1997 Ford Taurus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission problems — slipping, delayed engagement, and a car that will not move from a stop — and brake hydraulic failures with corroded lines. Many complaints also describe front coil springs breaking and, on cars driven in road-salt areas, rusted front subframe/cradle sections. Reports are spread across low and high mileage, with a number of corrosion-related items appearing on well-used vehicles.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips or won't engage from a stop

   • 148 complaints (19%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 7.8 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,150 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 1996–2018

   Owners describe the automatic transmission slipping, sometimes feeling as if it has dropped into neutral, then engaging with a hard lurch. Several say the car will not move from a stop light unless the engine is shut off, restarted, and shifted into drive; others report hunting between gears at highway speed or fluid leaks from the transmission area. Complaints mention dealers being unable to reproduce the problem, and in some cases repairs (gasket, filter, clutch piston) did not stop the slipping. Reported from as little as about 38,000 miles up to the 130,000-160,000 mile range, often during low-speed starts or stops.

   Recall 97V0970001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive from several dead stops and at low speed, and check for delayed or harsh engagement and for fluid leaks under the transaxle. Ask whether the transmission fluid and filter have been serviced and whether any transmission repairs were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The steering wheel makes a noise when I turn right at times. I haven?t had it fixed yet. Sometimes my window on the drivers front won?t roll down. It hasn?t been fixed. The car wouldn?t go forward when you had to stop at a stop sign or light. The transmission has been fixed. The forward clutch piston had to be changed. I couldn?t drive it further as it wouldn?t go forward after I stopped.”

   NHTSA complaint #10071138, filed 2004-01, 32,000 miles

   “In june of 2003 I bought my 1997 Ford Taurus with only 97,000 miles, from a used car dealership. In sept. Of 2003 it began to leak transmission fluid and so I got that fixed and then in october I went to back out of my drive way and my car wouldn't go. I was able to push it out and found out thatit would still go foward. I drove it to my grandmother's house down the road to have it looked at and all of a sudden the steering tightened and I couldn't turn. Now my car doesn't run at all. It is the first and only car I have ever owned.”

   NHTSA complaint #10066266, filed 2004-04, 97,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake line corrosion and sudden pedal-to-floor loss

   • 71 complaints (9%)
   • median 78,000 mi at 11.5 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2021

   Owners describe the brake pedal going to the floor with little or no warning, sometimes with fluid visible under the car, and several needed the parking brake to stop. Mechanics quoted in complaints attribute this to rusted metal brake lines, in some cases where lines run near a bracket or under the driver-side door, and one owner reports a line worn through where it rubbed a bracket. Repairs described are replacement of the corroded line sections. Mostly on vehicles past roughly 70,000 miles, often in states where road salt is used.

   What to check: Have the steel brake lines inspected along their full length, especially above the rear axle and under the driver-side door, and ask whether any lines have been replaced. A firm pedal that does not sink when held is a basic check.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 luckily, I did not get into an accident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10777947, filed 2015-09, 105,000 miles

   “Brake line burst. Control became nonexistent. Got very lucky bringing it home, although I did run into the back of my garage (because the brakes didn't work).”

   NHTSA complaint #10363415, filed 2010-10, 77,387 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Front coil spring breaks and can puncture a tire

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report a loud bang or pop and the front of the car dropping, with the broken coil spring end sometimes cutting into the tire sidewall. Some describe the spring breaking while parked or at low speed; others report the broken spring severing a brake line. Complaints note that later Taurus model years were covered by a coil spring campaign while this year was not, and repairs described are spring/strut replacement. Reported from roughly 85,000 to 176,000 miles, sometimes without any prior noise or warning.

   What to check: Inspect both front springs and struts for cracked or broken coils and check tire sidewalls for cuts. Ask whether springs or struts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving at 30mph when I heard a very loud rattle/clanking noise. A few seconds later a piece of left front coil spring snapped and fell off my car. I was <1 mile from home so I picked up the piece and returned safely. I did notice the brakes were going out. Once I returned I found my brake fluid line was severed by the coil spring. I have not fixed the car yet. It is parked in my driveway unusable.”

   NHTSA complaint #10215868, filed 2008-01, 151,930 miles

   “I was driving my car at the time when I heard a loud noise in the front of my car. I was turning left into a parking lot so I wasn't going very fast I stopped and looked at my car and noticed that the left front side of my car was almost sitting on the front tire I was glad that I wasn't on the interstate at the time. I have never had this happen with any of my other cars .I would think the springs are stronger than that. Thank god I wasn't going fast.......”

   NHTSA complaint #10181295, filed 2007-02, 150,000 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Front subframe (engine cradle) rust-through

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the front subframe or engine cradle rusting through on both sides, letting the front of the car drop and in some cases making steering impossible. Complaints say the failure was found during routine service or while pulling out of a driveway, and that a replacement cradle was needed. Several owners note that a later-model-year cradle campaign did not cover this year. Typically reported on higher-mileage cars in the 75,000-135,000 mile range, in areas where winter road salt is used.

   What to check: Ask for a look at the subframe and cradle mounts from underneath, particularly on a car with a salt-belt history, and check for flaking rust or thinning metal around the mounting points.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford has not included the 97 Taurus wagon-we have in the front end et. Motor cradle, frame failure, in the recall, they have years both sides. I have lost all trade in value on this veh. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10325039, filed 2010-04, 80,000 miles

   “Clunking sound emanating from engine compartment. Took in for oil change, was told that the engine cradle ( sub-frame ) was dangerously rotted out. Cradle replaced with one without rot.”

   NHTSA complaint #10392702, filed 2011-03, 75,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Park pawl does not hold — car rolls in Park

   • 57 complaints (7%)
   • median 96,200 mi at 7.7 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,400 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2018

   Owners report that the shift lever shows Park but the car still rolls, or that it will not start in Park and Neutral must be hunted for. Some describe the vehicle moving on its own while parked, including one report of it rolling backward after being left in Park. Complaints reference a park pawl campaign for this model and say the dealer could not find the vehicle under it. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 40,000 to nearly 150,000 miles, often noticed during parking or starting.

   Recall 96V166000

   What to check: On a slope, set the parking brake before testing whether the car holds in Park, and check that the engine starts reliably in Park. Ask whether the park pawl bracket campaign work was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The gear won't go into park. When its placed in park the vehicle continues to move. I had to call road side assistance because I didn't know what to do. No injuries were cause or the police weren't called. This is dangerous and its a recall for my vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10293117, filed 2009-11, 149,360 miles

   “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 for a second and while standing beside the car it slipped out of park and into reverse knocking me to the ground as it rapidly sped rearward till it hit and came to rest against a concrete wall”

   NHTSA complaint #11084629, filed 2018-04, 149,000 miles

Buying note. Given the age of this model year, the condition of the brake lines, front springs and subframe matters more than mileage; a pre-purchase inspection on a lift in a salt-belt car is worth the cost. Also drive the car from several stops to check transmission engagement before deciding.

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.