IllustrationCONSUMER STATES THAT THE BOTH REAR SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFO. *MR
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
What owners actually said
545 reportsCONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND SECONDS LATER THE VEHICLE GOT COMPLETELY ON FIRE.FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. NLM
CONSUMER STATES THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED ON A CAR CRASH AND HER DRIVER SEAT COLLAPSED. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. NLM
CONSUMER STATES WAS HIT FROM THE REAR IN A COLLISION. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WELD BROKE AND THE SEAT COLLAPSED. NLM
THE OIL PAN RUSTED. *NLM *SCC
THIS COMPLANT IS DIRECTED AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY,AFTER ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO TRANSMISSION SHOPS IT IS A ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THE FORD TRANSMISSION.I FEEL IT IS WRONG FOR A MAJOR COMPONENT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT ON A 1998 AUTO. IT IS EVEN WORSE TO STILL BE PAYING ON IT.I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALE…
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THIS COMPLANT IS DIRECTED AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY,AFTER ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO TRANSMISSION SHOPS IT IS A ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THE FORD TRANSMISSION.I FEEL IT IS WRONG FOR A MAJOR COMPONENT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT ON A 1998 AUTO. IT IS EVEN WORSE TO STILL BE PAYING ON IT.I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY COULD CARE LESS.WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR AND OFFER TO OFSET THE COST JUST LIKE WHAT THEY OFFERED FOR THE 91-95 CARS WITH THE 3.8 ENGINE AND COVER THIER MISTAKES IN DESIGN.ANY ADVISE WOULD BE HELPFUL. SIGNED KEVIN ROBINSON. NLM
TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO COULDN'T LOOK AT IT FOR 2 DAYS. DROVE ACROSS THE STREET TO HAVE ANOTHER SHOP RUN IT ON THEIR COMPUTER. AFTER TURNING CAR BACK ON, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR OR MOVE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO ANOTHER SHOP. WHEN THEY TOOK THE TRANSMISSION PAN OFF FOUND BROKEN CHUNKS OF…
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TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO COULDN'T LOOK AT IT FOR 2 DAYS. DROVE ACROSS THE STREET TO HAVE ANOTHER SHOP RUN IT ON THEIR COMPUTER. AFTER TURNING CAR BACK ON, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR OR MOVE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO ANOTHER SHOP. WHEN THEY TOOK THE TRANSMISSION PAN OFF FOUND BROKEN CHUNKS OF METAL. HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REBUILD TO THE COST OF $2600. ALWAYS KEPT OUR DODGE PRODUCTS TO 190,000 MILES WITH NO MAJOR PROBLEMS. AFTER BOUGHT THIS CARD HEARD FORD TAURUS OFTEN HAS TRANNY PROBLEMS. WON'T BUY ANOTHER FORD. NLM
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
I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE YET BUT WE HAVE 121 DOCUMENTED FAILURES AT HTTP://WWW.V8SHO.COM. CAMSHAFT SPROCKET DETACHES FROM CAMSHAFT CAUSING INSTANT ENGINE FAILURE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE AS WELL. FORD WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE DRIVING STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING.*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.