Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

kathy1970 · July 2004

I have a 97 taurus that slams into 1st and 2nd gear. It doesn't do it all the time. It was mentioned to me that it might be just a censor? since I can turn off my car and restart it and it quits (for awhile) Anybody have any comments on this particular problem. I love my car and had it for 2 years now without any problems till this one

thanks; Kathy

kathy1970 · July 2004

Have you had any problems since you posted your problem?

snowman · July 2004

For Taurus, shifting problems are generally associated with tranmission fluid. Have you checked yours, it's level, color, and smell...Make sure you check it on flat surface and after 20 minutes vigorous drive. It should not smell, if it smells like gasoline, it is considered as contaminated. Get it changed immediately.

Do these symptoms occur on flat road or hilly - up and down country roads?
And tell us what transmission maintenance you have done on your car so far.

307web · July 2004

I felt it only once since the dealer looked at it. It was happening every day prior.

davscool · July 2004

Hello. I am currently looking at buying a used 97 Taurus. I noticed some rust on each of the four wheels behind the rims on the interior mechanism. Is this a common problem on Tauruses that are kept outside? Is rust a problem in general for Ford Tauruses. Thanks.

badgerfan · July 2004

Are you talking about rust on the front brake rotors and rear drums(maybe rear rotors on that year, I don't remember)? The rotors and drums are cast iron and will all show rust. If the car hasn't been driven for a while, rust will also form on the rotor surfaces that the brake pads contact. There is nothing to worry about from this surface rust as it will wear off when driven and stopped a few times.

In extreme cases, rotors and drums can become to rusty and get large pits or lose their structural integrity. Then they would need to be replaced, but are not all that expensive.

kathy1970 · July 2004

Hi. I checked my transmission fluid and it didnt look dirty at all or smell bad either. It is filled to the correct level. It tends to do it more after it has been running awhile on hills and on
flat surfaces, doesnt matter. But thanks for the reply

horndog · August 2004

Replaced two inner tie rod ends under manuf. warr. @3.2 hours flat rate each. One before I bought it at 20k miles, one after. Replaced three stabilizer links under manuf. warr. after I bought it. Definitely a poorly designed part.
Driver's side pwr lock solenoid replaced under manuf. warr. Remote keyless would unlock other three doors, but not driver's.
Cruise wouldn't "set" intermittently until brake switch recall, but has worked every time since.
No support behind corners of rear bumper left huge indent in plastic after very minor parking lot mishap. Crawled under car on a warm day and "popped out" bumper cover with mallet and hair dryer with fairly good results.
Original equipment Cooper Continental tires have very poor traction/braking on wet or snow covered roads.
Vulcan engine has more than adequate power. Don't know what complaints are about with this unit.
Firm seats, firm ride, tight handling on dry roads.
Excellent A/C. Rear seat vents work well.
Lots of room in trunk and interior.
Good value when bought as a used car.
45k miles now, and no problems since manuf. warr. has lapsed

ajkehrer · August 2004

Bought 2002 SES new in Apr 2002. After 603 miles, transaxle warning light came on, dealer and engineering @ Ford decided to replace whole transmission. Now at 53K miles, 2 yrs old, full transmission failure. No indications or problems prior to this failure. No warning light either. Dealership found a lot of metal in the trans. pan. Ford dragging feet in backing their product to replace the transmission, even though it has a prior problematic history. Anyone else reporting such issues with the transmissions in the 02 Taurus?

dilbertzzz · August 2004

We are buying a had-been-a-California-rental (apparently) 2003 SES with a bit less than 19,000 miles on it, Vulcan in front, Ford-certified and all. It's clean and Carfax checked out (no charge for that from the dealer in Grapevine, TX). Paying $11,180 ($12,019 out the door -- hard bargaining between wife and Used Car Sales Manager). Seems a reasonable, if not totally stellar deal for here in North Texas.

We had test driven one listing for about $400 less, but it seemed to have a changed-out odometer (shame! shame!) and sounded like an old clunker. Wouldn't buy from that dealer ever.

I test drove a Duratec (also very clean) just to see if there was any noticeable difference. The Duratec with just my wife and I inside didn't accelerate all that much better than the Vulcan with my wife, myself, the sales lady, my 5 and 3 year olds inside. Neither would win a drag race with my 2003 Yukon XL even as we had it loaded for this summer's vacation (4 adults, 14 year old BIG boy, 10 year old girl, and the aforementioned 5 and 3 year olds together with luggage enough for all to cover a 2 week vacation).

That's OK though. I didn't buy it for drag racing anyway. I got it to get a reasonably-priced, highly-crash-test-rated, hopefully-reliable vehicle for my only-twice-a-week-but-30-miles-each-way commute through the dangers of Dallas-area rush hour traffic. (In the two years I've been doing this commute -- only twice a week, remember -- I've seen 4 or 5 cars upside down, perhaps a dozen other major multi-car accidents, as well as the usual stand-your-hair-on-end close calls; a couple of the latter almost-involving me. It's worse than a jungle out there!)

Interestingly, on the way down to look at the Taurus, we passed an accident in a construction zone. A big box truck had a Taurus wedged up at about a 45 degree angle on the concrete barrier (those double-angle types designed to deflect vehicles up rather than smashed), facing backward,and apparently still pretty much intact.

I'm guessing that the Taurus attempted an ill-advised sudden lane change trying to reach the left turn lane a hundred or so yards further along. The truck must have clipped him and spun him around. Then the Taurus hit the barrier hard enough going backward to force the passenger side wheels up the side of the barrier. Meanwhile the truck, doubtless sliding on locked-up wheels, pinned the car up and probably forced it to the eventual angle before both slid to a stop.

I suppose the driver got out of the Taurus with some difficulty as the driver's side was wedged in by the truck and the pavement (that is I think maybe his driver's side tires were on the ground, but they might not have been!). The high side of the car had to be a good 8 feet up in the air and hanging over the dirt where Highway 121 will eventually have 6 main lanes.

davscool · August 2004

Can anyone explain why a car may be steaming up even though the temperature gauge stays at the normal level?

Mr_Shiftright · August 2004

Yep. The temperature sending unit can only read hot water, not steam. If the coolant level is low in the system, the sending unit can be fooled.

jokev2 · August 2004

I don't know too much about cars, but I've had a Chevy Impala, VW Bug, Mercury Cougar, and now my 94 Taurus LX. I bought my Taurus used in 1997 with 26,000 miles on it. I test drove it twice and really liked it and then decided to buy it. That was on a Saturday. By Monday, it was back at the dealer's for a new ignition, a new radio/cassette player, and jerks in my transmission. Even though I had a warranty, the dealership's service dept. wouldn't touch the transmission until they knew exactly what was wrong with it. Of course, they wouldn't take my word for it and when the serviceman drove it with me as a passenger), it didn't jerk. I had that car in for trans service 15 times in 4 years. Right before my warranty ran out at 72,000 miles, I took it in for the last time and told them that if it wasn't fixed and I had an accident, my family would own the dealership's two businesses and sue Ford, too, since I had already alerted my lawyer about my problem with them. To top it off, the original dealer had sold his business to another Ford dealer and all the computer records were conveniently "lost". They were shocked when I told them I had every invoice from day one and only then did they call in a Ford transmission specialist. It was so bad that Ford put in a brand new one and I didn't even pay labor costs (I refused to!). I was a fool for not threatening them earlier! I keep it serviced regularly, I love driving it and now have 134,000 miles on it, with hardly any problems until last year when I had problems with steering. To make a long story short, with many trips for service (and many big bucks), the entire steering system had to be replaced. Then, early this year, I was driving on the PA turnpike in a snow storm and my electrical system went out, would go on when I pulled over and idled, but went out again when I started driving. What a nightmare with kids in the car!! I was told that there was a short in the circuits and a wire was burnt! Fixed that to the tune of $348.00. After that happened, I have had trouble with starting the car and stalling. The entire electrical system was tested and everything that could possibly cause this was checked out, so I was told and they could find nothing wrong. I did buy a new battery (the 2nd in 8 yrs), though. The problem still persisted until one day the car wouldn't start at a gas pump after I filled it with gas. I had it towed to the dealer and they found a problem in the "starter box" and replaced it (for another 300 odd dollars). I asked why they had told me previously that they could find nothing wrong and they said that this problem can't be diagnosed until the car actually dies. Well, dumb me, I thought that the problem was fixed, but today, my car hesitated when I started it, and driving through a traffic light 5 miles later, my car stalled. Luckily, I had enough power to pull over. I turned off the A/C and radio, turned the car off, and then restarted it with no problem and it's been fine all day. And, just yesterday, my trans started jerking again. What a headache! So, this afternoon, I took it to the dealer again to have both the stalling and jerking checked out and lo and behold, it jerked when he drove it, too. Their service schedule is so full that they can't work on it until next Friday. They have constantly told me there have been no recalls on this car. Is this true? Also,could someone tell me what the letters SE and SES stand for and are those models in a lower category than the LX? I feel stupid asking, but such is life! I am learning a lot about cars and dealers since I've had this Taurus since my other cars simply had no major problems at all. And neither has my husband had problems with his Silverado, nor my daughter with her Toyota. I am Corolla and Saturn. Since there are many used car sales going on right now, I feel I need to get away from Ford and buy something different.

snowman · August 2004

I think SE and SES is for Generation 4 Tauruses.
SES has 150 hp Vulcan engine, SE - I think - may have 150 hp or 200Hp Duractec engine.
For the recall issue, just call Ford and give your VIN, they will tell you whether your car is due for a recall.

I have my SES for 3 years, not a single issue with transmission or engine.

headachenj · August 2004

I have just purchased a 1997 Sable GS during the initial test drive all seemed good. The interior and exterior of car is immaculate. But on the 2nd day I noticed the car jumps and the speedometer was not moving, then it just started working again. I think it may be the transmission. Today is actually my 3rd day driving and it has not done it. I have to go to PA tomorrow should I take the chance. Car has 98,000 miles??? Help!!

snowman · August 2004

Looks like tranny is slipping. Check the oil, if you see bubles, that means to much oil in it. Suck some of it out thru dipstcik by vinly tube. Seller might put extra oil to cover up some leakage or some other issue. Check th ebottom of the car to see it si leaking tranny oil or not.

jokev2 · August 2004

Thanks, Snowman, for the info. I am currently looking for another car. No more Taurus for me!

fdthird · August 2004

Tell me you are kidding. You have a 10 year old Taurus with 134,000 miles on it and you are acting like its a brand new car and you've had all these problems in the first 3 months! Lets be reasonable...the car has been in your family for 7 years and you've put almost 110,000 miles on it.

When cars get old they start to drive you nuts...those of us who have had "old" cars have all experienced it. At some point, it becomes clear that in the long run its easier on your mind (and sometimes even your wallet) to move on. I think that's the point you're at...and think you'd be in the same position whatever kind of car you were driving.

badgerfan · August 2004

When current generation Taurus came out in 2000, base model was LX, next was SE, then SES, then SEL. The base engine was Vulcan, but I believe the Duratec DOHC was standard on SEL and optional on SES, which is the car I own. It may have been optional on the LX and SE also. It is easy to tell current generation Taurus as the base Vulcan has no insignia behind the front wheel well. The Flex fuel Vulcan has a little leafy insignia and the Duratec has the 24 Valve DOHC insignia.

Higher trim levels usually just had more optional equipment as standard and it varies from one year to the next.

Jokev2, while I sympathize with your problems, it sounds as if a poor dealer and your inability to properly describe or demonstrate the problems and to get action, especially on the transmission was your biggest issue.

The other problems some of which were intermittent are sometimes very hard to diagnose.

That said, you did buy a used vehicle with unknown prior use/abuse, and you really now are getting up in years and mileage, so repair rates will increase on all older cars.

sable_bill_pa · August 2004

I have a Sable 01. The air was working fine but after the engine was shut down later in the day the blower only blows hot air. I have auto control and no setting changes the condition. I checked fuses and relays and find that when the ac clutch relay coil should be energized it isn't. Seems like a damper is stuck on heat ( the air is very hot) and maybe an end switch isn't allowing the ac clutch relay to close. Any thoughts? Thanks. Bill

tig2002 · August 2004

Sounds like a "Freon" (R134) pressure is low due to leakage in AC system, or defective pressure sensor. I would stop by local AutoZone and buy a sensor first (around $10), replace it and see if it fixes the problem. If not, consider adding R134 in the system, but make sure to check the pressure in the system first (I believe pressure ranges, low and high, are shown on the sticker under the hood).

I had similar problem on my Dad's '00 Taurus, started troubleshooting by adding R134 first - didn't fix it. It turned out the AC relay was defective, so I had to remove an extra R134 from the system and luckily did not damage the AC by R134 over dosage.

aztecdude · August 2004

I have a 2003 Taurus SES with about 20K miles. I noticed from the beginning that when I turned on the AC, a smell similar to burning wire came through the vents. I have looked under the hood and have seen a "vapor" rise from back of the engine that also smells the same. Anyone have a similar problem?

wijoco · August 2004

Could possibly be a VSS (speed sensor mounted on the transmission). That sends a signal to both the speedo and the transmission telling it when to shift. Just speculation, you need to have it checked for codes by a transmission shop.

wijoco · August 2004

Pretty unusual. I wouldn't even worry speculating, just take it back to the dealer if it's still under warranty.

tkfitz · August 2004

I own a 1993 Taurus with the 3.0 engine. The engine runs fine but has a tendency to plug the egr passage in the intake manifold with carbon causing my check engine light to come on. Has anyone else had this problem and if so a possible solution? Vehicle has about 150000 miles.

jebinc1 · September 2004

What ultimately was the problem? I seem to have the same problem with the same car (year, model and engine). Thanks!

tjdepere2004 · September 2004

2000 SE 12v has mpg dropping significantly. Ford dealer here after check says due to altitude, miles going from 320 full tank to 240 full tank. Possible suggested causes for this drop appreciated. Thanks

pjb929 · September 2004

I purchased my 2002 Ford Taurus used with less than 19,000 miles in March of 2003. Within a week I noticed a problem with the defrost system. As the car would sit idling and the defrost was on the rpms would jump sporadically from the lowest reading up to the red zone. As this happened the car would sound like it was about to stall. The check engine light also would come on. I immediately returned to the dealership where I was informed this happened with Taurus' in cold weather. By the time June came the weather was warm in PA and I was running my AC. The same problem was occurring. I returned to the dealership a few more times each time being informed the problem was fixed. Now it is September of 2004 and I have no cold air blowing when my AC is on and the defrost system does not seem to work. The car continues to stall when idling and either the AC or Defrost are turned on. Of course my warranty has expired except for serious engine failures (I purchased an additional 5yr/75K warranty that only includes engine & transmission problems). I had the AC system checked by a mechanic but they could not find a leak, now they want to perform a dye test for $165 which I can't afford because I'm a college student. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm in dire need of correcting this problem! Thanks so much for your time!!

snowman · September 2004

"As the car would sit idling and the defrost was on the rpms would jump sporadically from the lowest reading up to the red zone"

I couldn't get a good grip of the problem, but jumping to red zone looks excessive. If you have been dealing with Ford Delaership then you have a case that the same issue has been coming up over and over despite what dealership has told you. Talk to Ford Customer Service.

For stalling issue, I believe you have clogged Idle Air Control Unit, Engine light may be related to DFPS sensor or EGR Valve. These are not expensive items and if you are technically inclined you can pull them out and inspect them except DFPS sensor. You can't opened that piece.

First, go to AutoZone and get your CEL read, see what the code is and you can move from that point. Or post here, we'll try to guide you...

fdthird · September 2004

I'd say that you were getting a run around from the Ford Dealer too! Saying that this happens to Taurus in the cold is just bull and what they were really saying was we don't have any desire to fix your car!

Car Dealers - - sometimes the worst part of owning a car!

tig2002 · September 2004

I had CEL lit on my Dad's '00 Taurus about two weeks ago. Since the most common problem with CEL on most cars is not tight enough fuel tank lead, I tightened it up, disconnect the "+" wire from the battery for 5-10 minutes and re-connected it. The light went off for 2 weeks and came back on last Saturday. I decided to stop by AutoZone for code check and got results of reading as code P0411. Unfortunately the sales person at AutoZone could not point to what is exactly causing the problem, but the code's description, as I remember correctly, is that something in secondary air injection line is not functioning properly. This can be an explanation of why the gas mileage (according to my Dad) went from 24-15 MPG to 20 MPG. I called local Ford dealer and asked if he can specify what exactly the problem could be caused by. Of course he asked to bring the car in for $80 diagnostic, which I don't blame him for, since this is not a type of problem that is caused by only one particular component.

Could anyone share his experience and provide further trouble shooting steps in order to find the exact mulfanctioning component that causes the computer to generate code P0411? Has anyone had CEL to come on with such code? If so, what was the fix?

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

cmruff · September 2004

I'm looking for a car for my 17 year old daughter. So far the best of the bunch is a 1995 Taurus SE w/ 128,000 miles. The transmission was rebuilt at 100,000. It has a cracked radiator and a small oil leak.
I am VERY leery of Fords - any words of wisdom? I think I should keep looking...

jebinc1 · September 2004

Keep looking. You can pick up a 2000 - 2003 current generation Taurus for a song (and there are a lot of them out there). I picked up a 2002 SES with 30k miles for $6,600 for my 16yo son. Runs great and still under warranty!

wijoco · September 2004

I would avoid it. 98+up are the more reliable years.

Kirstie_H · September 2004

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greg32 · September 2004

I took my 2000 Mercury Sable SW 24v into the dealer for the 60000 mile check up and got back a $2800 estimate for a bunch of repairs. One of the big ones was $671 to replace the valve cover gaskets. Then an extra $350 to clean the throttle body since he would have to move it out of the way to get to the back gasket. Does this sound like a reasonable estimate? Has anybody else had this done? Thanks.

badgerfan · September 2004

Do you have oil leaking out of the valve covers? If not, you don't need the work, and a small amount of seapage won't hurt anything anyway.

I also would doubt you really need $2800 in "repairs". Sounds to me like this dealer is trying to pack you with unneeded service.

If you have no known driveability issues, ie the engine starts OK, runs OK, mileage is OK and transmission shifts OK, AC works, no coolant or transmission oil leaks, etc., I would just have them do the recommended maintenance in the book and nothing else.

If in doubt, go get a second opinion and consider not going to that dealer again. Try an independent shop as well. Taurus has been around a long time and lots of shops can work on them and typically for much less money than dealer shops.

fdthird · September 2004

This is a long standing bug a boo. Ford says that at 5,000 miles you change the oil and filter, but by the time the dealer is finished with his laundry list of "needed items", you've spent $100 for that oil change on your brand new car! As the mileage goes up its gets even worse. Its almost as bad as going to one of the quick oil change places and have them try to sell you everything from radiator flushes to transmission service!

Sorry, but too often its just a way for the dealer to pad the Service Dept's profit. I agree...find an honest independent shop with mechanics who know how to fix cars and who know what the manufacturers require for the various service intervals!

danielj6 · September 2004

If we follow logic, as the vehicle ages its components need more work and that means more time the "technician" spends working on the car. However, new cars come with fewer maintenance requirements than before. That means that dealers' service departments may not see the particular car as often.

If you speak to FoMoCo, its "dealers are independently owned and operated". They have free reign to charge you whatever they want with the excuse that they know your car. At $80.00 + hourly labor rate you know what you're in for the minute you drive into their shop. Yes they have at their disposal state of the art latest equipment and they're also on line with Ford's data base.

My trusty mechanic has a family owned 12 bay shop and charges $40 and hour. The shop doesn't work on my car for free but I never felt ripped off either. These guys follow the manufacturer's schedule. Dealers at first tend to follow the manual but along the way they push things to increase the bill. Your car is already in the shop and you are at their mercy. Should you be assertive and say no there is no telling what they might do to your car.

snowman · September 2004

Last time I had V.Cover gasket changed, I paid $60. I cleaned my T.Body within 45 minutes by 2 cans of TB cleaner and TB gasket for $6. You figure...

307web · September 2004

$6600 retail for a 2002 SES with 30K miles sounds bogus. Was it wrecked?

jebinc1 · September 2004

No. Totally straight. The couple was moving back to Australia. They paid $11k for it last December. Sold it to me in June for $6600. The company that was moving them back home gave them $15k for incidentals. Everyone won!

oxx93 · September 2004

I have a 2001 SES and this light just came on. has anyone else seen this before? Is it something that needs attention ASAP? The car drives fine and the manual did not give me the impression that this is a severe problem. I am hoping to hold out for another couple hundred miles and have it checked when I need to get an oil change.

tig2002 · September 2004

The only thing that the light tells you (and us) is that there is something wrong with your car. You have to be specific regarding CEL (check engine light): stop by AutoZone and have them check the code. No one can tell me what is wrong with my TV if it does not turn on.

I was more specific when provided a code generated by computer of '00 Taurus several posts ago - P0411. Unfortunately no one responded even after I provided a specific code. I guess only because no one is familiar with that code.

I am not sure, but it is my understanding that most codes generated by Taurus' CPU will not point to the exact component that causes the problem while I had CEL code checked on my Mazda Millenia and was pointed exactly to Knock Sensor. May be I am wrong, but in my situation the only way to get an answer is to pay $85.00 diagnostics fee at dealership.

wkohler · September 2004

Check my profile and e-mail me. I'll tell you where/how to check your code.

oxx93 · September 2004

I tried to open your profile but I couldn't. Can you open mine and e/mail me?

dilbertzzz · September 2004

Just bought a 2003 SES Vulcan with about 19,900 on it. Now at 21,200 or so. It has been great, except for a tendency to pulse sometimes when stopped at a light, in traffic etc. I mean that I'll be stopped in Drive with my foot on the brake and it will start to surge and halfway die, surge and halfway die, etc. Don't know if it is transmission or the torque convertor or idle (too idol?). If it were just an electronic device, I'd put a surge protector on it and be done with it! ;-) As it is, I guess I'll have a preventative trip to the service department (it's still under warranty and all) earlier than I'd planned on doing an oil change. Ah well, no one and nothing is generally prifact!

badgerfan · September 2004

You proved nothing is "perfect" with your mispelling of the word!

Yes, go get it fixed under warranty. If it is consistent and repeatable, they should be able to track it down. One good thing about having a vehicle and engine that has been around a long time, the mechanics usually can find and fix it quickly as they have a lot of experience with the quirks.

dilbertzzz · September 2004

I definitely had my tongue in cheek with "prifact." But are you teasing me by misspelling "misspelling"?!? ;-)

And, after a fresh tank of gas, it is not doing it so badly. So, maybe that small-town gas station wasn't such a good idea...? :-(

badgerfan · September 2004

Believe it or not, I misspelled "misspelled" unintentionally. I guess I proved your point as well!

Could be you got a bad batch of gas. If it happens again, you may want to get it checked out before the warranty expires.

I don't know if it applies to your car, but a while back I got an extended warranty notification on my 2000 Taurus Duratec for the DPFE sensor, which apparently has a tendency to fail earlier than Ford intended. Some of the symptoms, I was told by Ford, were stalling and hesitation. Might apply to yours?

Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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