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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008
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The Taurus may "feel" the road more than some sedans, but I don't like "boats" that float over the road leaving you to wonder if the tires are even touching pavement. As for other aspects of workmanship, look at Edmund's reviews of family sedans; they didn't seem to find the flaws you did on your test drive.
(I also looked at the Focus, but didn't test drive it, because it felt awfully cramped for room in comparison).
Try going to another (hopefully more knowledgable) dealer and test drive a different Taurus.
I think the base engine in the Taurus (Vulcan V6) is MUCH better than the base engine in the Camry (4 cylinder).
To each his own.
I agree with you. While I do realize that there are more exciting engines around, the base engine in the Taurus is better than a lot of the competition, and it manages to get great gas mileage.
the tiny dark paint spots on the silver frost, very hard to see, but "slunar" comments above about overspray at factory could be correct. I wonder what the sequence of events for painting is at the factory...how soon is clear coat applied after the layer of paint? Should I dig out the points myself and touch up or go to the hassle of dealer, ford (purchased via broker carsdirect, which taking a lot of political heat from jealous dealer salesfolk and manufacturers who want to go direct also. Talk about lack of a free market! So much for republican/libertarian principles in the real world of politics. Maybe the courts (judges appointed by pols) will be pro consumer...not!?
I was very happy with aspects of the car, so I may at least consider another...
More recently, I have had more troubling problems - electrical in nature. On five separate occasions, the car has nearly stalled, with the "Check Engine" and Low Fuel lights flashing on and off. The radio and clock reset themselves. The dealer cannot see any errors on the computer, and says there is nothing he can do and no TSB's on this problem. It makes me nervous to drive this car any distance.
I've been thinking about dumping the Ford in favor of a '98 Chevy Malibu. I've read some pretty scary user comments about this vehicle also. Makes me think twice about making that move. Bad brakes, leaking headlights, strange clunking noises, tire problems. ...
I have always supported American cars. May be time for a Toyota, Honda or Nissan.
Buying a used car is always a gamble, the dealer can go over the car with a fine tooth comb but that won't reveal everything.
good luck!
Sable duo. They come with deals waiting to be had,
offer a great value for the money and lower insurance premiums than that the Japanese cars.
I recently bought a Merc. Sable 00 Premium SW and
I got what I believe is a good deal. This is my
third new car. Had a 91 Toyota Camry, 98 Mazda MPV van before. The MPV was totally Japanese and
very unreliable. The Camry lasted almost 8 years
without a mechanical problem. The body did not fare as well. Insurance was high on it.
in my Taurus wagon. Every one at a different transmission shop just as they go out of warrenty.
The shops say that these Fords have defective
transmissions and that is where most of their
transmission work comes from. The car has 105,000 easy miles. If it's not the transmission it's some other problem. The seats are very comfortable which is great while waiting for the wreaker driver. This car is so terribly unreliable. It has left us on the side of the road so many times! We are scared to drive it across town. I would never ever buy a Ford again. For what we have spent in parts and labor we could have had a Mercedes or other high end car. I wouldn't wish one of these cars on my worst enemie
Have any of you 2000 Taurus owners had their
transmissions replaced twice already like the above 2000 Accord owner?
I have driven the Taurus and liked the feel, cost and safety feature. Although, I am thinking it's may be too big, and there may be too many of them on the market and will have poor resale value down the line when I want to sell or trade it. Any thoughts on this?
The Outback looks nice, has good room for hauling cargo and bikes, and has All-time All Wheel Drive. The negative about it is it's quite a bit more expensive than the Taurus and it may not handle as nicely. I also am wondering if I'll like not having a trunk. I'm used to storing a lot of stuff in the trunk and may be discouraged by the station wagon's exposed area.
Lastly, the Pontiac Grand Prix. It's a sharp and powerful car. But I've hear nothing but bad things about the noises the vehicle makes (especially the dash when it is either really hot outside or really cold). I don't know much about it's performance aside from the fact that last year's model (1999) was ranked very low, but they don't say much about this year.
I guess the main thing I'm having trouble with in my decision is that it seems that all car reports or evaluations say things differently. Consumer Reports may say one thing and then another publication or website will say something else.
Does anyone have any good recommendations that will help sway my decision?
Thanks.
The Subaru is too spendy unless you get a good lease deal. Also, no v6 yet I'm aware of. Stick with the v6. the all wheel drive is nice but hey, u got by without it before.
Go with the Taurus. Resale is not an issue because you get the car for a reasonable price to begin with. Plus it looks good and with the Duratec is a good runner.
I don't think any of the Taurus transmission problems happened with under 10K miles. Most people have problems after the warranty expires (3 years.) These Accords are having problems within the first few months. There is a big difference between replacing a transmission with 70K miles on it, and one with 5200 miles on it. I'd bet if the Taurus' transmission had failed so quickly, instead of many years down the road, Ford would have replaced them as well, and admitted they had a problem.
I agree, there is alot of difference between a transmission failing at 70k or 5K. At 5k it's under warranty at 70k it's not and comes out of your pocket. That's what makes the Fords disposible cars. They just aren't made to last very long. It is best to sell a Ford before it goes out of warrant as my experience with my Taurus has proven.
It's still early at only 300 miles, so we'll see if I'm still as happy at 50,000 and 100,000 miles. Since this is a car I'd like to hang on to for a while, I opted for the Premium Care extended warranty for 5 years/75,000 miles.
Does anyone know if the transmission used in the 2000 models have a track record? It is amazing how many Tauruses I see on the road these days. Almost as many as the Chevy Malibu. I test drove the Malibu and generally liked it, but I think the Taurus has more features for the money.
Have you Taurus owners gotten used to all these factors? What are your thoughts on ease of driving.
Also, the fact that you see so many out on the road, does that bother any of you as far as planning down the line when everyone else is trying to sell their Taurus? I know that they will be saturated and will have pretty low resale value. Don't get me wrong, in general I like the car, but just have some reservations.
Any feedback?
If you are getting a wagon I can tell you from having sold a couple of Taurus wagons the first thing every prospective used wagon buyer asks about is the 3rd seat.
I haven't noticed the steering wheel being too large and I don't feel the rear window is too small; it's the view out the rear passenger windows that seems limited.
The fact that there are many Tauruses out there doesn't bother me too much. I see many Prizms also, but I've bought two used ones within the last two years because they are economical, reasonably attractive and have a good mechanical track record.
I don't have leather or a moonroof, but I would highly recommend the bigger engine. Coupled with the handling it makes the car a poor family man's "sports car". I wouldn't have gone for the power seat normally, but since it was in the one I liked for other reasons, I took it. But, the variable adjustment is quite nice.
For safety reasons, the side air bags, traction control and ABS are good features also.
All 96 and on Tauruses have bucket seats, with a center console that makes it look like it has a bench seat. In my '97, it flips to reveal great cupholders and some storage space.
As for the shifter, I've grown used to having it on the steering wheel, so now when I drive other cars, I'm constantly turning on the windshield wipers when trying to change gears in floor shifting cars.
Sable93 & Starfire2: The 5 passenger seating option on 96 - 00 Taurus & Sables replaces the center seat / flip over console with a more conventional fixed console and floor shifter. Most any Taurus or Sable brochures have a photo of the interior with the 5 pass. option.
I have a slight problem that has cropped up. The amber air bag light now flashes intermittently sometimes. Does anyone know what is causing this? Also, has there been a recall on this problem? It is not affecting anything; it's just annoying. If anyone knows the solution (this side of taking it to the dealership), your recommendation is appreciated.
My first experience with the car was a pool of transmission fluid under the car on the first day I owned it.. Ford said it was just a crimped hydraulic line.. Well the transmission failed at 34,000 miles.. Then I had Suspension problems..that required new bushings. Two Power Windows failed also. The brakes needed work at
16,000 miles because the rotors were warped.
And to top it all off, the steering rack went at
37000 miles.. The 12 Valve engine is way underpowered.. I feel Ok now though.. I traded it in for a Camry V6..
The transmission was not suited for the 3.5 liter engine.. It failed at 70K miles.. Get this.. water seeped into the trunk somehow and rusted out the body under the spare.. Water would somehow get into the fender wells also..
The suspension had a knock when it reached a certain geometry that Dodge service had no clue about.. What a shame. the car has great styling and good engine.. too bad they didnt put in the
quality
Sincerely,
Gabe Fajuri
Automotive News
I emailed Ford Customer Service asking if the doors are engineered to allow water to flow through them, or if this is a manufacturing defect. The response I received was the basic form letter thanking me for "taking the time to let us know about your frustration with the situation surrounding the construction of the belt moldings on the rear of the doors." They went on to say there's no recalls or Owner Notification Programs currently open for my vehicle, but never answered my question.
So does anyone know, are the doors engineered to allow water to run through them?
We had heavy rain yesterday, and this morning I opened the back doors to find the latches and the child safety switch on the door all wet.
I spoke to someone at Ford Motor Company Customer Service today who will pass my concern along to the assembly plant and engineering department.
My recently acquired '96 Taurus LX has bucket seats and a floor shifter with a full center console. The shifter is very nicely designed and gives the car a sportier feel. I think the floor shifter is available as an option only on the higher end model lines of the 96-99 Taurus (LX for 96-97, SE for 98-99. ) I killed myself financially to get this car, but I'm glad I did. It's absolutely fantastic, and the Duratec engine kicks butt.
I just received a call from the service manager to let me know Ford recently had a similar problem with the Contour, but this is the first time for the Taurus. On the Contours, a sealer was applied which remedied the problem. They're going to do the same to my car. My appointment is for June 19.
I suggest every 2000 Taurus owner examine the rear doors on their cars, and show your dealer's service manager if you can actually see down inside the door at the area just above the handle. The last thing you want is a rusted-out door and/or parts within!