1997 Ford Taurus Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Ford Taurus, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 87,734 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (12% of reports).
- 145engine and engine cooling complaints
- 87,734median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $7,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 71%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Head gasket: mentioned in 18 of 145 complaints (12%)
- Please provide: mentioned in 11 of 145 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Ford Taurus at $7,200, and half of them between $2,300 and $9,200.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2007), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 22 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 145 complaints, 5 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Taurus engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Taurus | 2 | 11% | 81,000 |
| 2018 Taurus | 4 | 8% | 105,000 |
| 2017 Taurus | 1 | 2% | 17,000 |
| 2016 Taurus | 2 | 2% | 52,250 |
| 2015 Taurus | 2 | 1% | 300 |
| 2014 Taurus | 6 | 3% | 88,000 |
| 2013 Taurus | 7 | 1% | 83,500 |
| 2012 Taurus | 2 | 3% | 11,225 |
| 2011 Taurus | 9 | 5% | 15,560 |
| 2010 Taurus | 11 | 5% | 6,700 |
| 2009 Taurus | 18 | 28% | 4,000 |
| 2008 Taurus | 11 | 6% | 46,000 |
| 2007 Taurus | 22 | 15% | 42,753 |
| 2006 Taurus | 19 | 6% | 74,000 |
| 2005 Taurus | 40 | 5% | 72,000 |
| 2004 Taurus | 19 | 5% | 73,750 |
| 2003 Taurus | 67 | 5% | 73,000 |
| 2002 Taurus | 53 | 4% | 57,600 |
| 2001 Taurus | 60 | 6% | 74,328 |
| 2000 Taurus | 103 | 9% | 71,000 |
| 1999 Taurus | 81 | 9% | 65,168 |
| 1998 Taurus | 62 | 11% | 95,000 |
| 1997 Taurus | 145 | 19% | 87,734 |
| 1996 Taurus | 214 | 26% | 80,180 |
| 1995 Taurus | 352 | 29% | 76,950 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Ford Taurus. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The plastic overflow bottle from the radiator keeps failing. I have replaced it 3 times in the past 4 years,was told at parts store they sell about 5 a month between the ford taurus and mercury sable,it is getting costly and ford has no answer. *tr
Tl* the contact owns 1997 ford taurus. The contact stated as he was driving at 65mph the cam shaft fail. The cam shaft slipped into the motor where everything just shuts down. The warning light illuminated and then the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was told he had to…
I have a 97 ford taurus gl. The engine caught on fire and the burned rapidly. My family just made it out of the car. I managed to get it away from the house. The house suffered some heat damage. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford Tauruss have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 145 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Ford Taurus (19% of the 770 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Taurus engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 87,734 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Ford Taurus?
Owners report a typical cost of $7,200 (half paid between $2,300 and $9,200), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Ford Taurus?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 18 of 145 complaints, followed by “please provide” (11).
Other 1997 Ford Taurus problems
See all 1997 Ford Taurus problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Taurus years.