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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008
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I was heading out the door for work, and about a mile from form the house had to return for some paperwork.
I came back out, started the car up, but couldn't shift out of Park. The good news is, I remembered the post from Ohio7 about just this problem from 2 years ago. I followed her directions and got the car to my dealer who fixed it in 10 minutes for $78.00.
The older Sable I use for work has 58,000 miles now and has been very good. The only things I've replaced are the main drive belt (squeeling a bit) and a loose tie rod end (warp 8 over a speed bump). Total cost in three years is just over $500.00 dollars. Thats not bad!!
I was able to survive the blackout here in New York. Having to drive without traffic lights proved to be a scary but interesting experience. Believe it or not, I found it to be actually safer than when lights work. No one tried to speed, and everybody was extremely careful.
Having to live 21 hours without electricity, a/c and running water was no fun either.
Well, I still have that humming noise coming out of the steering wheel of my Sable which happens when it's turned to either side. The sound unfortunately has become louder than before. There is no loss of steering, and the pump is full. Rack and pinion were lubricated but that didn't help much in calming the noise. Now what?
I just want to comment about a previous posting on the guy who purchased a '98 Accord with 90,000 fully loaded it seems, and paid $12,000 for it. It's very high considering the mileage and the age of the car. No matter how bullet proof the Accord is.
Other than that I have no complaints on my now 3 year old SEL with just over 19,000 miles on. This week I'm going to attempt to change the cabin filter. Luckily I BOOKMARKED a couple of posts which I will refer to. Thanks to all of you for informative directions and comments.
Where? No news story has ever said that 2003 was the end. You're mixing up the story about the Chicago Taurus plant switching to Freestyle/500 prodcution in 2004.
I just bought a 2002 Ford Taurus SES with 20K. So far, I'm enjoying it a lot, and it's quite new compared to my previous ride. I used this message board extensively in deciding to buy this car instead of a Saturn L200. So thank you all for being so helpful.
My question involves the worthwhileness of extended warrantees, purchased through Ford. I can purchase one until my factory warrantee runs out, and I've been considering it. Has anyone seen one pay for itself? Is there a specific one (basic, premium, etc.) that anyone recommends?
I know Taurii tend to have trouble with transmissions, cams, and electronic components in particular. Beyond that, my only experience is the '89 Taurus GL that I grew up with-- it was a great and reliable car until it hit 100K. Has anybody with a second generation Taurus hit the higher mileage yet? And how's the car doing? I'd like to see this car last me well past 100K.
It "usually" will not because you could pay for a large amount of small repairs yourself for less than the cost of of the warranty.
Don't forget that you still will have no warranty past 100K miles even if you pay for an extended warranty. You would be better off getting rid of the car before the mileage gets near 100K. The resale value also drops more after 100K miles because many people avoid cars with over 100K miles.
The drivers side "maintinence free" ball joint needs to be replaced.
I had my power steering replaced and the main drive belt, but the problem persisted. The ball joints don't have grease fittings anymore so when the joint starts to fail that's the noise it makes.
The cost to repair for me in NH is about $175.00.
Operation range for remote door locks, problem being--when using the remote starter I first have to unlock the doors-to disable the alarm. I find the range for the remote starter to be much greater than the range for the door locks. Any comments?
The factory remote range is pretty decent. I just checked what it says in the owner's manual--typical range is up to 10 meters away, which is 33 feet. In practice, my '98's shoots a lot farther than that. I've been more than 50 feet away, and as long as the car is at my height or below me, it unlocks fine. When you're downhill from the car, it won't work as well. I think the antenna's just below the dash top in the middle, so the mass of the car blocks the signal when you're downhill from it.
Are you near cellular phone towers or any other kind of transmitter (police department, TV/radio station)? That can desensitize the receiver in the car and cut the range down to 'I need to stand at the car door' before it works. Might be that the starter receiver is either in a different frequency range or is less sensitive to the signals you're near, if that's the case.
Range can also be affected by what the car is parked around. If it's surrounded by cars or tightly parked near a building, that will affect range too.
How new is the remote battery? That can make a difference. Then again, I have not changed mine in 3 years (dunno if they were new or not when I bought the car) and the range has not changed.
I think the '03s (based on dealer loaners) use the same remote as my car, so the comments should apply.
If you can fire the Ford remote from 10 meters or so, then the thing's likely working right, even if the range is not as far as you'd like. Sorry I can't help more than that.
My remote unlock seems to work from at least 50 feet or so, and I have yet to replace the batteries from when the car was new-at three years now.
As far as decontenting goes, from 2000-2003 I haven't detected much decontenting on the various Taurus models, just a little reworking of the option packages, but with the larger rebates available now, I think you can get more for bang for buck on a Taurus than you could 3 years ago, despite some increases in MSRP.
Badgerfan: The remote start was a dealer installed option and the antenna is at the top of the windshield which probably makes a difference. I am new with Ford and the Taurus I have has the "standard" equipment like ABS side air bags, moonroof etc. Before I purchased I did check the Intrepid and everything there appears to be an option or not available. It would be simplier for those people to sell you the window sticker as standard and then list the car as an option.
I've got 55,000 miles on this car and this is the second set, Does anyone know if this seems normal mileage for brake wear?.
To me, about the only time rapid depreciation could hurt me personally is if the car is totalled and the insurance payoff is less. But, the rapid depreciation my Taurus has also keeps my insurance costs down, so there is even a monetary tradeoff there as well. Additionally, one should consider that you can get a well equipped Taurus with a good performing DOHC V-6 for $18K+TTL. Try to find that price for a new comparably equipped Camry V-6 or Honda V-6. The $3K-$5K I did not spend for the more expensive Camry or Accord is an asset that I have that will not depreciate (unless of course I should decide to dump it into the wrong stock, but that is another subject).
My three year old Taurus has cost nothing in maintenance other than routine oil changes, filters, tire rotations. How people can be presumably spending a lot of money on other than gas, insurance, and oil changes in three years is quite beyond me, especially when the first 3 years or 36K miles is full factory warranty. Only if you put up that 36K miles in a hurry could you have potentially non-warranty repair costs in the first three years.
I also don't look at a car as an asset. It is an expense in my mind. So cost of purchase and ownership are big factors to me.
I've had my Taurus for 5.5 years. In that time I've had two repairs - a door switch and a cam sensor. (brakes are a wear item and a maintenance expense)Mine was one of those former rentals, so much for them falling apart and being abused!
Thanks so much for your quick and helpful response. I think, based on talking with you and a mechanic friend of mine, that I'm going to forgo the extended warrantee. Does anybody else have any opinions they'd like to add on extended warrantees?
The thing that puzzles me is, the service guy telling me "your brakes are paper thin". When I told him the rotors are still fairly new he says "well you need them cut then". It might be time to go back to Midas.
Price of gasoline is U$1 for a liter. They don't sell per gallon. People buy smaller and smaller cars because they can not afford price of fuel. They pay very high taxes on fuel. They look to buy diesel powered vehicles.
Upon arrival back in New York, I saw gas went up here. I won't complain, I can still afford it, life is better here, G'd bless America. Missed my Sable with all its faults.
Have a good Labor Day everyone!
On my old Toyota from 80s mirrors were much better. BTW on the new Malibu mirrors are even worse, basically they are useless. Or may be you have to get used over the time.
So, what is the "problem" that you guys are having?
I agree!
Most people don't adjust their driver's side outside mirror properly anyway. To cover your blind spot, you should have it set so you cannot see down the side of your car. Set it so just as a passing car leaves your inside rear view mirror field of view, it shows up in your driver's side mirror. Then as it leaves your driver's side mirror, you begin to pick it up in your peripheral vision. This eliminates your blind spot. It takes a little getting used to, but is a much better use of your mirror.
The right side mirror this is not necessary as the wide angle mirror covers more of the road, of course at the same time distorting the distance the car in the mirror is from your car.
Taurus has the smallest outside mirrors among family sedans. We're not talking SUV size, but just a little bigger. Most people do not use the mirrors too much anyway, but in some conditions, especially while backing up, larger outside mirrors are not only useful - but it's safer, too!
Again, I've driven already the Impala, Camry, and others. There is a big different. Once you get used to a bigger size, it's hard to get re-used to a smaller size.
And that's not just with the Taurus. Ford Focus has much smaller mirrors than Corolla or Civic, and the Windstar's much smaller than the NEW 2004 Sienna, GM minivans, Honda Odyssey & Mazda MPV - and it also has the biggest blind spot from all - except for Chrysler/Dodge minivans which are even worse.
First service dept. experience with the Taurus yesterday. 5000km first service and they repaired a scratch on the trunk cover (my fault) work was top class, done when promised, and no charge for the scratch repair. The Ford service dept. equals that of the GM dealer I use and is much better than the disaster I encountered when I had the Chrysler product.
If one follows the procedures that bagerfan laid out you will have no trouble using any mirror. Exactly how much of a vehicle do you need to see to realize that something is next to you?! If I catch ANY car part in my mirrors it's a pretty good sign that it's not safe for me to move over. I really don't need to know what make or model a vehicle is.
There is a proper procedure for setting the right mirror that bagerfan left out. It has a little discomfort involved in the procedure. I've read that one should sit in the middle area and move the mirror so that you see a little of the side of the car. When you move back into the driver's seat, you won't see the car but your blind spot will be covered. This saved me just a few weeks ago - I was on I-95 and zooming along and wanted to move to the right to get around a left lane hogger doing 50. I did a partial glance to the right and didn't see anything. In that split second of me starting to move over I caught sight of something red. WOW, I almost plowed into a new red Corvette!! He was zooming very fast and was not there when I first looked. Glad I caught him in my itty bitty side mirror!
My wife had a Toyota Van, then a 87 Ford custom E-150, then a 97 Custom Hi-Top E-150. All three of them had huge mirrors. Now she's got a 2001 Taurus SEL. Yea sure, the mirrors are smaller, but so is the vehicle! Our other family cars are a 2000 Mustang convertible, a 2001 Focus SE sedan, and an 85 Mercury Marquis 4 door sedan and they've all got different sized mirrors. You switch off cars you re-adjust yourself to lots of things...the way you sit in the car, the way the wheel feels, the different "blind spots" you need to remember, and the different shape, size and placement of mirrors!
Isn't this really getting a bit picky??? I mean what do we have here...mirror envy??? As bagerfan said, if the mirrors are too small for you, don't buy a Taurus.
See ya
Anyway I didn't mean to get off on this topic , but I just wanted to reiterate that the resale value of a car is part of your net worth whether it depreciates faster or not. Net worth is based on a liquidation whether it is moot or not.
I don't have a sedan and don't plan to buy one, as I need a minivan for my family.
I just asked why the Taurus doesn't try to copy the competitors. True, it's not VERY important, and we are flexible enough to get used to everything, even to go trough a blackout for almost 24 hours :-)
It's just a personal taste that I like large outside mirrors, not only to realize that 'something' is behind me; but to have a great view from the rear.
When the new Sienna from Toyota appeared, many people were very excited about the large mirrors. And so was the new Nissan Quest. One of the complaints I read somewhere about the Chrysler Town & Country was: small outside mirrors! actually, smallest in class.
I guess I am just getting too old. I am still around from the days when we got excited about horsepower, or colors, or big wheels, or the look the girls on the corner would give when your car drove by. Now they get excited by large mirrors, huh?
Damn...look at the fool I was when I got excited when I took delivery of my Red Mustang Convertible! What an [non-permissible content removed] I am.
Sorry for showing my age...now I know why all these 20 year olds are driving SUVs and I'm driving a Mustang!
Perhaps some of the big mirror watchers could determine if mirror size is a factor in Toyota become third for the month of August?http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0309/04/a01-26240- 8.htm
Adjusted properly, even Taurus allegedly too small mirrors cover your blind spot completely.
There are so many features in a car to talk about.
I guess all the arguments to put down and ridicule Taurus/Sable have been exhausted. So now we pick on mirrors. What will tomorrow bring?
The reason I'm asking is that I keep hearing stories of the Vulcan engine going 2,3,4 and even 500,000 miles (That's like owning a Diesel). I drive about 75 miles round trip a day to work. I'm looking for something that is comfortable and is going to last a really long.
The mirror issue isn't really a factor for me and I'm on the road 8 to 10 hours a day. I love the styling of my Sable, just wish we could have purchased a black one instead of Harvest Gold (the wifes' choice). The main issue for me is reliability. I'll keep everyone posted over the next 50,000 miles and see what happens. I wish I was adept enough to do my own brakes but what can you do.
MSRP listed at $23,415. Dealer price $16,989. Amazingly good bargains to be had. This is over $1K less than my 2000 Taurus SES cost me three years ago and this Sable has more options.
Too bad it doesn't have an optional oversize outside mirror option, then it would be perfect!
You know how we drive around the Boston area!!