1998 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
680 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Ford Taurus, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 39/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Speed control leads the reports, typically around 90,000 miles.
Below average
Where 1998 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“Excessive use of brakes required when cruise control is in use, picks up speed when going over bumps.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Taurus
“Rear brakes worn out and rotors needed turning causing noise ,also all tires needed replacement. Yh”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Taurus
“Consumer states that while driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle will stall and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. Consumer had to replace to fuel pump. Dealer notified. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Taurus
“The engine knocks and pings when it's ready to shift to the next gear, the original engin was replaced and the problem is still occuring.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Taurus
“Headlight switch was burned causing the headlights to remain on when the switch was off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Taurus
“The vehicle constantly pulls to the left, consumer was told this was due to torque. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 172 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 90,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 63,100 and 125,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL SEAT TRACKS. THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ATTACHING STUD MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. THIS HEAT TREATMENT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN CRACKS DEVELOPING IN THE STUD.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET AND STUD ASSEMBLY.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TEXT AND/OR GRAPHICS FOR THE VEHICLE HEADLAMP AIMING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE OWNER GUIDES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND…
Fix: OWNER GUIDES CONTAINING REVISED AIMING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.
Technical service bulletins
191 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 1998 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 Taurus TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 1998 Ford Taurus drew 680 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 39/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 1998 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Ford Taurus are speed control (113 complaints), brakes & stability (93), and transmission & drivetrain (71).
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Ford Taurus problems around 90,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 63,100 and 125,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Ford Taurus have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Ford Taurus. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.