Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE HORN BECAME INOPERABLE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,230.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ANTI THEFT DEVICE ENGAGED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL UNEXPECTANTLY. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND SHE STATED THE FAILURE RECURRED AT LEAST SIX TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. THE CONTACT STATED THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY CABLE, A METAL WIRE TO THE BATTERY AND THE KEY WAS REPROGRAMMED AND REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,273.
THE DOOR ADJAR SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON. ALL DOORS ARE SHUT BUT LIGHT STAYS ON.WHEN THIS LIGHT IS ON THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON AND ALSO THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES THE BATTERY TO RUN DOWN AND ALSO FOR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO OPEN CAR DOORS WHEN MOVING BECAUSE THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK. I HAVE TAKEN THE BULBS FROM THE INTERIOR OUT TO PREVENT RUNNING BATTERY DOWN. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPLACE SENSORS IN DOORS. *TR
1998 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON BEGAN LOW POWER ACELERATING AT STOP TIMES 2. A THIRD INCIDENT OCCURED FROM A COMPLETE STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKES AN THIS TIME IT COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITH BOTH FEET ON BREAKS. IT RAN FOR ABOUT 75 FEET AND THEN QUIT ON ITS OWN. TOOK TO LOCAL FORD DELEARS SHIP AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. I ASKED IF THIS WERE COMMON AND WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH THING. KEEP CAR TWO DAYS I CONTACTED THE TAURUS CLUB OF AMERICAL AT THEIR WEB LINE AND IT SEEMS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS AND THEY CALLED IT SURGING. *AK
CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND LET THE ENGINE IDLE WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE DAMAGEED TOTAL THE VEHICLE. HOW THE FIRE STARTED? WAS NOT DETERMINED.*AK
I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING. WHENEVER I PUSH THE BUTTON TO LET MY WINDOWS UP, TURN OFF MY READ DEFROST, OR HOLD ANY BUTTONS TOO LONG THE BATTERY LIGHT WILL FLASH. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND I TURNED OFF MY REAR DEFROST AND MY BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED, THEN MY HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT AND MY CAR ALMOST SHUT DOWN, THEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THE NEXT DAY, IT WAS NIGHT TIME, AND I SAW ANOTHER TAURUS DO THE SAME THING. BEING THAT TIME IS CHANGING AND I NEED MY HEAD LIGHTS, I WOULD HATE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FACT I CANT SEE. I HAVE HAD MY CAR CHECKED TO SEE IF THE ALTERNATOR OR BATTERY WAS GOING OUT, BUT ALL THE CHECKS WERE GOOD. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. *JB
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE AIR VENTS ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES WITHIN SECONDS. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON PRIOR TO THE SMOKE AND FLAMES. *AK
WHILE PLACING THE KEY INSIDE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH IT FAILED TO TURN OR AND START. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO START OR TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE MORNING FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING IT IN FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
TURN SIGNALS WOULD ONLY WORK AT TIMES. SOMETIMES THEY WOULD START TO BLINK/ILLUMINATE. THEN, STOP BEFORE THE TURN WAS COMPLETE, AND SOMETIMES THEY WILL NOT BLINK AT ALL. THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON MANY LATE 1990 FORDS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER HAS MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEALERSHIP. *AK
THE HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ON AT ALL TIMES, EVEN WHEN THE FUSE WAS REMOVED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *NLM
THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYED ON AFTER THE MOTOR WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DISCONNECT THE LIGHTS SO THE BATTERY WON'T GO DEAD. *NLM
INTERIOR LIGHTS REMAIN ON WHEN DRIVING (OVER HEAD AND REAR COMPARTMENT PLUS THE COURTESY LIGHTS ON THE FLOOR), LOCKS DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK. *NLM
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN POWER DOOR PREVENTED DOOR FROM LOCKING. *AK *NLM
WHEN THE HAZARD LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON, ALL THE LIGHTS FAILED.*JB
ROTOR SERVICE ON FRONT END OF VEHICLE ONCE EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, HOWEVER UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TIRES SHAKING, CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT WHEELS WHEN TURNING, AND SQUEAKING NOISE IN REAR END WHEN BRAKING. THE HEATER AND DEFROSTER MAKE A BUZZING NOISE, THE BRAKES PULSATE. THE REAR RIGHT BRAKE AND ROTORS FAILED. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE MAKES A BUZZING NOISE WHEN START. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. THE DRIVER DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO BATTERY FAILURE. *YH
AFTER SITTING FOR 3 DAYS THE BATTERY IS DEAD, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO 2 DEALERS, ONE DEALER REPLACED A MODULE AND IT STILL GOES DEAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE NEW. *AK
FIRE INSPECTOR AND PRIVATE INSPECTOR UNABLE TO DETERMINE EXACT CAUSE OF FIRE ALTHOUGH LOCATION DETERMINED TO BE NEAR FIREWALL, CENTER REAR OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT.*AK
VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN DUE TO A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. DEALER REPAIRED FOR 5TH TIME BY REPLACING STABILIZER BAR AND SWAY BAR. PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE.*AK. CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT FRONT SPEAKER WAS DISTORTED WHEN PLAYING TAPES, THE HOOD WOULD NOT OPEN.*JB *TT
DOME AND DOOR LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY STAY ON. *AK DEALER REPLACED DRIVER DOOR SWITCH. BUT PROBLEM REOCCURED IN ADDITION TO THE WARNING BELL CHIMING WHEN KEYS ARE IN IGNITION WITH THE DOORS CLOSED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *TT
WHEN IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC WITH NORMAL ACCELERATION CAR SEEMS TO SURGE AT ANY GIVEN TIME .YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOUR IN THAT KIN OF TRAFFIC THAT THE CAR WILL DO THE SAME THING AND SURGE.THE ONLY THING THAT WILL SLOW THE CAR DOWN IS PUTTING YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE.YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL SURGE. DEALERSHIP PUT A NEW TRANS , REPLACED AIR BY PASS VALVE,REPLACE SOME COMPUTER CHIP, REPROGRAMMED PCM. CAR HAS BEEN IN 4 TIMES IT STILL SURGES DEALERSHIP STATES CAN NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AFTER KEEPIN CAR FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. .
INTERMITTENT BATTERY DISCHARGE...BATTERY REPLACED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR...UNSATISFACTORY FUEL ECONOMY -ONLY 9 MPH. *AK
WHLE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING UNDERNEATH DRIVER'S SIDE, AND FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND WITHIN MINUTES VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. INVESTIGATOR ADVISES FIRE CAUSED BY FAULTY FUEL LINES. DAMAGE TOO EXCESSIVE TO HAVE BEEN ELECTRICAL. *AK
WHEN PUTTING KEY INTO THE IGNITION VEHICLE DID NOT START. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER HAS SEEN SEVERAL VEHICLES FOR SAME PROBLEM , AND CANNOT FIND SOLUTION. *AK *ML
WHEN TURNING THE KEY IN IGNITION VEHICLE DOES NOT START. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML
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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