF NEEDED.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
GEAR SHIFT WILL GO INTO DRIVE. HOWEVER, CAR DOES NOT ENGAGE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, AND THERE WAS A "TICKING" NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT CAMSHAFT FAILED, AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*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.