1997 Ford Taurus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Taurus years
- Far more complaints than other years 9th of 25 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 770 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Ford Taurus. That ranks 9th out of 25 Taurus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (214 complaints, 28%), typically at around 72,000 miles. Complaints mention 64 crashes, 12 fires, 50 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 770owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 64complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Ford Taurus problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 214 | 28% | 72,000 | “transmission failed” (14%) | $4,350 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 145 | 19% | 87,734 | “head gasket” (12%) | $7,200 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 67 | 9% | 63,941 | “brake line” (10%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 62 | 8% | 82,500 | “door ajar” (10%) | — |
| Steering problems | 59 | 8% | 90,000 | “rack pinion” (12%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 58 | 8% | 96,200 | “cruise control” (16%) | — |
| Visibility problems | 57 | 7% | 44,200 | “windshield wipers” (19%) | — |
| Air Bags | 42 | 5% | 70,375 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 28 | 4% | 123,100 | — | — |
| Suspension | 28 | 4% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 3% | 80,902 | — | — |
| Equipment | 24 | 3% | 98,367 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 23 | 3% | 76,995 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 23 | 3% | 92,903 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 22 | 3% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 22 | 3% | 63,941 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 2% | 59,368 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 1% | 153,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 162,846 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 105,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Ford Taurus recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with ax4s automatic transaxles. The low/intermediate servo cover can separate from the transaxle while the vehicle is being driven. If this occurs, transmission fluid will leak contacting the catalytic converter.
Risk: The catalytic converter temperature may be hot enough to ignite the transmission fluid and cause a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the transmission and replace these servo covers.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
Risk: Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Oil light does not come on when low. 2. Engine light always on. 3 when i was driving this winter, the brakes, they locked up on me and i almost had a collision with two other cars but i hit a curb and was able to get my car moving again. 4.car is loud while driving. 5 can't get good gas…
Auto trans. Shift quad quickly became sloppy and in fact sometimes would not start in park pos. And you had to hunt for neutral where it would always start. Then on the third day, while parked overnight on private property, it did start in park, but while on a very high idle i got out of the car…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle lost power. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine…
When driving the car at a low rate of speed a few miles from my neighborhood, i noticed that the brake light indicator came on. I slowed down to look around the car but could not find anything. I drove the car home and just as i was driving into my neighborhood, the brakes stopped working. Very…
On 4/3/2015 my mother in law pulled into the driveway after a 10 mile trip to town. Upon pulling in the driveway the car started on fire immediately, at first she thought the car was overheating (white smoke) then realized the car was actually on fire (black smoke). She had to be helped by an idaho…
Other Ford Taurus years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Taurus | 18 | 2 |
| 2018 Taurus | 50 | 4 |
| 2017 Taurus | 44 | 4 |
| 2016 Taurus | 83 | 4 |
| 2015 Taurus | 279 | 6 |
| 2014 Taurus | 229 | 5 |
| 2013 Taurus | 585 | 9 |
| 2012 Taurus | 79 | 5 |
| 2011 Taurus | 187 | 4 |
| 2010 Taurus | 204 | 3 |
| 2009 Taurus | 64 | 0 |
| 2008 Taurus | 175 | 1 |
| 2007 Taurus | 149 | 0 |
| 2006 Taurus | 318 | 2 |
| 2005 Taurus | 774 | 0 |
| 2004 Taurus | 375 | 1 |
| 2003 Taurus | 1,223 | 3 |
| 2002 Taurus | 1,426 | 3 |
| 2001 Taurus | 1,037 | 9 |
| 2000 Taurus | 1,195 | 8 |
| 1999 Taurus | 874 | 5 |
| 1998 Taurus | 545 | 2 |
| 1997 | 770 | 3 |
| 1996 Taurus | 825 | 6 |
| 1995 Taurus | 1,205 | 5 |
See all Ford Taurus problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford Taurus?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 214 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Taurus?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Ford Taurus a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Taurus model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.