IllustrationWHEN 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
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 WAS DRIVING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD HER STEERING RACK AND PINION BROKE. DEALERSHIP FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME. THEN, VEHICLE REPEATED THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL PICKS UP SPEED WHEN GOING DOWN HILLS. DEALER & THE CONSUMER BOTH TEST DROVE A 2000 TAURUS & THE VEHICLE ALSO INCREASED IN SPEED. CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS 1994 TAURUS WAS TRADED IN FOR THIS 1998, DIDN'T DO THIS.*AK
ROTORS WERE WORPED AT 14000MI GOT THEM FIXED. ROTORS WERE WORPED AGAIN AT 46000MI EVEN THOUGH ALL 4 BREAKS PADS WERE FINE.
VEHICLE ACCELERATES BY ITSELF. IT DOES NOT SLOW WHEN ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, AND TWO VISITS TO THE DEALER PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. DEALER SAID TO BRING IT IN WHEN IT IS HAPPENING, BUT THIS IS UNWORKABLE AS CAR MUST BE SHUT OFF TO STOP HIGH ENGINE SPEED AND THEN THE PROBLEM STOPS UNTIL NEXT OCCURANCE. I FEE…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE ACCELERATES BY ITSELF. IT DOES NOT SLOW WHEN ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, AND TWO VISITS TO THE DEALER PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. DEALER SAID TO BRING IT IN WHEN IT IS HAPPENING, BUT THIS IS UNWORKABLE AS CAR MUST BE SHUT OFF TO STOP HIGH ENGINE SPEED AND THEN THE PROBLEM STOPS UNTIL NEXT OCCURANCE. I FEEL THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND THE CAVALIER ATTITUDE OF THE DEALER IS OF NO HELP.*AK
BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL THROUGH THE INTERSECTION RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. *ET
ACCELERATOR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE, JERKS AND STICKS DOWN.*ET
TRUNK WILL NOT REMAIN OPEN, IT WILL CLOSE ON CONSUMER'S HEAD, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THE WEIGHT OF THE SPOILER WILL NOT HOLD IT UP. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR SEAT BELT DOESN'T RETRACT PROPERLY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK AT 35 MPH THE LIGHT TURNED RED I HIT THE BRAKES AND THE CAR ACCELERATED AND I PUSHED THE BRAKES AGAIN, BUT IT WOULD'NT STOP .I RAN THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND HIT ANOTHER CAR, CAUSING HIM TO HIT SOMEONE ELSE.IF THE SPEED ZONE HAD BEEN HIGHER SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOT KILLED.*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.