You could own a Yugo.

 

Or a daewoo.

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QUOTE (SHOZ123 @ Feb 2 2010, 11:52 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=783300

You could own a Yugo.[/b]

I heard Yugos were actually nice cars, just slow.

 

QUOTE (Skrilla @ Feb 2 2010, 12:47 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=783296

I just want to know in eveyone's expeirence with Ford Taurus's, if their a good car to own or is there always something wrong with them that you have to fix?? I had my Taurus for only 1 year now and it has 90,000 miles on it. I already to replce the rear brake drums, both lower ball joints, torque converter, pump shaft, new tires, i had to replace the both front and rear brakes twice and replace the spring kit on the rear drum brakes many times becuase they kept coming apart, I replaced the flex pipe in the exhaust, and replaced the actual muffler.

The car ran fine, no slippage in the gears when sifting, then suddenly my tranny died and had to replace some expensive parts to get it back up an running.

Do this happen all the time with Taurus, is it just an endless cycle of getting things fixed???[/b]

go buy a honda then kid.

 

After all of the major things are replaced, you just do the little stuff that comes with owning any car. Most of the problems that you mentioned would be likely to need replacing in any car that is 14 years old, even with there being less than 100,000 miles on it. Stuff wears out and breaks and you just hope that they don't happen to wear out/break all at the same time. Just keep a keen eye on everything and hopefully you won't just take the mechanic's word for it when he says you "need" to fix/replace something. Some stuff can wait until you have the money saved up in the bank, while others are very safety-related and need to be taken care of asap.

 

It doesn't matter what car you own.You WILL always have repairs to make.I have had no major problems what so ever with mine.So far it has been the BEST car I have ever owned.

 

78,000 miles and no shop time yet on mine other than a tune up and a battery
plus im on my 2nd set of tires

 

To the OP...... You have a 13 year old car with close to 100K miles. What do you expect? Tires, ball joints, brakes, etc are not repairs, they are regular maintanance any older car needs. If you had to replace brakes twice in a year, and the rear drum hardware falls off, the jobs were done incorrectly or inferior quality or incorrect parts were used. Granted, the A4AS and A4XN arent the best FWD trannies made, but with proper maintanance, can last a long time.

As others have said, ALL cars need repairs, and more often as they get up in age. Neglect regular maintance, constantly drive it like you stole it (this possibly goes mostly for the previous owner, not you) and problems will mount more quickly.

My experience, having owned (and owning) a number of Tauri, they are very reliable and comfortable family cars. I have never had any kind of tranny problem with any of them. Heck, my 87 year old mother drives a 95 Vulcan that my parents owned since new. The only repair (NOT including regular maintanance items!!!) I have had to make to the 15 year old Bull is a new CCPS a few years back to get the A/C working again. BTW, I have NEVER had to add one drop if R134a in the 15 years it has been under my care.

 

That's car ownership; everything you've named is a maintenance item or a typical repair for a car with that age/mileage. It's a 13-14 year old car, and for all except the last year it was someone else's responsibility. I'm gonna hazard a guess that your car came from a road salt-intensive area, and that the previous owner was pretty lax on doing regular maintenance. Unfortunately, Tauruses tend to get thrashed by people who buy them as a cheap used-car to be driven as a beater, so buying an old one after multiple past owners is an exercise in frustration until you've finished fixing what they didn't bother to. Take care of the car and stay on the maintenance, and you should be fine from here on out.

 

Of the 7 vehicles I've owned over the years, the Sable is easily the least reliable and most needs-a-fix prone of them. Every car needs maint, but in my own personal experience it's not been a good experience.

I sold my Oldsmobile with 140K on the clock. Zero repairs. Ever. No transmission or engine trouble of any kind. Ever. Tires and brakes (and not frequently - I think I replaced the brakes and battery *once* in the last 50,000 miles) and other consumables (like cap, rotor, and wires every 50K). Regular oil changes every 5000 or so.

I sold my Buick with 301K miles. Transmission refresh at 260K, head gasket at 285K, and a battery and alternator somewhere around 240K. That's not. No other repairs. Basic consumable replacement only.

I sold my old Sunbird with 100K on it. No repairs of any kind, ever.

I sold my old '78 F350. Lots and lots of miles. Steering box repair, and one of the gas tanks was not usable. Otherwise, no repairs, but I only owned it for a year.

I sold my '02 Honda Accord V6 with 60K miles. One fuel injector replaced, under warranty.

We still have out '03 KIA Sedona. Brakes and plugs and other scheduled maint. No repairs yet. Runs good. Very reliable. Very comfortable. Favorite vehicle.

You don't want to hear the laundry list of stuff I've had to do to my Sable. It still doesn't run right, but at least the check engine light is off, for now. I have very little faith it will stay that way for another 10K.


Would I buy another Taurus/Sable? Maybe a very very late model. I wouldn't buy one over an Impala, Maxima/Altima, or Camry, but that's just me.

Everybody's experience will be different. Mine was not awesome. Will I keep it? Yeah, I'll drive the wheels off of it. Maybe after all of these repairs it will improve and I will grow to really like it. I really like the way it handles, and the ergos are good (but not great), and the heat works awesome and the overall design is very good. But it's still been a troublesome needy car.

 

QUOTE (900Trophy @ Feb 2 2010, 01:59 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=783341

Of the 7 vehicles I've owned over the years, the Sable is easily the least reliable and most needs-a-fix prone of them. Every car needs maint, but in my own personal experience it's not been a good experience...

.... But it's still been a troublesome needy car.[/b]

Same here, except I've owned more like 10 vehicles during my nearly 40 driving years. So far the 2 most problem cars were both Fords. On the bright side at least they are cheap parts when you go to replace them. My BMW costs an arm and a leg for parts and I'm on my 4th brake light switch, 3rd set of front brake rotors. My neighbor just had to replace a burnt out headlight on his Lexus, $600!!! I'll never buy another BMW, and I'll stay away from Lexus too. I'll never sell my 93 Toyota truck, still has the original front brake rotors and they are not even warped!

 

I always thought the taurus was a bad car till i got one. I paid 1400 for mine a year ago with 117k. I now have 127k a year later and the only thing i did since i bought was rear brakes and a tune up. So i can say the taurus is a very good car.

 

just wanted to post back on this.

First, you come to a TAURUS forum and ask this question? Take a look around, there are plenty of people on here and several links (here's one: 100K or more!) to Bulls that are running strong into the mid-high 100,000 mile marks.

Any car, foreign or domestic, is going to have issues at higher mileages (oil burning, suspension wearing, etc). It's a matter of how well you have maintained the car. Heck there was just a story of an old lady that has 500,000+ miles on here ORIGINAL car (another link: 90 yr old & her 45 yr old car).

There is a reason that the Taurus is Ford's sedan landmark and hallmark. There is a reason why the Ford Five Hundred (re-badged) did not last. And there are reasons why the Taurus name came back.

Long story short, I love my bull! It's been MY first car ever owned (not handed down but paid with my own $$$$). I get picked on from time to time, but it's also a great car to work on and learn from.

Thanks for the time to rant. Now I'll get off my soap box.

 

QUOTE (Skrilla @ Feb 2 2010, 10:47 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=783296

i had to replace the both front and rear brakes twice and replace the spring kit on the rear drum brakes many times becuase they kept coming apart,[/b]

User error :thumb:

 

It's kind of a luck of the draw with these cars. my family has had 3, a 97 wagon going 170k when sold with nothing more than regular maintenence. they have all been good cars. my current has 84k on it, again nothing but regular service. The resale value being so low on these cars, you almost can't beat them for the money. I hear more good than bad about them.

 

Carcomplaints.com does not have any year Taurus or Sable listed in thier 20 cars with the most problems. I had to sink some cash into mine too. Thats used cars better get used to it.

 

I BOUGHT MY BABY ABOUT 2 YRS AGO ,HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANS , REAR MAIN SEAL
FUEL PUMP,REAR VALVE COVER GASKET ,LOWER BALL JOINTS AND SWAY BAR LINKS , AND OFCORSE
OR NORMAL STUFF LIKE TIRES AND BRAKES AND ROTORS ,AND PLUGS ECT ALL THE BUG STUFF WAS COVERED UNDER MY ESP WARR BEST 800.00 BUCKS I SPENT ....I WILL ADMIT I GOT MY TAURUS BECAUSE I WS LOW ON CASH AND NEEDED A CAR QUICK ...I REALLY DIDNT LIKE IT AT FIRST ,THE ONLY REASON I GOT IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SILVER AND HAD A WING ,LOOKING BACK I MADE A GREAT DECISION I LOVE THIS CAR ,I TREAT IT LIKE ONE OF MY CHILDREN SHE EVEN HAS HER OWN ROOM IN THE HOUSE(THE GARAGE) TO KEEP HER WARM LOL

 

QUOTE (2005silverse @ Feb 2 2010, 06:55 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=783408

I BOUGHT MY BABY ABOUT 2 YRS AGO ,HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANS , REAR MAIN SEAL
FUEL PUMP,REAR VALVE COVER GASKET ,LOWER BALL JOINTS AND SWAY BAR LINKS , AND OFCORSE
OR NORMAL STUFF LIKE TIRES AND BRAKES AND ROTORS ,AND PLUGS ECT ALL THE BUG STUFF WAS COVERED UNDER MY ESP WARR BEST 800.00 BUCKS I SPENT ....I WILL ADMIT I GOT MY TAURUS BECAUSE I WS LOW ON CASH AND NEEDED A CAR QUICK ...I REALLY DIDNT LIKE IT AT FIRST ,THE ONLY REASON I GOT IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SILVER AND HAD A WING ,LOOKING BACK I MADE A GREAT DECISION I LOVE THIS CAR ,I TREAT IT LIKE ONE OF MY CHILDREN SHE EVEN HAS HER OWN ROOM IN THE HOUSE(THE GARAGE) TO KEEP HER WARM LOL[/b]

Yo...tap the key to the left of the 'a' key. No need for caps

 

QUOTE (2005silverse @ Feb 2 2010, 06:55 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=783408

I BOUGHT MY BABY ABOUT 2 YRS AGO ,HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANS , REAR MAIN SEAL
FUEL PUMP,REAR VALVE COVER GASKET ,LOWER BALL JOINTS AND SWAY BAR LINKS , AND OFCORSE
OR NORMAL STUFF LIKE TIRES AND BRAKES AND ROTORS ,AND PLUGS ECT ALL THE BUG STUFF WAS COVERED UNDER MY ESP WARR BEST 800.00 BUCKS I SPENT ....I WILL ADMIT I GOT MY TAURUS BECAUSE I WS LOW ON CASH AND NEEDED A CAR QUICK ...I REALLY DIDNT LIKE IT AT FIRST ,THE ONLY REASON I GOT IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SILVER AND HAD A WING ,LOOKING BACK I MADE A GREAT DECISION I LOVE THIS CAR ,I TREAT IT LIKE ONE OF MY CHILDREN SHE EVEN HAS HER OWN ROOM IN THE HOUSE(THE GARAGE) TO KEEP HER WARM LOL[/b]

no need to yell lol

 

have you spent more then $4,000 on parts alone in one year? Thats what I spent in one year on my 1992 Grand Prix. Honestly though, all that stuff you've listed except for the transmission stuff is to be expected of a car with 90k on it. As for the brakes being done twice, that shouldn't be happening unless subpar (read china crap) parts are used. I've never understood why people use the "cheap" line of parts on their car. You're not saving any money in the long run.

I've seen one customer at work go thru 4 sets of rotors and pads in a year because he refused to replace his defective calipers on his car. He just keep reusing the same POS calipers over and over and it would just eat thru a set of cheap pads/rotors in 3 months.

I've always said theres 3 ways of solving a problem,

1) the cheap way (which doesn't stay cheap for long)
2) the expensive way (starts out as the cheap way)
3) the right way. (what I prefer to choose)

 

I've always driven fords. I do my own maintenance. I have very few problems with my cars. Do these Taurus and Sables have a lot of issues? Only if you are paying someone else to work on them. If you do the work yourself you won't have as many issues. For do it yourself service, for 2010, I think the maintenance costs are pretty high compared to other cars. Costs more. Not more problems.

 

Not as good as Caddys or Toyotas

Mike
B)

 

I'm on my third Bull so am a bit biased ! You've only had it a year? Sounds like the previous owner(s) didn't do squat to it. These are normal wear and tear items that you'll find in any car. Either get a reliable mechanic or learn to do it yourself. My last bull went 171K miles, 11 years, and until the bitter end, only required maintenance kind of work. No big recalls, no chronic problems, great mileage, and dependability. First Bull was totaled by a big pickup truck and I walked away from it relatively unharmed. That sold me on safety.

 

I have to agree with the previous guy. Sounds like you bought a car from someone who didn't do anything to keep the car working properly. You got hosed. The seller knew there were a bunch of problems and unloaded it on you.

I have owned my 2000 Taurus SE-S from Day One with 162,000 miles. It was my company car and I kept it once the program was retired. I don't follow any maintenance program EXCEPT changing the oil every 3k. I change the tranny and brake fluid every 60k.

The car has been rock solid. Sure, I've replaced just about every coil pack in there. A CV boot gets replaced every now and then. I have the original tranny (A4XN, thank you), alternator, starter, etc. No AC recharges, hell I can't even remember when I changed my radiator fluid. (Maybe at the same time I do the tranny and brake fluid changes)

The car has been unbelievably solid and reliable. I often tell others if they're in the market for a cheap well made car that's easy to maintain, the Taurus is a bargain, at least the models they were making since the Gen4s came out. The resale value sucks, but if you're gonna drive it till the wheels fall off, this is the car for you.

Can Honda and Toyota do better, maybe, but not for the money. I couldn't believe what a used Honda goes for. This car is way under the radar.

 

135k in my '99. I've never encountered a failure I didn't cause. I burned up the first power steering pump after a couple track sessions. More track sessions and "racing in Mexico" lead to a blown steering rack and my second PS pump. I replaced the stock coil around 100k miles with an Accel coil. It didn't last a year, so I put the stock coil back in; still works great. I had the front left fender replaced when I purposefully rammed a hatchback that ran a yield sign. I had the front bumper cover replaced after sliding down an icy mountain road along with 4 of my buddies in the car and tagging the cliff face. Fun times! :lol2:

Any 13yr old car that has seen 13 salty winters is lucky to even be on the road.