IllustrationTHE VEHICLE WILL PICK UP SPEED BY ITSELF WITHOUTACCEKERATING, WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *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
What owners actually said
545 reportsVEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AS DRIVER WAS PUTTING VEHICLE INTO PARK RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING A WALL.
UPON TRAVELING AT 50 MPH RAN OVER A FENCE AND HIT A TREE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FENDER. DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
DURING ACCELERATION THE DRIVERS SEAT ( SPINE ) AREA MAKES NOISE. *YC
ALTHOUGH CRUISE CONTROL IS SET, THE CAR ACCELERATES WHEN GOING DOWN A HILL. ACCELERATION UP TO ADDITIONAL 15 MILES AN HOUR. DRIVER MUST BRAKE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN DESIRED SPEED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATES THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THEM, BUT THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. *AK
WE CONNECTED THE IMMERSIONBLOCK HEATER AT 9:00, MAR 2. AT ABOUT 8:30. MAR 3, WWE DISCOVERED OUR CAR HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED, THE FRONT END BEING DEMOLISHED: THE ENGINE BURNED TH ROUGH, MUCH OF THE FRONT END BEING MELTED. ROEN FORD PERSONNEL STATE THE CUASE TO BE "UNIDENTIFIED" BUT SUGGEST THE CAUSE MIGHT BE A SHORT IN THE E…
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WE CONNECTED THE IMMERSIONBLOCK HEATER AT 9:00, MAR 2. AT ABOUT 8:30. MAR 3, WWE DISCOVERED OUR CAR HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED, THE FRONT END BEING DEMOLISHED: THE ENGINE BURNED TH ROUGH, MUCH OF THE FRONT END BEING MELTED. ROEN FORD PERSONNEL STATE THE CUASE TO BE "UNIDENTIFIED" BUT SUGGEST THE CAUSE MIGHT BE A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, PERHAPS THE BLOCK HEATER.
STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ORIGINALLY COMPLAINED OF A BRAKE CHIRP AT 3000 MILES. THE DEALER CUT THE ROTORS AND DRUMS. THE BRAKE CHIRP WENT AWAY BUT EVER SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL HAS VIBRATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEALER THEN BALANCED THE WHEELS TWICE AND HAD IT DONE TWICE AT OUTSIDE SHOPS. THE DEALER THEN …
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STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ORIGINALLY COMPLAINED OF A BRAKE CHIRP AT 3000 MILES. THE DEALER CUT THE ROTORS AND DRUMS. THE BRAKE CHIRP WENT AWAY BUT EVER SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL HAS VIBRATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEALER THEN BALANCED THE WHEELS TWICE AND HAD IT DONE TWICE AT OUTSIDE SHOPS. THE DEALER THEN REPLECED THE GENERAL TIRES WITH MICHELINS AND REPLACED THREE OF FOUR RIMS, ALL TO NO AVAIL. THE DEALER THEN CONTACTED FORD WHO SAID THE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE, BUT THEY ARE TRYING, AND HAVE CUSTOMER BE PATIENT. THAT WAS JULY 1998. SINCE THEN THEY HAVE REPLACED A SPRING IN THE STEERING SYSTEM AND CUT THE DRUMS AND ROTORS AGAIN. I STATED TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE DRUMS AND ROTORS REPLACED BECAUSE I FELT TWO CUTS ON A CAR LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WAS TOO MUCH. HE STATED FORD WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS BECAUSE THE ROTORS WERE TOO THICK AND THEY WOULD BILL THE DEALERSHIP IF THEY REPLACED THEM. SINCE I THINK THE ROTORS OR THE DRUMS ARE THE PROBLEM I THEN CALLED
CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE AT 9:00PM AND PLUGGED IN HEATER BLOCK, USING AN EXTENTION CORD DUE TO LOW TEMPARTURES TO KEEP OIL WARM OVER NIGHT. VEHICLE WAS USED AS A RENTAL CAR AT AIRPORT. CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 1998 AT DEALERSHIP-ROEN FORD-715-425-6122--660 N. MAIN ST. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR FIRE, BU…
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CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE AT 9:00PM AND PLUGGED IN HEATER BLOCK, USING AN EXTENTION CORD DUE TO LOW TEMPARTURES TO KEEP OIL WARM OVER NIGHT. VEHICLE WAS USED AS A RENTAL CAR AT AIRPORT. CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 1998 AT DEALERSHIP-ROEN FORD-715-425-6122--660 N. MAIN ST. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR FIRE, BUT WILL GIVE CONSUMER REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. CONSUMER PLUGGED IN ENGINE BLOCK EMERSION HEATER APPROX. 9PM, 8AM THE NEXT MORNING VEHICLE'S FRONT HAD COMPLETELY MELTED, AND THE GARAGE WAS SMOKE FILLED. *AK
THE TRUNK HAS A SPOILER ON IT AND IT DOES NOT STAY UP WHEN LIFTED. THE TRUNK HAD FALLEN ON THE OWNER NUMEROUS TIMES. DEALER SAU\YS THAT IT IS NORMAL AND CANNOT BE FIXED. *AK
EXCESSIVE USE OF BRAKES REQUIRED WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS IN USE, PICKS UP SPEED WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS.
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.