IllustrationWE HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN THE SHOP 8 TIMES SENCE WE BOUGHT IT. WE'VE ONLY PUT 12000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND MY WIFE IS SCARED TO DRIVE IT! NO AFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
74 reportsA GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THAT THE REAR DISC BRAKES ALONG WITH THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT IT SHOULD BE. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING FROM 35 MPH AND ABOVE GRINDING AND PULSATION FROM FRONT BRAKES LEAD TO REPLACMENT OF BRAKE PAD AND ROTORS THREE TIMES AT 40,000 MILES ABS "ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT" REPLACED 50,000 MILES $700 REPAIR. *AK
CAR HAS NO ENGINE BRAKING ON COAST DOWN. IN FACT THROTTLE SEEMS TO OPEN WHEN COASTING DOWN A GRADE. THIS REQUIRES BRAKING TO PREVENT RUNAWAY. BELIEVE THIS HAS RESULTED IN PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR AND WARPED ROTORS. THE LAST CAR I OWNED THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM WAS A 1972 NOVA, WHICH OPENED THE THROTTLE TO PREVENT NO2 EMISSIONS. I THOUG…
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CAR HAS NO ENGINE BRAKING ON COAST DOWN. IN FACT THROTTLE SEEMS TO OPEN WHEN COASTING DOWN A GRADE. THIS REQUIRES BRAKING TO PREVENT RUNAWAY. BELIEVE THIS HAS RESULTED IN PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR AND WARPED ROTORS. THE LAST CAR I OWNED THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM WAS A 1972 NOVA, WHICH OPENED THE THROTTLE TO PREVENT NO2 EMISSIONS. I THOUGHT WE HAD PROGRESS. FORD NEEDS A BETTER WAY TO CONTROL EMISSIONS. *AK
VEHICLE ACCELERATES TO 3 RPMS WHEN IN PARK. ABS LIGHT STAYS ON SINCE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED 8-9 MONTHS AGO.*AK
BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR OF PARTS. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE AT CONSUMER'S COST. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
AT SLOW SPEED WHEN BRAKING THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE CAUSING ACCIDENT. *SLC
ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR , RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND APPLIED BRAKES THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE. BRAKING SYSTEM DIDN'T ALLOW HER TO BRAKE EFFECTIVELY.*AK THE BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A PROBLEM IN AUTO LOCK SYSTEM. *YH
BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL THROUGH THE INTERSECTION RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. *ET
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.