Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

greg32 · May 2004

After having the dealer change my belt because it was chirping on start up my Low Coolant Light has been coming on intermittently. There is plenty of coolant in the container. Has anybody experienced this problem. I'm avoiding taking it back to the dealer because I don't trust them. They should have checked this out before giving me the car. I did show it to the service manager when I picked up the car. He said bring it back if it continues.

badgerfan · May 2004

I had the same thing on my 2000 Taurus. They replaced the complete coolant overflow tank.

I didn't ask much about the fix, as mine happened just a couple months before the warranty was up, so it was on Ford's dollar, not mine. If I remember the repair cost would not have been terribly expensive had it not been under warranty.

I drove it right into the dealer one day after work and left it running at the service advisor's desk so he saw the light on. Thus I avoided questions about finding an intermittent issue. My dealer has extended evening and Saturday service hours and never seems to need advance appointments, they usually just say bring it in whenever, which is very handy.

Of course, there is the possibility they partially dislodged a connection when they replaced your serpentine belt.

oxx93 · May 2004

Just had my 2001 SES in for 30K service and they recommend new front brakes. I knew this was coming as I could feel a shimmy lately when I applied the brakes. They quoted $198. Good price? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

roadrascal · May 2004

If this quote is for new rotors and pads that is a decent price. I replaced the rotors and pads myself on my '99 for around $160 with Raybestos parts.

riswami · May 2004

$198 is a great price if they are replacing rotors and pads. If they are turning the rotors that is a different story. If they are being turned it probably won't solve your shimmy problem. You need to ask them what they are doing and which parts they are replacing.

jagielski · June 2004

Hi, I've recently purchased a 2000 Ford Taurus about 4 months ago, and from day 1, it has been nothing but problems. Since I have driven it off the lot, i've had constant wheel alignment problems, electrical dash problems, electrical/mechanical door actuator problems, clanking noises, cruise control problems. My question really is, how really reliable is this vehicle because i've constantly been back to the dealership screaming and yelling to get things done right. So far, they have fixed everything for nothing since i've started my complaint, however, now, after going to canadian tire, i've discovered that my entire braking system requires replacement, over $800 bucks in repairs to the brakes both front and back. Ford $450 dollar point inspection which they say was done, indicated that brakes were good. Well , i've only had the car for less than 4 months, i've got 80% worn in the back and 60% worn in the front, can anyone help in telling me what i should do about my current situation? i've already told ford i'm about ready to default on this car and let them repossess it because it's been nothing much more than a headache and frustration for me. anyone can provide advice i would really appreciate it.

snowman · June 2004

What brake related problems you have. $800 is too much for the job. I assume this is a dealer price. Two front disks from Raybestos are $120, top of the line pads are $50-$60, rear drums are $50-$60 each and shoes are around $30-$40 each. I've got my rear brakes done @ dealership for $80 with special (only shoes), I did the fornt for the tune of $190 (Reybestos disks and Quite stop pads). I am sure you an find better price than that...

jagielski · June 2004

hi, i went to get a 2nd opinion from another car dealer. The dealer inspected my vehicle with regards to the braking system and the brakes in question. Turns out that there is absolutely nothing wrong and the breaks do not require any replacement for the next 6-12 months. It appears that the Canadian Tire store is trying way to find money and is willing to do whatever it takes to get customers to pay out early even though the mechanical part of it is sound and solid and still have a life time before requireing a replacement. The dealer has asked me to provide a photo copy of the paper and file a complaint against the store in question whom has issued such a quote for the braking system which does not require servicing.

snowman · June 2004

Brakes are easy components to deal with. You should not worry about them. When they go bad, you can realize it easly.
Since your car is 4 yars old and I assume you don't know the maintenance history, I recommend you to pay extreme attention to following parts.
Get your transmission flushed and filter changed @ dealership. I can't emphesize enough the importance of getting this service done @ dealer.
Get your power steering sytem (~$80), brake system (~$50) and cooling system (~$60) flushed along with thermostat replacement. Your car is 4 years old and these tems are very important if you want to have problem free Taurus. Goodluck.

wijoco · June 2004

"i've already told ford i'm about ready to default on this car and let them repossess it because it's been nothing much more than a headache and frustration for me"

I hope you're joking. I wouldn't let a car ruin my credit rating.

oxx93 · June 2004

Went to put on the A/C and no air. I can hear the system click on but nothing comes out of the vents, hot or cold. I think this should be covered under the basic 3yr/36k warranty, but I wanted to know if anyone else has encountered this also.

tig2002 · June 2004

Hello All,

I recently purchased 00 Taurus SE for my dad with 32K miles. He really likes the car: smooth ride, good gas mileage, comfortable interior. However, for last two days he is experiencing intermittent electrical problem (happened three times): after starting the engine the radio and power windows wont work. My dad states that the entire central console of dash where the radio is located has no power at that time (clock is not displayed). Everything seems to be working after the car is turned off for a while. He is planning to visit me in next couple days for troubleshooting, but I would like to have some suggestions from Taurus owners so I know where to start from. Is it possible that the problem is related to defective ignition switch? Does anyone know if there is a common electrical circuit for power windows and radio, fuse?

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

badgerfan · June 2004

Though it has not happened on my 2000 Taurus, occasionally on my older Taurus the ignition switch would stick just back from where you turn it to start the car. This would not allow the accessories to work as they are disabled when you engage the starter.

When this happens again, try to manually turn the key counterclockwise to the "normal" position it is supposed to return to after starting the car.

Could just be a little sticky, or it is marginally defective and needs replacing. It shouldn't be very expensive to fix, I would guess.

tig2002 · June 2004

Thanks badgerfan,

That's what I thought too - defective ignition switch. But why the ignition switch failure would cause only some electrical circuits not to work? I called local AutoZone, and they have the switch for $19.99 - really inexpensive repair. But when I told them the symptoms, they said it also can be a bad relay.

Has somebody else experienced such problem?

badgerfan · June 2004

If the key is sticking toward the "engage starter" position, then some electrical items are disabled. When this happened on my old Taurus, if I remember right the radio wouldn't come on and the AC would not work. The process of engaging the starter disables some other potential electrical loads, but not necessarily all of them, if I remember correctly.

Tell your dad next time it happens to just lightly turn the key counterclockwise a little bit but not so far as to shut off the engine, and I bet the electricals that don't work will come to life. If this is the case, then likely it is just the sticky key tumbler which is not rotating as free as it should. I never bothered to fix this as once I knew what caused it, I just rotated the key a bit to get it to set into the proper "run" position.

A bit of dry graphite dust you can buy in a tube might free it up as well.

dcap63 · June 2004

2000 SES, Duratec, 36,000 miles. I called the dealer to get a price on changing the tranny fluid. I also told them I want it ALL changed. The girl tells me 89.95 and they change all the fluid. I go there today, it's 99.95 and the sign says up to 5 quarts of fluid. I tell the service advisor I would like it completely changed, he says 5 quarts is all that's in there. I know it's more like 12 or 13 quatrs, so I just left. No sense trying to educate the service advisor. Point is, I understand that it's critical to keep up on the tranny fluid in these cars, so is changing just what comes out of the pan (5 qts.) sufficient?

snowman · June 2004

You did good. Go find better dealer with intelligent service advisor. You are right about 12-13 quarts.

tig2002 · June 2004

After reading posts I realize that changing transmission fluid on Taurus is one of the most important scheduled maintenance procedures on these vehicles. I checked the fluid on recently purchased 2000 Taurus SE with 33K mi. and it looks clean. The vehicle has been purchased from auction of government possessed vehicles, and I assume it went through all scheduled maintenance procedures (including 30K transmission fluid exchange). When do I need to worry about fluid exchange?

Also, today the AC failed:-( I hope this is not something that may cost tons of money. What is the most common reason of the AC failure? I hate to take the car to the dealer at the first place.

Any suggestions or recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

tig2002 · June 2004

Found defective AC clutch relay. The AC works after replacing the relay - just a tip for Taurus owners.

jebinc1 · June 2004

Hello Taurus Forum -

Normally I hang out in the Accord forum since that is what I drive. I just purchased a 2002 SES with 31K miles on it. The couple I purchased it from is leaving the country next week and sold it to me for $6600 (a steal). There aren't any dents, or any other body damage, and the car was fairly clean. The Carfax was totally clean. The car has the Flex Fuel Vulcan Engine. Below are my questions to this experienced group (Yes, I will search the boards for the answers as well but thought one of you could save me some time) -

1. Are there any major concerns (Mechanical problems, etc.) with this engine and vehicle that I should be aware of?
2. I was planning on dumping the tranny fluid, Fuel filter, oil and air cleaner, just to be safe. Any other suggestions?
3. With Honda one can buy genuine honda accessories at HandAaccessories.com for 60% of the Honda dealership price. I'd like to buy a deck lid spoiler for this Spruce Taurus. Where would you recommend I go?
4. How are the Continental tires on this rig? I have Michelins on the 2004 Accord but they are noisy.
5. What else should I know but are not smart enough to ask?
6. What is the "Flex Fuel" all about?

Thanks a bunch! If you have an Accord, I could answer any questions you all may have!

iusecad · June 2004

flex fuel info: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/ethanol.pdf

and I've never tried them, but this site has spoilers (though you'd have to have it painted to match):
https://fordparts.com/oe_parts_catalog.html

jebinc1 · June 2004

Thank you for the info, iusecad!

iusecad · June 2004

no problem; sorry I couldn't help you with your other questions

badgerfan · June 2004

Can't help you with the flex fuel Vulcan, other than that you can run it with up to 85% ethanol blend fuel.

The Continental OEM tires are just OK. I've got 39K on mine and they will probably go another 10K or so, however I do not switch to snow tires in the winter, so may replace them a bit sooner. My main complaint with them is wet traction isn't the greatest, but they do seem to be pretty good in snow.

There also is a cabin air intake filter you should replace. It is pretty easy to change, under the cowl on the passenger side. My 2000 SES had good instructions in the manual for changing it yourself. Used an aftermarket Purolater for less than $20.

jebinc1 · June 2004

Thanks badgerfan! Are you sure that the 2002 model has the cabin air filter? I've been trying to find that out (I don't have the car yet... I pick it up later today) so I know if I have to do that. I am taking it in for the full 30k service at Firestone ($300). I'm also buying it some new sneakers (Affinity LH30's)....

badgerfan · June 2004

Well, I am not sure the 2002 SES has it, but I doubt if they would delete it from the 2000 model year. Anything's possible, I suppose. Even if your car doesn't have it, I would bet the cabin air intake housing would still accept the filter.

At 30K I had the transmission serviced at the dealer, as the car was still under warranty and I didn't want any transmission issues that the dealer could blame on indepedent shops. I do all filters, oil, air and fuel, and oil changes myself, so I didn't spend anywhere near $300 for my 30k service. More like $115 for the transmission service and another $40 or so for aftermarket brand air filter, cabin air filter and fuel filter. Oil filters I change myself every oil change and I use Motorcraft filters as they can be bought inexpensively and fit my end cap type filter wrench.

elevatorguy · June 2004

I am looking for a used Sable/Taurus for my wife. We are looking at 01-03's. If we get an 03, it will probably be a lower level Taurus. If we get an 01, it will be a loaded Sable with the Duratec engine. What should we be looking for, and looking out for? Is the Duratec engine worth the extra cost? Any options or models that I should look for or look to avoid? Are there any known problems with these vehicles? Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd

gtyates · June 2004

Re-think putting the Affinity tires on the Taurus. I took off the OEM Affinity tires at 20k and put on Bridgestone Turenza LST's. Great tire. Totally changed the handling and ride of the car for the good. I have an '01 SES with the Vulcan motor with 46k on it now and am totally satisfied with the car. My wife and I use it as our commuter car. We travel in my Explorer. No problems to report. I have kept all service up as scheduled. You will be pleased with the Taurus, the most under-rated family car out there.

badgerfan · June 2004

I know of no wipespread issues with current generation Taurus/Sable (2000 and newer)

Both engines have good reputations. I prefer the Duratech due to its much better power and I believe it is a bit smoother overall, with no penalty in mpg.

jebinc1 · June 2004

gtyayes - There are two Firestone "Affinity" model tires. "Affinity" and the "Affinity LH30". I'm getting the LH30 version which is highly rated on tirerack. I also have a set of them on our minivan. Overall a good value, but not the highest performance tire. The plain "Affinity" line is not nearly the tire as a LH30, I'm told. I'll you you know in a week or so!

jebinc1 · June 2004

For $300, I should have mentioned that I'm getting wheel alignment and a few other items. Probably still a bit high. The transmission service was $140, however....

gtyates · June 2004

jebinc1- I hope the LH's work out for you. I just know that they OEM Affinity's are terrible, and the LST is an awesome tire!! Enjoy your Taurus. For the money, you can't beat it!!

jebinc1 · June 2004

I agree the Affinity is bad. The LH30's are pretty decent for the price. I did a lot of research on this back in the fall when I bought a set for the Caravan. I picked the car up at 2pm after getting the service and new tires. The car runs and drives great! So much so that I decided to wash and wax it this afternoon. Great deal for $6600 (plus the $550 for service and tires and another $600 in tax for the state.).

izaclown1 · June 2004

I have used LH30's on a 2000 Villager (< 5k miles), 98 Contour (20+ miles) and 94 Conti(15k+ miles). I have had great success with them on smooth quiet ride and handling. I am sold on them. I have since traded the Conti and Contour due to high miles and pending repair bills.

I plan to put them on my wife's 2000 Sable and my 2000 TC when it is time for new tires.

wijoco · June 2004

I've heard people complain about fuel economy with the flex-fuel setup, so you might keep an eye on that.

jebinc1 · July 2004

Thanks for the tips and information. The tires are performing well, so far!

jebinc1 · July 2004

307web (or others in the know) - I know this is an old post, but I wsa wondering what happened to your transmission problem? Did the dealer replace it or just do an adjustment? I ask because my 2002 SES with Vulcan engine does the same thing. Other than that, it runs great!

307web · July 2004

They said they could not find a problem, but the car stopped doing it when they gave it back, so something they were playing around with while trying to diagnose it fixed it.

tjdepere2004 · July 2004

"00 SE with 54k miles. I put weight like golf clubs, some grocery bags,case of soda pop, etc in the trunk and strange noise starts coming from there while driving at speed in excess of 5mph. The auto each day of its existence has had to go over at least two speed bumps.
What suggestion do you have for a cause of this strange noise?
Thanks

badgerfan · July 2004

It's probably the stuff in your trunk bouncing around!

jebinc1 · July 2004

I pulled off the passenger cowl and sure enough, there was a filter. I replaced it with a charcoal activated one from Schucks ($11). Thanks for the tip. The original was pretty dirty!

snowman · July 2004

Only filter you could ever replace in passanger cowl was cabin air filter. But what's got to do with the sound from trunk?
Also,I am not familiar with charcoal activated filters in G4 Taurus? Would you tell us what it was?

jebinc1 · July 2004

It's a FRAM - P/N CF8109. Charcoal Activated for freshness

I'm not sure I understand your reference to the noise in the truck. I never indicated that I had a problem with my truck. I think that was tjdepere2004.

snowman · July 2004

Oh! well..:-))
You are right,I am sorry. This tells me why I had problem to correlate the noise in trunk to cabin filter, LOL.

tjdepere2004 · July 2004

In response to #1310
I wanted to agree with your suggestion The Ford dealer and Midas see it as a twisted pipe between the comvertor and muffler,starting at the [non-permissible content removed] on the convertor. Neither can provide an explanation for the twist. They both have been able to provide replacement cost of approximately $225. Anyone with suggestion as to the cause? Anyone experience such situation themselves? How did you solve it?
Thanks

jebinc1 · July 2004

Has anyone ever noticed an occasional dampened scraping noise when putting a Taurus in park? If you move it out of park to Neutral, or some other gear, the sound goes away. Sometimes it stays away when you put it back in Park. Sometimes, it is never there in the first place. Has anyone ever heard of this?

hokieboy · July 2004

On Friday I purchased a 2000 Taurus SE at my dealer's used inventory reduction sale. $7K for a 71.5K mi., Duratec, Leather, Mach Sound. A very safe comfortable car for my wife's long interstate commute with much vexing truck traffic. On the way home from the dealer with the car I heard news about a recall on this model on the radio! Is this correct or was I having a paranoid hallucination? I was unble to catch the specifics of the recall but only heard the models affected. Does anyone know what this recall concerns? Is this a bad omen? I am very pleased with the deal and car and what I have read about the Taurus on this forum. I do the maintenance drill on my vehicles to minimize problems and maximize the reliability and longevity of my wife's commuter vehicles. Any suggestions or tips for my Ford product?

badgerfan · July 2004

It's no big deal. They are recalling 1999-2001's in 22 northern states to put a shield around the front springs so if it breaks it can't puncture the tire. If your car is in a southern state, yours is not involved. If in doubt, check with Ford with your VIN and they can probably tell you if yours is included.

I would only worry if your car was located in a northern state where they use a lot of salt in the winter.

Sounds to me like this is likely a very isolated issue involving very few cars, or they would be replacing springs instead of just adding a shield.

badgerfan · July 2004

Well, last night for the first time my Taurus didn't start. It was simply a dead battery. Died almost like switching off a light. So dead it wouldn't even actuate the power locks, radio, or dome light, say nothing about engaging the starter. I got a jump start in the Home Depot parking lot from a young guy who said he was a mechanic at a local Ford dealer. I drove right to a Checker Auto parts store as I figured it would not restart if I went home. My wife was out of town, so I had no way to get anywhere with only my car available if I had gone home first. I shut it off right in front of the store, where it again would not restart. Went in, borrowed their "store tools" that did not have a socket extension, so I ended up buying an extension from them. Took the battery in for core exchange, bought a new 84 month battery for $58 and put it in in the parking lot. The manager was not busy, so he came out and checked my charging system which was all OK.

Now if this one fails between 3-4 years, I will get the prorated discount for the next one, and it will likely cost me only about $30.

badgerfan · July 2004

Please excuse the caps, but I cut and pasted this info off the NHTSA web site concerning the recall:

DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING AUGUST 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. IN ADDITION, FORD IS EXTENDING THE COVERAGE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS, FOR FRACTURE ONLY, UP TO 10 YEARS OF SERVICE OR 150,000 MILES FROM THE WARRANTY START DATE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. IF THE VEHICLE HAS ALREADY ACCUMULATED MORE THAN 150,000 MILES, THIS COVERAGE WILL LAST UNTIL JULY 31, 2005. IF EITHER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES, DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS EXTENDED COVERAGE.

I am glad to see they are extending the warranty for the springs as well as adding the shields.

Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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