Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1991 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 117 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 117, in the owner's own words
WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP A JERKING MOTION WAS PRODUCED. AS A RESULT, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. DEALER STATED MOTOR MOUNTS FAILED. A RECALL 98V323000 WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
OEM 3.8 LITER V6 ENGINE FAILED, REQUIRING INSTALLTION OF RE-MANUFACTURED ENGINE AT COST OF $3608.47. *JB
I CAN'T POSSIBLY REMEMBER THE DATES THESE THINGS HAPPENED. I PUT A NEW (USED) TRANSMISSION AND THIS ONE IS SLIPPING. I PUT MORE BRAKE PADS AND CALIPERS THAN YOU WOULD USE IN A LIFE TIME. THE SPRINGS ARE WEAK IN THE BACK, BUT TO EXSPENSIVE TO CHANGE. I PUT A NEW FUEL PUMP AND GAS TANK. I'VE PUT A NEW EGR VALVE, OXYGEN SENSOR, THROTTLE SENSOR, AIR TEMP SENSOR. I PUT A BLINKER SWITCH AND NEW STRUTS BECAUSE MINE BROKE. 3 OUT OF 4 OF MY DOORS WILL NOT OPEN BECAUSE OF THE HANDLES. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS I WROTE DOWN OR CAN REMEMBER. NOW IT WILL NOT START UNLESS I PUMP THE GAS(IT'S FUEL INJECTED) AND KEEP TURNING IT OVER AND OVER. THEN I'M NOT SURE IF IT WILL START AGAIN WHEN I SHUT IT OFF. THE FUEL PUMP IS WORKING I THINK, I CAN HEAR IT. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND THE PERSON PUT A 1989 MOTOR INTO A 1991 BODY. THESE THINGS STILL WENT WRONG WITH THE CAR EITHER WAY. I DID NOT CHECK ANY BELOW BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO CHECK.
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HOME, HE TURNED A CORNER AND HEARD A SNAP. THEN, HOOD STARTED TO MOVE UP AND DOWN VIOLENTLY. CONSUMER MANAGED TO BRING VEHICLE HOME AND PARKED IT. THIS HAPPENED TODAY, AND HAS NOT YET HAD TIME TO GET A MECHANIC TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.*AK
THE VEHICLE OVER HEATED AND THEN SHUT OFF. *JB THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT SHIFT. *CB *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
ENGINE LEAKING COOLANT AND WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM TAIL PIPE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE TEMPERATURE RISED TO HOT AND VEHICLE STALLED AFTER MAKING NOISE. ALL WATER CAME OUT OF EXHAUST SYSTEM. *YH
FRONT MOTOR MOUNT HAS BROKEN TWICE HAVEN'T SEEN A RECALL ABOUT THIS YET IS THERE ONE THAT I HAVE OVER LOOKED PLZ CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW OF THE RECALL THAT MY CARS HAS I CALLED ONCE BEFORE N I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD NO RECALLS ON MY CAR YET I HAVE RECENTLY PRINTED OUT 6-7 THAT EFECT MY CAR. *AK
VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT START . CONSUMER HAD A FRIEND PUT A FUEL PUMP IN, AND VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, AND THEY PUT A MULTI FUNCTION RELAY SWITCH IN, AND VEHICLE STARTED. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT UPON RECEIVING VEHICLE INERTIA SWITCH POPPED OUT. THIS BUTTON STOPPED FUEL SUPPLY FROM GOING THROUGHT CAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
3.8L ENGINE IS NOTORIOUS FOR HEAD GASKET FAILURE/FORD DENIES ANY PROBLEMS WITH 3.8L ENGINES.*AK
VEHICLE BEGAN TO LEAK ANTI-FREEZE INTO MANIFOLD CAUSING VEHICLE TO SMOKE VEHICLE HAS A 3.8 LITER ENGINE.*AK
CAR STALLS INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER REPLACED PLUG WIRES, CAP & ROTOR, FUEL & AIR FILTERS, AND FUEL PUMP. TYPICALLY DOESN'T PRESENT COMPUTER FAILURE CODES. QUITS AT HIGHWAY SPEED, IN CITY TRAFFIC, WHEN COLD OR WARM. SOMETIMES RESTARTS IMMEDIATELY, OFTEN WON'T START FOR HOURS, OR UNTIL NEXT DAY. DEALER IS OUT OF SUGGESTIONS, AND I'M AT WIT'S END. VEHICLE UNSAFE/UNUSABLE IN THIS CONDITION. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
AFTER SHIFTING GEARS COULD FEEL A CLUMP ON VEHICLE. THEN, TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP WHERE THEY FOUND THAT FRONT AND REAR MOTOR MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE RUBBER HAD GONE BAD IN ENGINE MOUNTS. *SLC
FRONT BRAKES AND BACK BRAKES; WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THE FAILED, VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP. ROTORS/CALIPERS/ DRUMS SHOE PADS WERE DEFECTIVE. ALSO, RADIATOR/ OIL PAN, AND STEERING POWER ASSIST: HOSE: FLUID WERE LEAKING. AND DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THEM. *AK
THE VEHICLE HAS HAD SERIOUS DEFECTS WITH THE 3.8 LITER HEAD GASKETS AND THE AXODE TRANSMISSION, CONSUMER HAS FILED A CLAIM IN THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT. *MJS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THIS CAUSED THERMOSTAT TO BURN OUT. ALSO, HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. SMOKE WOULD BE COMING FROM TAIL PIPE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ENGINE & HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
BLOWN HEAD ENGINE GASKET. ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW AT 150,000 MILES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING , MOSTLY IN THE SUMMER . MECHANIC HAS SERVICED VECHICLE , CHANGED STARTER, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS.*AK
THE FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES, METALLIC DISC PADS WERE INSTALLED, AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED, RESURFACED, AND MACHINED. *SLC
ALTERNATOR FAILED. NLM
NO SUMMARY
THE 3.8 LITER FORD ENGINE IS FOR PREMATURE HEADGASKET FAILURE. I CONTACTED FORD IN WRITING ASKING TO BE REIMBURSED BUT THAT WAS REJECTED. *AK
FORD CLAIMS NOTHING WRONG WITH 3.8 L HEAD GASKETS AND IT IS OK TO SELL JUNK! *AK
FORD KNOWS THIS TO BE A PRODUCT FAILURE ON THEIR 3.8L ENGINES....THEY ARE REFUNDING 93/94/95 MODELS FOR GASKET REPLACEMENT AND OR TOTAL ENGINE REPAIRS. BECAUSE THIS IS A RETIRED PERSON THAT PUT FEW MILES ON THE CAR ANNUALLY THE EST. GASKET FAILURE FORD SAYS AT 65,000 MILES WAS NOT REACHED UNTIL NOW. BUT THE CAR HAD KNOWN PRODUCT FAILURE ! *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .