There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 1994 Ford Taurusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I JUST GOT OFF THE TELEPHONE WITH FORD CORP., ~ I HAVE INHERITED A 1994 TAURUS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF IT AND IT ONLY HAS 88,000 ORIGINAL MILES ~ THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, THE HEAD GASKET BLEW & THE EXHAUST STARTED POURING OUT THICK SMOKE, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE LOCATION IMMEDIATELY, BUT I LOOK UNDER THE CAR AND THERE WERE ALL DIFFERENT COLOR FLUIDS COMING OUT. BACK IN 1999 THERE WAS A LETTER SENT TO MR. WILLIAM CLAY FORD RELATING TO THIS ISSUE ~ A VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN SO WELL KEPT AND NOT EVEN HAVE PASSED 100K MILES... THIS MALFUNCTION OF FORD, SHOULD BE FIXED AND HONORED AT ALL COSTS AND NOW I AM LOOKING AT A BILL OF $2300.00 TO GET THIS FIXED ~ WHEN IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING THIS ISSUE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. I AM ASKING FOR HELP OF PROGRAM 98M01 ~ THIS EXTENSION IS MANDATORY FOR I AM A SINGLE MOTHER / DRIVER OF A FORD VEHICLE ~ IT'S THE AMERICAN WAY...... RIGHT???? MR. WILLIAM CLAY FORD ~ GET ME BACK INTO A SAFE VEHICLE. *TR
HEAD GASKET FAILURE. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT STATED FORD HAD A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS. THERE WAS A LIMITATION ON THIS RECALL, SEVEN YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED ON OCTOBER 19, 2005 HE NOTICED WATER COMING FROM THE TAIL PIPE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE LEAKED COOLANT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND HE DETERMINED THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN. *AK
FORDS RECALL OF THEIR 3.8 V6 MOTOR IS A TRAVESTY THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT! THEY KNEW THE MOTOR WAS BAD, PUT OUT A RECALL WITH A MILEAGE LIMIT (100,000), BUT THEN ALSO A TIME LIMIT (7 YEARS)! HOW ABOUT A CAR THAT IS NOT DRIVEN THE 100K, AND GETS THE PROBLEM? THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT IF ONE GOES 100K, THEN THEY GOT SOME VALUE OUT OF IT! THEREFORE FORD DID THEIR JOB! BUT WHEN ONE PAYS GOOD MONEY FOR THEIR SCREW UP, AND THE PROBLEM HAPPENS, AND DID NOT DO 100K, THEN THE PURCHASER DID NOT GET SOME VALUE OUT OF IT! FORD SHOULD STICK TO THE 100K, AND NOT THE TIME LIMIT! THE SOB'S HAVE ONCE AGAIN, GOTTEN AWAY WITH A LAZYASS DESIGN, AND WERE ABLE TO THROW A LAME EXCUSE AND GET AWAY WITH IT! I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHO AND HOW TO SUE! SOME HAVE HAD SUCCESS, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW THEY DID! *JB
DT: THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE DYING. THE ENGINE BLEW A HEAD GASKET. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED, AND THE NEW ENGINE ALSO BLEW OUT AT 97,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING A FLUCTUATION IN TEMPERATURE. THEN , FORD WAS CONTACTED, AND FORD SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP. *AK *JB
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND DIED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED HEAD GASKET FAILED. *AK
1994 FORD TAURUS 3.8 L ...HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 69,000 MILES, WARRANTY RECALL AND ENGINE REPLACED APPROX JUNE 2000. NOW AT 130,000 MILES, 60,000 MILES AND 3-1/2 YEARS ON THE NEW ENGINE, I AGAIN HAVE A CRACKED HG, THIS TIME WITH COMBUSTION GASES IN THE COOLANT. FORD TELLS ME THE NEW ENGINE HAD A 12 MONTH, 12,000 MILE WARRANTY JUST LIKE ALL FORD PARTS. BUT THIS IS NOT A STARTER OR ALTERNATOR, THIS IS THE ENTIRE ENGINE, THE BULK OF THE VALUE OF THE CAR. I CAN'T BE SURE IF THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE HAD THE NEW IMPROVED GASKET AND LONGER BOLTS, OR IF IT WAS OFF THE SHELF 3.8 WITH ADMITTEDLY FAULTY GASKET. GASES FORCE COOLANT OUT THE OVERFLOW. THE CAR OVERHEATS VERY RAPIDLY, THE NEEDLE CAN MOVE FROM "NORMAL" TO RED LINE IN 10 SECONDS AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND SHUT IT OFF. I SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT THE TEMP GAUGE THAN THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME, AND OFTEN I HAVE TO PULL OVER WITH VERY LITTLE NOTICE, ON THE FREEWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I THINK YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MORE THAN 60,000 MILES AND 3-1/2 YEARS ON A FORD MOTOR COMPANY ENGINE. I CAN'T EVEN SELL OR TRADE THIS CAR IN, IT'S VALUE HAS DROPPED TO NOTHING. *NM
DEALER REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AT 30,000 MILE'S, AND ONCE AGAIN IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, VEHICLE REACHED HIGH TEMPERATURES DUE TO INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE. *AK *MR
TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT'S SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR WHEN COMING TO A STOP FORWARD AND REVERSE ENGAGEMENT DELAY
THE ENGINE MOUNTS CRACKED AND THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 50000 MILES. ALSO, THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE STATION WAGON VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON IT AND SHE FELT THAT THE SEDAN VERSION SHOULD TOO. *AK *SC THE AIR CONDITION HOSES WERE REPLACED. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS HAVE CRACKED AND VEHICLE HAS NOT EXCEEDED 50000 MILES.*AK
THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACT ERRATIC, AND THEN SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE HEAD GASKET FAILED. *JB
THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER ABRUPTLY. *JB
HEAD GASKET FAILURE ON MY 3.8 ENGINE IN MY 1994 FORD TAURUS 125000 MILES. *JB
FAILURE OF HEAD GASKETS ON A 1994 FORD TAURUS WITH THE 3.8L V-6 MOTOR WITH ONLY 28,396 MILES (ORIGINAL) ON THE ODOMETER
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE 1994 FORD TAURAS HAS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED APPROXIMATELY 3 - 5 YEARS AGO. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING AGAIN. FROMM READING SOME OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURING ON SEVERAL 1994 FORD TAURAS'S. IS THERE ANY PLAN TO DO A RECALL FOR THIS HEAD GASKET PROBLEM.*JB
THE ENGINE FAILED.*DT *JB
HAVE FIX SO MANY THINGS ON THIS CAN AND IS STILL NOT TRUSTWORTHY TO MAKE ANY TRIPS EXCEPT TO THE GROCERY STORE. TRANSMISSION IS DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY
VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AT 40 MPH. CONSUMER REPLACED SHARKS/ STRUTS, AND TIRES; BUT VEHICLE STILL SHAKES. DEALER STATED THERE WERE SEVERAL ENGINE MOUNTS BROKEN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
1. 3.8L V6 HEAD GASKETS. GASKET(S) FAILED ON VEHICLE AT 80878 MILES. ENGINE BLOWS HEAVY ?!@#$% SMOKE FROM TAILPIPE, OVERHEATS AND LOSES COOLANT. VEHICLE IS 8 YRS OLD AND OUT OF EXTENDED FORD WARRANTY PROGRAM, (7YRS 100,000MI). CONTACTED BOTH LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, BOTH SAYING THERE IS NO ASSISTANCE THEY COULD PROVIDE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE HEAD GASKETS. 2. TRANSMISSION FAILED, AT 79,392MI. WHEN VEHICLE WAS WARM, TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE 1ST GEAR, LEAVING YOU STRANDED WHEREVER YOU STOPPED. CONTACTED LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHO QUOTED $2500 + LABOR. HAD TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR $1800. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN CAREFULLY MAINTAINED. ALL MAINTENANCE ITEMS PERFORMED AT MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED INTERVALS FOR HEAVY DUTY USE. (EVERY 3000MI) OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000MI, TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED PER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, FILTERS, TIRE ROTATION, SPARK PLUGS, EVERYTHING. IF FORD WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, WHICH HAS A KNOWN DESIGN / MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THIS WAS THE LAST FORD PRODUCT I WILL EVER BUY. IT MAY BE ANYWAY. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026