Overview & Reviews

A mild facelift, revised trim levels and fewer options are the only changes to Ford's midsize sedan.

• Commodious and ergonomically correct.

• Swoopy styling and fish-faced snout leaves us cold.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 97.00

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  1998 Ford Taurus SE Wagon - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By cinemaxmama - July 16 - 9:59 am

  I have driven this vehicle for the past 13 years. Hated it then, still hate it now. BUT - most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned. I bought it with 70,000 miles, I now have 180,000 and still running like a champ. There is a hole that has rusted in the floor, the door handles come apart, doors dont shut all the way, seatbelts dont pull all the way, dash is coming apart, break replacements every 6 mths, but still runs.

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  Disappointment - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By AVolarVolar - December 5 - 2:00 am

  I paid at $11,000 at 64,000 hwy miles from a pharmaceutical sales company in 1999. I spent $250 for a brake job inc warped rotors after 1st yr. My miles were lower than average but replaced brakes and tires often for the 1st 3 yrs. Overheating problems came and I spent quite a bit to get the system flushed & new coolant. The heater was not working reliably as coolant continued to leak out from the system recovery tank even after replacing pressure caps 2x . At 98,000 miles the Transmission gave out & it cost $4400. Door ajar light & check engine lights came on past yr. Heater stopped working., Leak in A/C system means no air. Now it wont pass smog & camshaft position sensor went out.

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  Who said flames make you go faster - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By Taylor - September 30 - 2:00 am

  My Taurus SE caught fire at 290,000 km on the highway. These cars are not great I suggest finding something else.

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  Puts up with a lot of abuse - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By quickford - August 31 - 2:02 am

  Ive had this car for five years, and it is reliable in some ways, but unreliable in other aspects. The engine is bulletproof. I drove the car when it was leaking oil and nearly dry after fixing the leak it still runs like a champ. Ive driven it with a coolant leak and I almost had the temp gauge maxed once, and it never quit. But the leaks themselves were a concern. Also, the transmission is slipping pretty badly now, and at 118,000 miles it may not make it much longer. Some suspension pieces have needed replacement and the brakes warp easily. One of the rear wheels got stuck, and I had to hammer on the drum to loosen it up, probably due to the parking brake. Electrical system is iffy.

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  would not recommend - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By mitch - February 6 - 7:48 am

  Had an 88 Taurus that had 193,000 miles on it before i had to get rid of it...it was a shame. Bought the 98 Taurus with 16,000 miles, and currently have about 120,000. The transmission had to be replaced at about 30,000, but thankfully it was under warranty. The car has always had problems, but never one to warrant selling it. The last 2 years have been plagued with heating issues. Gas mileage is acceptable, and has decent acceleration (although it takes about a half second to kick in after you push the pedal). The car, overall has been more trouble than its worth.

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  Wont buy another Ford - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By PQD - June 29 - 4:04 pm

  This car (bought new in 1998) has had many things go wrong at a lower mileage than it should, e.g., transmission replaced at 63,000 miles rear brakes at 70,000 front brakes, struts, and a "rotted plug" for the coolant at 87,000 miles (the latter required a major amount of labor, though the part was small). My husband has a 1 year older Honda Accord with about 35,000 more miles on it which has had almost nothing expensive needing replacing. We usually buy cars new, keep them maintained, and drive them until they drop, generally well over 100-150,000 miles. Given how much Ive already spent on this Taurus, I think Ill trade it for a more reliable "foreign" car before anything else goes wrong!

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  Not a Bad Car - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By wyomingwapiti - August 1 - 2:00 am

  I was sceptical when I bought our 98 Taurus SE in 1999 sold as a "program car". I figured I would be throwing money into this car since Taurus didnt have a very good track record in the past. I now have 97,000 miles on the car and it is still going strong. Never had any problems whatsover.Gas mileage is still about 27-30 mpg highway and considerable less in city. I have the DOHC engine which I recommend. Lots of power. I do not like the styling of this car...looks like a bubble. Like the styling of the 2000 and newer Taurus. This is no Lexus or Infinity, so it does have squeeks and rattles and doesnt have a very good ride quality, but I am all ab

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  Decent Car - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By mmark869 - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Received car basically as a gift with 65000 miles, only catch was it needed a new tranny, car has 70000 miles now with new tranny. The car runs well, has a soft smooth ride, handles O.K. This car is not very good on gas, and like many american cars the steering is too loose! Very comfortable to sit in and the controls are right where they should be, for some reason I Love the strange looking round control panel. The stock radio is nice and the climate control works great, good trunk space too.

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  cant win for losing - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By schwoop - March 12 - 2:00 am

  with this car you just cant win for losing.every time i turn around this car has something else wrong with it...would list them all but my fingers might cramp

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  car - 1998 Ford Taurus
  By fgs - February 22 - 2:00 am

  the vehical has been reliable, now has 83000 miles on it. only problem has been the check engine lite, which used to bother me , but i have had it on for the last 25000 miles, and it has not affected the driving or mileage.