IllustrationUNCONTROLLED RAPID ACCELERATION EXPERIENCED WHILE BACKING UP. DUE TO SLOW SPEED AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE BRAKES FULLY TO SLOW VEHICLE, SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF ENGINE AVOIDING ACCIDENT. THROTTLE HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL UPON RESTART.
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
111 reportsI HAVE A 1998 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON. ON 5 OCCASIONS THE CAR WENT INTO A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE I WAS STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE OR WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO STOP. IN EACH CASE I WOULD PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKE IN ORDER TO HOLD THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY SHIFT OUT OF GEAR. IN THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS, BRAKE PRESSURE …
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I HAVE A 1998 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON. ON 5 OCCASIONS THE CAR WENT INTO A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE I WAS STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE OR WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO STOP. IN EACH CASE I WOULD PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKE IN ORDER TO HOLD THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY SHIFT OUT OF GEAR. IN THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS, BRAKE PRESSURE WOULD HOLD THE CAR UNTIL I GOT IT OUT OF GEAR. IN THE LATER INCIDENTS BRAKE PRESSURE WOULD ONLY SLOW THE FORWARD MOTION. THE ENGINE RUSH WAS SO GREAT THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL IT WAS OUT OF GEAR. ON 2 OF THESE 5 OCCASIONS I NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE CAUSE, SO FAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE DATE GIVEN BELOW IS AN ESTIMATE OF THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED. *JB
IDLE CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING 1998 TAURUS WAGON.*MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING PARKED AT THE DEALER FOR A REPAIR ESTIMATE. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WERE INOPERATIVE AND BELIEVES T…
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REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING 1998 TAURUS WAGON.*MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING PARKED AT THE DEALER FOR A REPAIR ESTIMATE. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WERE INOPERATIVE AND BELIEVES THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CLOCK SPRING. *NM
FORD TAURUS THROTTLE STUCK OPEN. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND PLACED THE TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE. PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BACK OUT, THE PEDAL WOULDNT BUDGE. WHILE APPLYING MORE AND MORE FORCE, THE PEDAL FINALLY GAVE IN, COLLAPSING TO THE FLOOR AND CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BE STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE. BEING IN REVERSE, THE…
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FORD TAURUS THROTTLE STUCK OPEN. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND PLACED THE TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE. PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BACK OUT, THE PEDAL WOULDNT BUDGE. WHILE APPLYING MORE AND MORE FORCE, THE PEDAL FINALLY GAVE IN, COLLAPSING TO THE FLOOR AND CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BE STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE. BEING IN REVERSE, THE TAURUS TOOK OFF AT FULL SPEED OUT OF THE CARPORT TO THE SIDE OF A HILL. RAMMING THE CAR INTO DRIVE CAUSED ME TO GO FORWARD AT FULL SPEED. UNTIL I SLAMMED THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND CUT OFF THE ENGINE, DID I FINALLY COME TO A STOP ABOUT 100 FEET DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE IS NOW SITTING AT THE PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP IN COLORADO SPRINGS, WAITING TO BE ANALYZED. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. I HAVE MADE A VIDEO DEPICTING THIS PROBLEM. I WILL BE CAPTURING THIS TO A VIDEO FILE SHOULD ANYONE CARE TO DOWNLOAD IT. PLEASE ADVISE ME AS TO WHAT I SHOULD DO. BEST REGARDS DAVID L. POWELL. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO REVERSE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATES.*MR *TS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERSE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED. *JB
WHEN THE CONSUMER REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED MORE. VEHICLE SEEMED TO "RUN" FROM DRIVER WHICH CAUSED HIM TO BRAKE MORE OFTEN THAN NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING DOWN HILL. *AK *PH *JB
THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR. *JG *JB
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A PERIOD OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION, WHICH OVERPOWERED THE VEHICLES BRAKES. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE HE LOST CONTROL AND HIT A BRICK, AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND THE CONSUMER SUSTAINING MULTIPLE BRUISES TO BODY. *SCC
WHWN I REMOVED MY OOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR SUDDENDLY ACCELERATED (FULL THROTLE). I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING BRAKES. THE CAR GOT OUT OF CONTROL AND RAN INTO AWALL.*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.