1990 Ford Taurus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe broken engine and subframe mounts that produce clunking, vibration, and in some cases loss of steering, along with seat belt buckles that will not latch or unlatch and air bags that fail to deploy or trigger a warning light. Many reports come from cars well past 100,000 miles, and several owners note that recall work had been done previously or that their vehicle was excluded from a campaign by VIN.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Engine/subframe mount failure (clunking, engine movement)

   • 78 complaints (20%)
   • median 119,000 mi at 14.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2009

   Owners describe a clunking noise when shifting into drive or park and visible movement of the engine, with the mounts found broken or separated. Several report the mounts were replaced under a recall or warranty and then failed again a few years later, and some say the dealer declined to cover the repeat repair. A few complaints connect broken subframe or transaxle mount bolts to loss of steering control while driving. Reported across a wide range of mileage, with many cars over 100,000 miles and repeat failures recurring every few years on the same vehicle.

   Recall 98V323000

   What to check: Listen for a clunk when shifting between drive and reverse and watch the engine for excess movement; ask whether the subframe recall work (98V323000) was performed and inspect the mount bolts for cracks or looseness.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought my car into the dealer for a recall service to replace the sub-frame rear plate nut . While fixing the recall matter, the dealer informed me that the front and rear engine mounts were bad, and that there was a lot of movement in the engine and transmission, sometimes resulting in a clunking noise being heard when shifting into drive or park. The dealer advised that the mounts should be replaced and would cost me $343.70. …”

   NHTSA complaint #710506, filed 1999-08

   “We ordered this car new in 1990 with great enthusiasum. This car has been a perfect car for my wife to do her daily driving in which averages about 10 miles. The only problem is that the motor mounts have failed four times since we have owned this car.Ford has replaced these mounts 3times under warranty, and the fourth time I paid $356.00 for their replacement.now once more I am hearing that familar clunk which means that the motor mounts need replacement again.these mounts have failed since 12/29/93, 5/20/94, 7/17/95, and o5/8/97. …”

   NHTSA complaint #705279, filed 1999-04
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light or no deployment in a crash

   • 38 complaints (10%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 14.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2009

   Owners report the air bag warning light staying on or flashing in a pattern while driving, and in some cases the light is accompanied by a check engine light or loss of cruise control. Several complaints describe air bags that did not deploy in a collision, and one describes deployment in a low-speed impact. Dealers reportedly traced the warning light to a relay or module that needed replacement. Reported from around 57,000 to 100,000 miles, with several complaints from cars two decades old.

   What to check: Watch the air bag light through the self-test at start-up and ask whether the air bag module or relay has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “How do I get Ford motor company to honor genuine NHTSA recalls on a 1990 Ford Taurus wagon??? It currently has complaint # NHTSA 90e043001; NHTSA 98v323000; NHTSA 93v106002; NHTSA 91v34000. I cannot get dealership to replace air bag module defect, seat belt defect or cpu replacement defect. What do I do to get some action on these issues????”

   NHTSA complaint #10295663, filed 2009-12, 70,000 miles

   “When the paint began to peel, I chose not to repaint the vehicle due to cost. When the transmission failed, I chose not to repair it due to the cost to repair. When the cruise control stopped working, I chose not to repair due to the cost to repair. If I get the transmission fixed, I intend to have the airbag fixed as well.”

   NHTSA complaint #10071100, filed 2004-01, 100,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Stalling, often in hot weather (ignition module)

   • 23 complaints (6%)
   • typically at 9.2 yrs old
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2002

   Owners describe the engine cutting out without warning, sometimes at speed and sometimes after the car has been driven in warm weather, with restart possible only after the engine cools. Some note the loss of power steering and brakes when the engine dies, and one links the stall to an engine fire. Dealers were often unable to reproduce the problem, and owners point to the ignition module as a suspected cause. Occurs at any speed after the engine is warm, with several reports describing warm-weather stalling and a wait of about 30 minutes before restart.

   What to check: Ask whether the ignition module has been replaced and take a test drive long enough to bring the engine fully to temperature, including a stop-and-restart.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving at any speed vehicle dies. All power is lost. Sometimes it will restart after a few mintues. Most of the time vehcle has to be towed. This problem has been on going for 3 years. Dealership is not able to duplicate this problem. Different parts have been replaced, but problem continues.”

   NHTSA complaint #871153, filed 2000-09

   “The engine stalled when hot and cut back on after cooling. Last time vehicle stalled, an engine fire broke out. Dealer said there was nothing wrong with vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #848576, filed 1999-09
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Seat belts will not latch or release

   • 20 complaints (5%)
   • median 72,323 mi at 15.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2009

   Complaints describe front and rear seat belt buckles that will not latch, release unexpectedly, or come apart while the vehicle is in use. Some owners note the same buckle problem covered by a buckle recall but say their vehicle was not included by VIN, and one reports a replacement belt becoming stiff and its outer sleeve separating later. Reported at mileages from roughly 70,000 to 120,000 and above, typically on older vehicles with years of use.

   Recall 92V113000

   What to check: Test every buckle by latching and releasing it several times, and check whether the seat belt buckle recall (92V113000) applies to the vehicle's VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The belts were replaced due to recall campaign# 92v113000 at 88k miles. At 120k miles, the driver side latch mechanism became stiff, then the outer sleeve had come apart. The sleeve was placed back into place and the belt was back functioning properly.”

   NHTSA complaint #10117742, filed 2005-05, 83,000 miles

   “Drvier's and passenger's side front seat belts became unattached while vehicle was being driven. Owner notes this is the same problem as a recall, but owners vehicle was not included.”

   NHTSA complaint #815354, filed 1997-09
5. 5
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration or high idle

   • 21 complaints (6%)
   • median 110,000 mi at 15.4 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2005

   Complaints describe the car accelerating on its own at low speed or after being started and shifted into gear, in some cases requiring the driver to shift into park to stop it. Others report sudden acceleration at highway speed with no throttle input. Dealers were generally unable to find a cause. Reported from around 45,000 to 110,000 miles, with incidents occurring at speeds from parking-lot pace to highway speed.

   What to check: Check the throttle and cruise control linkage for binding or slack, and have the cruise control and idle behavior checked on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Owner was driving and pulled out of a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, applied the brakes, and the vehicle continued to accelerate. Owner had to avoid several possible accidents by putting the vehicle in park in order to get the vehicle to stop. However, owner's vehicle did hit another vehicle. Owner contacted the manufacturer, and was informed that there were no recalls relating to this defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10113159, filed 2005-02, 110,000 miles

   “When putting vehicle in reverse, the engine revved, and the vehicle zoomed out of the garage at a very high rate of speed. Went across the street and hit a ditch. The driver never put foot on the accelerator pedal or brake pedal. The vehicle is being repaired.”

   NHTSA complaint #821761, filed 1998-03

Buying note. On a car this old, mount condition, seat belt function and air bag warning lights are worth checking carefully before purchase, and it is worth confirming which recalls were actually completed on the specific VIN rather than assuming they were.

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.