IllustrationBEFORE 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
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 reportsSHIMMY IN STEERING COLUMN DURING BRAKING INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDED REPAIR. PADS REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED AT 55000. STEERING COLUMN WOULD "GROAN" INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURNED TO RIGHT AND THEN RETURNED TO CENTER. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDING REPLACEMENT. WOULD NOT PERFORMA UNDER…
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SHIMMY IN STEERING COLUMN DURING BRAKING INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDED REPAIR. PADS REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED AT 55000. STEERING COLUMN WOULD "GROAN" INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURNED TO RIGHT AND THEN RETURNED TO CENTER. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDING REPLACEMENT. WOULD NOT PERFORMA UNDER WARRANTY. CAR ONLY HAD 58,000 MILES (WAY TOO SOON!)
TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ROUGHLY INTO GEARS. *SLC
VEHICLES TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM
SURGE AT STEADY SPEEDS EVEN WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON ALSO WHEN SETTING AT A RED LIGHT
WHEN APPLYING THE GAS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE. THE DRIVER HAS TO KEEP FOOT ON GAS PEDAL UNTIL THE VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. IN MARCH OF 1999 VEHICLE ACTED UP AGAIN. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER, CLAIMED TRANSAXLE FAILED. TALKED TO OTHERS WHO CLAIMED THAT VEHICLE HAD A CRACKED PINION GE…
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WHEN APPLYING THE GAS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE. THE DRIVER HAS TO KEEP FOOT ON GAS PEDAL UNTIL THE VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. IN MARCH OF 1999 VEHICLE ACTED UP AGAIN. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER, CLAIMED TRANSAXLE FAILED. TALKED TO OTHERS WHO CLAIMED THAT VEHICLE HAD A CRACKED PINION GEAR. CALLED DEALER SEVERAZL TIMES. BUT DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING EXHAUST FUMES CAME INTO THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *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
HEATER CORE WENT OUT, CAUSING COOLANT FLUID TO LEAK AND ODOR/ FUMES GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE. *AK
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS AND CUTS OFF CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER DUE TO TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. *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.