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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008
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Comments
We own a 2000 and I can't say enough good about it. You bought the Taurus from the same sales rep I did....Alfred E. Neumann!!
I hope the Taurus people don't start bashing GM owners because of what one person said. I really enjoyed the postings I had on the Taurus forum.
And Consumer Reports gives the Taurus a "recommended" rating as well as the GM cars mentioned.
On the side, has anyone seen the new Thunderbird. I thought I saw on a commercial that a couple of local Ford dealerships had one or two on display. I walked in on the end of the commercial so not quite sure if I heard it correct. I'm going to try to get around to going to the dealerships to see if one's on display. I'm dying to see what they look like.
the pinging when you turn off your motor is probably just the exhaust pipes cooling off.
I'm not mechanically inclined so would the exhaust pipe cover the same area under the car whether you have one outlet or two.
Good luck on saving money. It hard to do!
I'm not mechanically inclined either, but I've heard many vehicles make that sound when they're shut off... My dad's V10 does...
So how's the new car doing?
The other factor is that there are just a lot of late-model Tauruses (Tauri?) out there. They are used by Hertz (Ford owned I think) and other rental agencies so there is a glut of low-mileage used ones that doesn't exist for import cars.
I just bought a 2000 ses for 12800 (soon to be 2 years old, but 6000 bucks is a big difference)
Check out the Intellichoice rating given to the Taurus:
www.intellichoice.com
I'm enjoying the new car. It's nice to have a 6 cylinder for a change.
Many thanks
Make sure the owner has original copies of all the maintenance records and consider an extended warranty.
1. Replaced MAF sensor (said it was corroded and damaged) $161.67 for remanufactured part.
2. Replaced engine electric coolant control, $40.25 (now this I happen to have replaced myself a couple months ago for a different reason)
3. Wiring kit asy jumper $18.20
4. Labor $287.00
5. Environmental & supply charge $29.00 (!!!! what a rip this is, unbelievable!)
Total came to almost $600 with tax, and this was after they reduced it $50 after I compained when I picked the car up.
The clerk at the counter mentioned something about a $75 core credit (probably for MAF sensor) but this was not noted on the bill or credited to me - I assume they will keep this money when they get it.
Seems like they just started changing parts and charged me for their trial and error diagnostics.
I asked for my old parts but they could not produce them. Did not persue that yet, was going to go back Monday and talk to manager.
Did I get screwed here? I am not even sure that the problem is absolutely solved, I worry that I will get stuck somewhere when/if it decides not to start again...
If you don't understand all the mechanical details, I'd suggest you take it to one or two other places to get a quote.
More Toyota Camrys have entered the fleet market and it has affected the resale, also.
1. That wonderful new car smell!!
2. Lack of other noxious smells especially smoke!
3. Having the full warrenty and knowing what has been done to the car if it needs anything.
4. NOT worrying about resale if you plan on keeping it until death.
5. Having a car with no door/fender dings.
6. Not having to guess how well the previous owner took care of it.
7. Etc, etc.
snowman - re: 2000 SEL troubles
I now have 7000 miles on my 2000 SEL and have zero complaints or problems. I LOVE the 24 valve Duratec engine with it's 200hp! Around Washington, DC one needs the omph to merge quickly onto the interstate or that dreadful Beltway (495). I drive in the "D" mode rather than the "OD" mode when I'm not on the interstate.
In my first chance, I will get all the fluids replaced along with the tires. I will get rid of Firestone tires and buy something much better. I am thinking Yokohoma Touring or Goodyear Aquatred 3, both tires have very good ratings from customers according to tirerack.com
Dealership offered me an extended warranty by Easycare. They said this company is part of Ford. Which is true, I verified it. However the blank contract they gave me to look at it says, if uncovered part cause damage on covered part then this won't be covered by the warranty. That is very irritating. I did not purchase it yet. I am still searching. I wonder what is written on Ford's ESP, any input from ESP owners??
Thanks
Also, I read that others have experienced yellow check engine light around 10-15k, I'm at 13,000 and mine came on. Dealer replaced back flow valve and interestingly, the RPMs don't dip and surge as much when I take my foot off of the accelerator. This was beginning to get annoying. Apart from this, I'm celebrating my one year anniversary with the car trouble free.
Although the true power of the DOHC is out stretching the long legged transmission on the open road, with the engine beginning to loose its new-car stiffness I find that the car is offering slightly more low end torque. It's still not fabulous on takeoffs, but it's more than I expected to have!
interested in is the 2000 Taurus. I am very concerned about reliability for them and Ford has a very checkered past when it comes to that. Does anyone have any advice to offer about the Taurus. I know every vehicle has its share of good and bad but I want my parents to feel safe and I definitely don't want to worry about the car not performing well for them. Their budget dictates that they cannot spend over $15,000 and I have read that the Taurus is a lot of car for the money. Any insight from you Ford owners would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
No, "wijoco" I don't think that I know more than the manual concerning this subject. (See below)
To "mrl11777" - Thank you very much for the very detailed explanation of what happens to my transmission when driving in "D". (Do you work on cars for a living?) I've been doing this since I read it in an earlier posting from last winter some time (From someone like yourself, who I THOUGHT might know more than I.)
A number of people were complaining that the car would not coast to a stop after release of the gas pedal. They had to use excessive force to stop the car. I, too, was experiencing the same thing. When I tried his suggestion, the problem went away. I posted this result earlier but no one contradicted me or the original poster. (Where were you then when I needed you?)
I DO know something about transmissions since my dad retired from Ford performing inspections on large transmissions of years ago. He taught me pretty well. I only drove in "D" under 35 mph and would use "OD" when going higher as I stated in my post.
Since I drive only 6 miles a day under 35mph I'm hoping that I've done no serious harm these past 6-7 months. I guess time will tell.
Anyone else out there that works/makes transmissions for a living please set us straight.
To glinda49: Regarding the 2000 Taurus for your parents. Your best bet is to go to the beginning of this posting and read all of the comments from people like me and take notes. You can't do better than that. No critic is better than an owner.
certified used from Lincoln dealer, 10,000 miles left on original warranty,
cert used warnty- 75,000 drive train, primary engine, transmission parts, roadside assistance, towing, battery recharge etc.
$12,800 for a roomy, very nice riding, and safe car with a warranty long enough to tell if it is a lemon or not.
Also is the extended warranty a good investment? I bought a 1999 and 2000 Taurus last March and was wondering if it might be a needed thing to have or a waste of money.
Of course the oil change service places want you to bring the car in to change oil as often as possible. That is their business.
An extended warranty might not be a bad idea if you can get a good deal on one. They are usually way overpriced.
I have always locked out overdrive when driving in situations that would otherwise make the tranmission constantly shift in and out of overdrive and/or continually lock and unlock the converter. The manual even recommends that.
concerning this subject.>>
Ohio7 I never said that! But, most people who say "Yeah I drive around in "D" because I like the power/fuel economy/less shifting/etc." end up forgetting to shift back into "OD" when they approach 40-45 mph. And after a year or two of abuse, they find the transmission's life shortened. Now, as you say, brucelinc, if you drive for long stretches at 35 or less (commute through the city, for example), then you'll do no damage. That's the exception to the rule, though, for most people, and it's sooooo easy to ignore that little "O/D" light on the dash and forget to re-engage OD at cruising speeds. Heck, if you can handle it, go for it. I like to err on the side of caution myself.
Now, I am not arguing here and maybe this is the wrong forum for this discussion, but I am really curious about something. Why is driving in "D" harmful to the transmission? Automatic overdrive and lock-up converters weren't even used 15-20 years ago. How is driving in "D" with a modern automatic any more harmful than driving in "D" with, say, a '75 Ford that had no overdrive or lock-up converter? Thanks.