IllustrationINTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHICH MAY CAUSE VISIBLE PROBLEM, AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE INTERIOR LIGHTS TWICE. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*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 reportsTRANSAXLE HAD INTERNAL PARTS FAILURE. TRANSAXLE MADE A LOUD NOISE, THEN VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE.*AK
FALSE LIGHT SHOWING OPEN DOOR WILL NOT GO OFF, THEREFORE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT SHUT OFF/EVEN WHEN CAR IS OFF. *AK
THE CLIP THAT HOLDS THE FUEL LINE BROKE RESULTING A A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. NLM
HEATER CORE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS DUE TO FAILURE, THE SECOND REPLACEMENT FAILED ALSO CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT. *MJS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
A FUNNY NOISE COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED THAT AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE. CLOCK SPRING/CONNECT SWITCH WERE NOT WORKING. IT WAS DAMAGED. AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK *SLC
APPEARS TO BE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF SAFETY CRITICAL COMPONENT. WHILE ACCELERATING TO 40 MPH HEARD LOUD BANG AND FRONT OF CAR JUMPED. SUDDEN FAILURE/NO PREVIOUS WARNING SIGNS. OWNER (ME) SUSPECTED TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE MOUNT. DROVE HOME (3 MI.) AT SPEED LESS THAN 30--TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO SHIFT OK BUT WOULD JOLT ON UP SH…
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APPEARS TO BE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF SAFETY CRITICAL COMPONENT. WHILE ACCELERATING TO 40 MPH HEARD LOUD BANG AND FRONT OF CAR JUMPED. SUDDEN FAILURE/NO PREVIOUS WARNING SIGNS. OWNER (ME) SUSPECTED TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE MOUNT. DROVE HOME (3 MI.) AT SPEED LESS THAN 30--TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO SHIFT OK BUT WOULD JOLT ON UP SHIFT. MADE NOISE / "BUMPED" ON TURNING AT VERY LOW SPEED. DEALER HAD RECENTLY SERVICED TRANSMISSION (35,578 MI.). DEALERS SAID 2/3 HARDENED BOLTS SHEARED AND 1/3 WAS LOOSE IN FRONT? LOWER BLOCK MOUNT LOOSE. DEALER CLAIMS NO OTHER DAMAGE RESULTED / WILL LATER RESULT-WE SHALL SEE. TOOK APPROX 6 HR LABOR TO REPAIR. DEALER SAID IF OWNER HAD NOT HAD EXTENDED WARRANTEE ON DRIVE TRAIN, OWNER WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY ALL OUT OF POCKET. MOUNT BOLTS/BRACKET IS SUCH THAT OWNER CAN NOT EASILY CHECK- HAVE TO REMOVE CATY CONVT & R FRONT ENGINE MOUNT FOR ACCESS. BRACKET BOLTS IN TRIANGULAR PATTERN IN LOWER BLOCK- FRONT?. VEH NEVER IN ACCIDENT OR STRUCK; IN VG COND. VEH HAD 12,000 MI WHEN PURCHASED FROM DEALER'S SERVICE MGR'S WIFE. DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS 8-12 MI/DAY 55 MPH MAX. NOT HOTRODDED. AM INTERSTED IF SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER TAURUS SHO V8 MODELS. *AK
WATER PUMP FAILED. DURING INSPECTION AND REPAIR A RUST COLORED FLUID WAS NOTICED TO BE CONTAMINATING COOLANT SYSTEM. *AK
NOTICED BROWN COOLANT DURING MAINTENANCE. HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH OVERHEATING ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR. NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER, WAS TOLD OUT OF WARRANTY, NO RECALLS, NOT A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. TOOK TO NON-DEALER SHOP. FOUND LEAKING HEAD GASKET. REPLACED HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT, COOLANT OVERFLOW CONTAINER, AND ANTI-FREEZE. RESURFACED…
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NOTICED BROWN COOLANT DURING MAINTENANCE. HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH OVERHEATING ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR. NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER, WAS TOLD OUT OF WARRANTY, NO RECALLS, NOT A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. TOOK TO NON-DEALER SHOP. FOUND LEAKING HEAD GASKET. REPLACED HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT, COOLANT OVERFLOW CONTAINER, AND ANTI-FREEZE. RESURFACED CYLINDER HEADS. PERFORMED COOLING SYSTEM FLUSH. DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT ~50,000 MILES NOTICED BROWN COOLANT AGAIN.
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.