IllustrationBOLTS HOLDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSON IS RUBBING AGAINST POWER STEERING RETURN ALIGNMENT HOSE. IF THERE IS TOO MUCH FRICTION IT COULD CAUSE A POTENTIAL FIRE. DEAELER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
1998 Ford Taurus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Ford Taurus do not stand out strongly from 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
80–25K
1325–50K
3550–75K
3075–100K
39100–150K
16150K+
141 reports with mileage · 404 unknown
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.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
61 crash reports14 fire reports38 injury reports
Power Train complaints
69 reportsTRANSMISSION BLEW A SEAL AND THE FLUID POURED OUT OF VEHICLE. ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. VEHICLE BUCKED WHEN CHANGING GEARS. DEALER STATED VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. VEHICLE STILL BUCKS AND THE LIGHT STILL COMES ON. TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND HESITATES. *JG *AK
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN. TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALER DETERMINED THERE WERE METAL PIECES IN THE PAN.*AK
I PUCHASE THIS PROGRAM CAR WITH 19,089 , IT CAME WITH THE ORIGINAL FACTORY OF 36/36,000 MI. WARRANTY. I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 72 MONTHS OF 60,000 MILES. ABOUT 500 MILES AFTER I FIRST PICKUP MY CAR THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT WHEN THEY PUT…
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I PUCHASE THIS PROGRAM CAR WITH 19,089 , IT CAME WITH THE ORIGINAL FACTORY OF 36/36,000 MI. WARRANTY. I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 72 MONTHS OF 60,000 MILES. ABOUT 500 MILES AFTER I FIRST PICKUP MY CAR THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT WHEN THEY PUT IT ON THEIR COMPUTER. THEN THEY TRIED TO MOVE IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY BURNED UP, AND HAD TO BE REBUILT. THE NEXT TIME THE TRANSMISSION STARTED HAVING TROUBLE, WAS ON AUG 28, 2001, AT 55,000 MILES. THE CAR STARTED EXPERIENCING PERIODS WHERE IT WOULDN'T ENGAGE, HAD EXTENDED SHIFTS, OR SHIFT HARSHLY. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEED TO BE REPLACED, THIS IS 36,311 MILES AFTER THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. WHEN I ASKED FORD ARE THEY GOING TO EXTEND THIS WARRANTY BEYOND THE 12/12000 THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO NEED. I CHECK ANOTHER WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.AUTOSAFETY.ORG AND FOUND OUT THAT GEARTRAIN MELTDOWN, AND CRACKS IN THE FOWARD CLUTCH PISTON, HAS PLAGUE FORD TAURUS'S SINCE 1986.*AK
ENGINE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR SOMETIMES. CAR WILL HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING AND SOMETIMES THE GEAR SELECTER SAYS IT IS IN GEAR BUT CAR WILL NOT MOVE.*AK
WHEN THIS CAR IS RUNNING MORE THAN 40MINUTES, THE ENGINE "BUCKS"/JERKS/HESITATES AND IS NOT RESPONSIVE--AS IF IT WOULD STALL BUT NEVER DOES, 'THOUGH THE DASH "TROUBLE" LIGHTS BLINK FOR 1/2 SECOND EACH TIME. THIS WAS REPEATED 2-3 TIMES AT EACH OF 5 SEPRATE INCIDENTS. I HAD THE ENGINE CHECKED WITH A SCANNER AT MY REGULAR MECHANI…
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WHEN THIS CAR IS RUNNING MORE THAN 40MINUTES, THE ENGINE "BUCKS"/JERKS/HESITATES AND IS NOT RESPONSIVE--AS IF IT WOULD STALL BUT NEVER DOES, 'THOUGH THE DASH "TROUBLE" LIGHTS BLINK FOR 1/2 SECOND EACH TIME. THIS WAS REPEATED 2-3 TIMES AT EACH OF 5 SEPRATE INCIDENTS. I HAD THE ENGINE CHECKED WITH A SCANNER AT MY REGULAR MECHANIC'S PLACE AND THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED AT A RELIABLE TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALIST. NOTHING FOUND. VARIOUS ROAD TESTS COULD NOT REPRODUCE THIS EXPERIENCE. I DID REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER. OTHER INCIDENTS OCCURRED 6/21 ABOUT 15-MIN. LATER AFTER BEING STUCK IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC FOR 20 MINUTES ON A 55-60MPH ROUTE I ALWAYS USE. THE 3RD INCIDENT WAS 7/6, ACCELERATING AFTER A FULL-STOP INTERSECTION. 4TH&5TH WERE ON 7/8 WHEN DRIVING @25-30MPH, BUT DRIVING FOR A WHILE. I DO NOTICE AFTER DRIVING 15-20 MINUTES REGULARLY, THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT @BETWEEN 35-40MPH HESITATES. I HAVE BEEN KEEPING MY HIGHEST SPEEDS DOWN TO 60MPH OR LESS, AND USUALLY DRIVING NO MORE THAN 1/2HR. EACH TRIP. I'M AFRAID TO TAKE A LONG TRIP FOR FEAR THE CAR WILL HESITATE, LOSE POWER, OR SLOW DOWN IN HEAVY EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY.*AK
ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON, AND SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER FAIL TO FUNCTION WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
VEHICLE HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. VEHICLE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO ELECTRONIC FAILURE. MECHANIC STATED DUE TO DEFECT. FROM MANUFACTUER. *AK
SPEEDOMETER WOULD AGITATE WHILE DRIVING, UNABLE TO DETERMINE CORRECT SPEED. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
VEHICLE IS PUT INTO PARK GEAR ENGINE WILL REV UP TO 3500 - 4000 RPMS. ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS IS TO TURN VEHICLE OFF. ALSO, WHEN TRAVELING DOWN ROAD AT ANY GIVEN SPEED AFTER HE TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR, VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE SUDDENLY. BRAKES HAVE TO BE PRESSED TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN, HAPPENS RANDOMLY AS WELL. PLEASE PRO…
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VEHICLE IS PUT INTO PARK GEAR ENGINE WILL REV UP TO 3500 - 4000 RPMS. ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS IS TO TURN VEHICLE OFF. ALSO, WHEN TRAVELING DOWN ROAD AT ANY GIVEN SPEED AFTER HE TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR, VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE SUDDENLY. BRAKES HAVE TO BE PRESSED TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN, HAPPENS RANDOMLY AS WELL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
Official recalls
298V198000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Aug 25, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL SEAT TRACKS. THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ATTACHING STUD MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. THIS HEAT TREATMENT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE STUD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE STUD IS CRACKED, IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET AND STUD ASSEMBLY.
98V028000 · 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.
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.