IllustrationBRAKE PADS FAILED.
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 reportsWHILE DRIVING ELECTRONIC PARTS ARE NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY, THE PANEL LIGHTS WILL BLINK, AS WELL AS THE HEADLIGHTS. SOMETIMES CONSUMER CAN'T GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO COME ON AT ALL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO DEALER THREE TIMS AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM. *AK
STEERING WHEEL PULSATION WWHEN BRAKING OVER 50MPH 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM BOUGHT IT BACK TO FORD 7 TIMES. ENGINE STOPPED WHEN PARALLEL PARKING BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON TWICE CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS LD
WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED THERE ARE NO BRAKES. EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURS. DEALER 4 TIMES CONTACTED, AND STATED TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT FAILURE TO CHECK. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. NO REMEDY TO REPAIR. *AK.ET.
THE ENGINE KNOCKS AND PINGS WHEN IT'S READY TO SHIFT TO THE NEXT GEAR, THE ORIGINAL ENGIN WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING.
MY CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. THANK THE LORD THEY WERN'T IN THE CAR!
CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS IN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH TOTALED THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT HEADLIGHT, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND AND PUSH THE REAR TRUNK LID INTO THE VEHICLE, WHICH STRUCK THE CONSUMER'S WIFE VEHICLE. BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
HEATER SYSTEM FAILED.
THE DESIGN OF THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER CAUSING THE DRIVER TO DEPRESS BOTH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE LUNGING FORWARD.
SINCE NEW, VEHICLE FAILS TO DECELERATE IMMEDIATELY WHEN FOOT REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR. WILL ALSO ACCELERATE GOING DOWNHILL WITH CRUISE ON.
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.