1989 Ford Taurus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 1989 Taurus report a wide range of problems on an old, high-mileage car, most often seat belts that will not latch or retract and rear subframe mounts that corrode and separate. Complaints also describe engine compartment and steering-column fires on parked or lightly driven cars, plus cooling-fan and ignition-switch issues. Many complaints reference recalls that owners say did not cover their vehicle or for which parts were unavailable.

1. 1
   Seat belts

   Seat belt buckle will not latch, release, or retract

   • 130 complaints (23%)
   • median 200,000 mi at 15.4 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2010

   Owners describe belts that fail to latch, buckles that will not release when the button is pressed, belts that will not retract after use, and tensioners that go slack when the occupant shifts. Some report the buckle tongue breaking off or the anchoring cable separating from its anchor. Several say the dealer had no parts for the recall or that their vehicle was not included, and one complaint notes a dealer replaced only the front buckles when front and rear were expected. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 62,000 to over 200,000 miles.

   Recall 92V113000

   What to check: Buckle and unbuckle every belt, front and rear, and let each one retract fully; ask whether the buckle recall was completed and whether parts were actually installed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While attempting to buckle the seat belt anchoring cable broke from its anchor. Dealer claimed that the cable broke due to extensive wear and tear. Manufacturer would be informed of the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10042819, filed 2003-10, 200,000 miles

   “When seat belts are locked in place on both driver's/passenger's sides, the belt tensioner would become very slack when the person moves or shifts. This would happen every time someone is in the passenger's/driver's seat. Belts would not tighten back up.”

   NHTSA complaint #823360, filed 1998-05
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Rear subframe mounts corrode and separate

   • 50 complaints (9%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 14.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2004

   Complaints describe rear subframe or cradle mounts that corrode until the subframe drops or separates from the body, sometimes with a loud bang followed by loss of steering. Owners report bolts breaking, the engine and suspension dropping, and related damage such as a broken windshield or damaged transmission. Several say a recall covered some vehicles but not theirs, or that the repair was incomplete or parts were unavailable. Mostly reported between roughly 53,000 and 153,000 miles, often on cars in salt-belt states.

   Recall 98V323000

   What to check: Have a shop inspect the rear subframe and cradle mounts for corrosion or cracks, and ask whether recall 98V323000 was performed and which mounts were replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my 1989 Ford Taurus, there was a loud bang, and the car became almost impossible to steer. Fortunately, I was not near any other cars, and only 1 block from home, so with brute force I was able to drive the car back to my driveway. Inspection found that both rear corners of the sub frame that the engine, transmission, and suspension had dropped down, seperated from main car chassis. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10096398, filed 2004-10, 153,389 miles

   “The chassis mounts on the rear of the subframe corroded and broke which allowed the frame to separate front he body. The consumer requested reimbursement.”

   NHTSA complaint #10027262, filed 2003-07, 53,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Engine compartment fire, often linked to wiring

   • 103 complaints (18%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 13.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 63 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2006

   Owners report smoke and flames from under the hood or from the steering column area, sometimes shortly after the car is shut off or parked. Several complaints attribute the fires to an electrical short in the wiring harness or to the ignition switch, and one describes the seat adjustment switch sticking and overheating. Repairs described include ignition switch replacement; in some cases the cause was not determined. Reported on cars of varying mileage, sometimes while parked and sometimes within minutes of driving.

   What to check: Look for scorched or chafed wiring under the hood and around the steering column, check that the ignition switch and any repaired harness show no melting, and ask about prior electrical repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ever since I've had this car it has beeb a money pit. I bought it an was not awre of all of the proplems this model was having. The motor mounts were replaced power steering pump was also replaced. The elcertical wiring harness caught fire while I was driving it. I am disabled and it could have given me a heart attack. I could not have pushed this car off the road. Now I am having trouble with the fuel injectors or their sensors no one has been abvle to fix this problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #734271, filed 2000-10

   “Consumer was traveling, turned the vehicle off, vehicle started smoking and caught fire in the engine compartment. Consumer state the cause of fire was due to an electrical short in the wiring harness.”

   NHTSA complaint #815731, filed 1997-08
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Cooling fan and engine overheating concerns

   • 43 complaints (8%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 14.6 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 23 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2003

   Complaints describe a cooling fan that caught fire while the car was stopped, stalling at speed with loss of power steering and brakes until the engine cooled, and emission-related catalyst recall notices that owners were never told about. Some report the engine separating from the transmission while driving. Most reports are in the 60,000 to 96,000 mile range.

   What to check: Ask whether the catalyst recall was completed, and have the fan circuit and cooling system checked for damaged wiring, seized fan motors, or overheating history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I got an emission test and a recall came up on the screen-cat-replacement bulletin#93e47 -recall. Is this to replace the cat.converters ? No one seems to know what this means , my car almost failed emission test so they say”

   NHTSA complaint #720063, filed 2000-03

   “While sitting at a stop sign someone tried to let consumer know that vehicle was on fire, but the consumer smelled the fire and . Fire was caused by the engine cooling fan.”

   NHTSA complaint #836612, filed 1999-05
5. 5
   Steering

   Steering wander, hard shifting, and suspension noise

   • 79 complaints (14%)
   • median 95,746 mi at 16.4 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2017

   Owners describe a jerking or stiff power steering feel, tie rod hardware backing off, rattles from the front and rear, and coil springs that break and drop the corner of the car. Some report hard, rough shifting from the automatic transmission. Dealers and mechanics reportedly replaced power steering pumps and, in some cases, could not identify the cause. Reported mostly between about 35,000 and 96,000 miles, with some at higher mileage.

   What to check: Check the front springs for cracks or fresh breaks, listen for steering and suspension noises on a test drive, and ask about power steering pump and transmission service history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We have a 1989 Taurus w/od transmission that shifts hard and rough, also the front and rear rattles and sounds like it is going to fall off. We were not aware of the recalls for this on our vehicle. The paint is blistering with orange rust coming through, and the stearing (power w/tilt) has a jerk in it. Can you or will you help me with these defects?”

   NHTSA complaint #10086192, filed 2004-08, 95,000 miles

   “While driving my 1989 Ford Taurus sedan at approximately 35 MPH on wednesday february 2, 2005 at approximately 6:30 pm I experienced an apparent blowout of the right front tire. In the dark, my 13 year old son and I changed the tire putting on the temporary spare and we drove directly to the local tire shop. There, observing that the original tire was incapable of being repaired, I ordered a replacement tire. After mounting the new tire to the wheel, the shop was unable to replace the wheel onto the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10110008, filed 2005-02, 95,746 miles

Buying note. This is a very old, high-mileage model year, so condition and rust inspection matter more than specification. Priority checks are the seat belts, rear subframe mounts, wiring and ignition switch, and whether the relevant recalls were completed on this specific vehicle.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.