Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 34 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 34, in the owner's own words
OIL LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON WHEN LOW. 2. ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS ON. 3 WHEN I WAS DRIVING THIS WINTER, THE BRAKES, THEY LOCKED UP ON ME AND I ALMOST HAD A COLLISION WITH TWO OTHER CARS BUT I HIT A CURB AND WAS ABLE TO GET MY CAR MOVING AGAIN. 4.CAR IS LOUD WHILE DRIVING. 5 CAN'T GET GOOD GAS MILAGE.6.CAR HAS DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL AND NOTICED GASOLINE ON THE GROUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THREE FAILURES WERE PRESENT: THE FUEL TANK, A COOLANT LEAK, AND BRAKE LINE CORROSION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE FORD TO REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, BUT THEY REFUSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,900. UPDATED 04/02/08. *LJ
I HAVE TWO ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL 19'97 FORD AUTOMOBILES; A TAURUS AND A SABLE. ON THE TAURUS I JUST HAD THE GAS TANK REPLACED BECAUSE THE MECHANIC SAID AND SHOWED ME THAT IT WAS LEAKING AT THE SEAMS. I NOT ICE NOW A GASOLINE SMELL COMING FROM THE SABLE.. BASED ON TWO OUT OF TWO VEHICLES, I BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A GENERAL PROBLEM WITH FORD GAS TANKS LEAKING. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE FUEL TANK LEAKED. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD CATCH FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
THE VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP WIRES ARCHED WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. *PH
FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF SWITCHES OFF BY ITSELF FOR UNKNOWN REASON WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF SWITCH SHOULD ONLY OPERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. *AK
19'97 TAURUS, LIKE MANY OF THE FORD & OTHER PRODUCT LINES, HAVE THE GAS FILLER PIPE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE. WITH THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE TO SELF-SERVE, THIS ?!@#$% ARRANGEMENT GENERATES CONFUSION IN BUSY SERVICE STATIONS LEADING TO A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR FUEL SPILLS AND FIRES. ALL CARS, EVEN IF THEY THINK THE EUROPEAN LOCATION IS "CUTE" SHOULD BE MANDATED TO HAVE FUEL FILL PIPE LOCATION ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. REDUCE CONFUSION. INCREASE SAFETY. *AK
1997 FORD TAURUS WAGON. OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, THE VEHICLE STOPPED DEAD IN TRAFFIC 5 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE FUSE TO THE FUEL PUMP REPEATEDLY BLEW, BUT NO OTHER PROBLEMS WERE EVIDENT EACH TIME THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE GARAGE. THE ENGINE WOULD RUN ROUGHLY, STALL, AND SURGE, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, AND GRADUALLY BECAME WORSE. THE MECHANIC SUSPECTED A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A WIRE TO THE FUEL PUMP INSIDE THE FUEL TANK HAD ITS INSULATION WORN OFF DOWN TO THE BARE WIRE, AND HAD SHORTED OUT. OTHER WIRES ALSO SHOW SIGNS OF WEAR, BUT ARE NOT YET WORN THROUGH. I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE WIRES. THE WIRES WERE DAMAGED DUE TO THE WAY THE FUEL PUMP WAS ASSEMBLED WITHIN THE GAS TANK. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND IS NOT LIMITED TO ONLY OUR CAR. FORD HAS ISSUED 3 TSB'S RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM (98251, 5226, AND 12189) AND I HAVE ALSO FOUND SEVERAL RELATED COMPLAINTS IN THE NHTSA DATABASE (ODI ID 549996, 707889, 713208, 807546, 838030, 853283, 879245, 10018293, AND 8012733). I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD NOT ONLY CAUSE COMPLETE VEHICLE FAILURE (LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES) AT ANY SPEED, BUT ALSO THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF A SPARK INSIDE THE GAS TANK IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. THIS WIRING PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR ANY FORD TAURUS FIRES, OR ACCIDENTS INVOLVING LOSS OF POWER. WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE RELATED ACCIDENTS INCREASES AS CURRENT VEHICLES AGE. FORD EVIDENTLY IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE REVISED THE WIRING HARNESS AND GIVEN SPECIAL INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS TO THEIR TECHNICIANS. *NLM
CONSUMER STATES 4 TIRES AND 1 SPARE WHICH ARE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15 INCH TIRE(S) (DOT # UNKNOWN) ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ARE HIGHLY DEFECTIVE. CONSUMER REPLACED THEM DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, HOWEVER MANUFACTURER WILL NOT REIMBURSE OR REPLACE TIRES STATING THE CAMPAIGN WAS OVER. *TT THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED 2 TIMES AND THE AIR CONDITION WAS REPLACED. UPDATED.*JB
WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, AND THEY FOUND THAT THE FUEL PUMPS POSITIVE WIRE WAS CUT ON A SHARP EDGE INSIDE OF FUEL TANK, WHICH LEFT THE WIRE EXPOSED TO THE FUEL TANK, AND CAUSED IT TO SHORT CIRCUIT.*AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT, AND NOW PLACES A PROTECTIVE COVER ON THE WIRES. *SCC
CONSUMER STATES AFTER FILLING UP GAS TANK, CONSUMER NOTICED FUEL POURING OUT OF VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL FILTER NEEDED REPLACING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO THE FUEL PUMP. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED. MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS FUEL PUMP, AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS IF NEEDED. *AK
WOULD BE DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD COME ON. PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, MECHANIC INDICATED NOTHING WRONG, ONLY FUEL CAP NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. *AK
LOCAL GAS STATION HAD LOW PRICE TODAY SO PLACE WAS CROWDED. MUCH CHAOS DUE TO STUPID PLACEMENT OF GAS FILLER PIPE ON STARBOARD SIDE. CHAOS BREEDS CONFUSION AND UNSAFE CONDITION. CAR MAKERS THINK IT LOOKS EUROPEAN BUT A STARBOARD GAS FILLER LOCATION IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN IT NEEDS TO BE. EVERY FILLER SHOULD BE ON ONE SIDE ONLY.*AK
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM GROUNDS, CAUSING LEAKAGE AND COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH RESULTS IN VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO SERVICE SHOP WHERE THEY FIND OUT THAT A FUSE WAS BLOWN IN FUEL PUMP. *AK
HEATER CORE AND EXPANSION TANK CRACK AND LEAKS CAUSING STEAM AND ANTI-FREEZE SMELL TO ENTER CAR CAUSING POOR VISIBILTY AND ALSO NAUSEA FROM SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE. *AK
THE CLIP THAT HOLDS THE FUEL LINE BROKE RESULTING A A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. NLM
FUEL SPITTING OUT OF FILLER NECK, AND FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. VEHICLE BEEN AT DEALERS SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK THE NOZZLE SHUTS OFF WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK AND THE TANK SPITS OUT GAS. THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM BUT THE FUEL GUAGE STILL MALFUNCTIONS. *YH
GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY WHEN FULL, DIGITAL MILES LEFT GAUGE READ 0, THREE OF FOUR TAURUS'S WITHIN THE FLEET HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE GAS GAUGE. *MJS
GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY WHEN FULL, DIGITAL MILES LEFT GAUGE READ 0, THREE OF FOUR TAURUS'S WITHIN THE FLEET HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE GAS GAUGE. *MJS
VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE & WOULDN'T STAY RUNNING. WIRES FOR FUEL PUMP HAD RUBBED AGAINST FLEX HOSE, CAUSING IT TO EXPOSE THE WIRES & SHORT OUT. DEALER COLD DO NOTHING BECAUSE NO RECALL. *AK ALSO THE CV JOINTS FAILED AND THE TRANSMISSION PAN CRACKED. THE BRAKES VIBRATED CAUSING THE STEERING TO VIBRATE TERREBLY. THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER SAYS, MUST BE DEFECTIVE. *YH
FTER A HEAVY RAIN AND IF CAR GOES THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER THE ENGINE WILL STALL. CONSUMER SAYS ENGINE WILL START BACK UP AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID CONSUMER NEEDED A REVISED AIR CLEANER. *AK
THE ENGINE OFTEN STALLS DURING A HEAVY RAIN OR AFTER RUNNING THROUGH PUDDLES OF WATER. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT NEDED A "REVISED AIR CLEANER". IF I UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY WATER IS SUCKED UP THROUGH THE AIR CLEANER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE REVISED AIR CLEANER IS A DIFFERENT DESIGN WHICH PREVENTS THIS FROM HAPPENING. *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
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