There are 50 owner-reported steering complaints for the 1997 Ford Taurusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE A FRAME SHEARED OFF AND LANDED ON TOP OF THE STEERING BOX, CAUSING STEERING LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE A FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 135,000.
I PURCHASED MY 1997 FORD TAURUS IN FEBRUARY 2010, AND SHORTLY AFTER EXPERIENCED MY ODOMETER STOPPING AND MY POWER STEERING STOPPING AT THE SAME TIME. IT USUALLY HAPPENS IF I DRIVE THE CAR LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES, OR IF I SIT AT A STOP LIGHT TO LONG. IT ALSO SEEMS TO HAPPEN AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH OR HIGHER. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP, AND I WILL FIND MY CAR MOVING FORWARD AFTER STOPPING. I HAVE GOTTEN USED TO STAYING A GOOD DISTANCE FROM CARS SO I HAVE ROOM TO STOP. *TR
VEHICLE MAKES POPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. SOUNDS AS THOUGH THE NOISE IS GENERATED FROM TIE RODS OR RACK N PINION PROBLEM, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED ON VEHICLE. *TR
POWER STEERING INTERMITTENT FAILURE; FIRST BEGAN WHEN PLACING SHIFT LEVER INTO REVERSE GEAR, THEN LATER OCCURRED ALSO IN FORWARD DRIVE GEARS. SUSPECT ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC PROBLEM SINCE RADIO SPEAKERS ALSO GO SILENT AND POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THIS OCCURS. ALL OTHER FUSES WORKING PROPERLY. DEALER IS NOT YET CONTACTED. *TR
1997 FORD TAURUS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. *MR THE POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT DUE TO THE WRONG AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID BEING PLACED IN THE VEHICLE. *SC *JB
I HAVE EXPERIENCE THE SAME LOST OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES,I HAVE ALSO NOTICE THAT WHEN I TURN MY WHEEL IT MAKES A SQUEAKING SOUND.HAD THE CAR CHECKED WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO BE LUBED.HAD IT LUBED CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING.A COWORKER HAS A 1997 FORD TAURUS LIKE MY CAR AND THEY ARE EXPERENCING THE SAME NOISES. PLEASE ADVISE IF THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON. *AK
VEHICLE MOVING DOWN A HILL. POWER BRAKES AND STEERING LOST POWER,ENGINE STILL RUNNING, BUT NO POWER TO BRAKES OR STEERING. FINALLY STOPPED VEHICLE WITH NO INCIDENT. TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND RESTARTED, POWER TO BRAKES AND STEERING RESTORED.*AK TOOK TO SERVICE.REPLACEMENT WAS MADE TO CAMSHAFT SENSOR. PROBLEM SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, BUT RETURNED ABOUT 6 MOS. LATER...SAME CIRCUMSTANCES,ONLY IN FIRST INCIDENT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN APPEARING INTERMITTENTLY.
WHILE DRIVING IT WAS HARD TO SHIFT GEARS/STEER THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK. *AK THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS INTERMITTENT, THE RADIO WOULD GO OFF WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE PROBLEM WOULD START WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, REVERSE, OR NEUTRAL. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF WITHOUT CAUSE. *SC *JB
1. STEERING AND POWER COMPLETELY FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING AFTER ONLY TWO WEEKS AFTER BUYING CAR 2. HAD REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT IT,SOMETHING ABOUT MODULE, 3. AFTER ABOUT 4 MO. STARTED SAME PROBLEM AGAIN, NO RESPONSE FROM DEALER OR FORD ABOUT MY CONCERNS,CAUSED MY DAUGHTER TO HIT A TREE DAMAGING CAR HEAVILY AND CAUSING MY DAUGHTER TO HIT HER HEAD RESULTING IN HEADACHES 4. HAD CAR REPAIRED FROM ACCIDENT AND LET IT GO BACK BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT 5. NOW WE'RE BEING CONSTANTLY HARASSED BY FORD MOTORS LAWERS WELTMAN,WEINBERG & REIS 323 LAKESIDE AVE. CLEVELAND 44113-1099, PHONE216.739.5081 WITH GARNESHMENTS NOW THEY TRYING TO GET OUR SOCIAL SECURITY. *NM
WHEN GEAR SHIFT IS IN REVERSE OR DRIVE,POWER STEERING GOES OFF, RADIO SOUND GOES OFF AND THE POWER WINDOWS WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN. WHAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM I HAVE CONTACTED FORD THEY WOULD CHECK INTO THE PROBLEM, BUT HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED YET
TRANSMISSION GOING OUT AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE, SERPENTINE BELT FAILURE,CAM SENSOR & FALSE DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT, & MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SWITCH IN STEERING COLUMN
F YOU CAN REFERENCE THE "CAR TALK" ARTICLE FROM JULY 2002 IT EXPLAINS MY PROBLEMS TO A "T". NUMEROUS MECHANICS REPLIED TO THE ARTICLE AND "CAR TALK" RELAYED THAT INFO TO ME. MY TAURUS WAS 5 YEARS OLD WHEN THE PROBLEMS STARTED. MY DRIVER'S SIDE BACK WINDOW STARTED CUTTING OUT AT TIMES. THEN MY RADIO STARTED CUTTING OUT ONLY WHEN TURNING RIGHT. THEN WHEN IN REVERSE AND SO ON TILL IT DIDN'T WORK. MY WIPERS ALSO HAD PROBLEMS AT TIMES. ALL THESE WERE MINER TILL MY POWER STEERING STARTED CUTTING OUT. THAT IS THE TIME I SAW THIS ARTICLE AND GOT THE INFO THAT THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM. FORD REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING OR ADMIT THAT THERE WAS A TREND. I GOT THE SENSOR REPLACED BY ONE MECHANIC WHO STATED HE HAD MANY FORD CARS ON WHICH HE REPLACED THE SENSORS, ALL THE SAME YEARS- 97-98S. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT REPLACE THE CONNECTOR PIECE AND THE PROBLEMS RETURNED. I THEN PAID THE BIG BUCKS AND HAD A DEALER REPLACE THE PIECE. THEY, OF COURSE, SAID THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM AND WANTED TO DO ALL THIS TESTING. I SHOWED THEM ALL THE DOCUMENTATION ON WHAT I FOUND AND WHAT "CAR TALK" SENT ME. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE GETTING IT REPLACED. I AM INCENSED THAT FORD WOULD NOT RECALL A PIECE THAT ALLOWS YOUR POWER STEERING TO GO OUT. IF A RECALL OCCURS, I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF IT. I AM OUT 300$.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON FLAT SURFACE AND NO WARNING THE POWER STEERING WILL LOCK UP THEN DISENGAGE AND IT IS CAUSING IT TO BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
ALL'S WELL IN PARK AND NEUTRAL, BUT WHEN IN REVERSE OR DRIVE, THE RADIO QUITS, INTERMITTENT WIPERS FAIL, WINDOWS WON'T WORK, LOSS OF ABOUT 75% OF POWER STEERING. PUT IT IN NUETRAL AND ALL IS WELL. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. I FOUND 10 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE IN A 96 OR 97 FORD TAURUS.
WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS IN REVERSE & DRIVE, RADIO GOES OFF, POWER ASSIST GOES OFF AT ANYTIME. VERY DANGEROUS. SOUNDS LIKE A REACCURING PROBLEM BASED ON REPORTS I HAVE SEEN. ELECTRICAL OF SOME SORT.
WHILE DRIVING AND APPLYING BRAKES POWER STEERING WILLGO FROM OFF TO ON INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED SENSOR WAS GOING BAD IN STEERING COLUMN. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK
A/C COMPRESSOR SEIZED CAUSING DRIVEBELT FAILURE AND LOSS OF STEERING, ALTERNATOR, AND POWER BRAKES. *AK
ERRATIC LOSS OF POWER ASSSITED STEERING AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING, SOMETIMES WITH SEAT BELT LIGHT ON AND POWER WINDOW CONTROL INOPERATIVE. CHATTERING NOISE SUGGESTS AN ELETRICAL PROBLEM. DEFINITELY DANGEROUS IF LOSS OR REGAIN OF POWER ASSISTED STEERING HAPPENS DUE TO OVER OR UNDER STEERING. *AK
POWER STEERING INTERMITTENT FAILURE; FIRST BEGAN WHEN PLACING SHIFT LEVER INTO REVERSE GEAR, THEN LATER OCCURRED ALSO IN FORWARD DRIVE GEARS. SUSPECT ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC PROBLEM SINCE RADIO SPEAKERS ALSO GO SILENT AND POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THIS OCCURS. DISCOVERED THAT REMOVAL OF 15AMP FUSE CONTROLLING BACKUP LIGHTS/HEATER RETURN POWER STEERING AND RADIO CONTROL. ALL OTHER FUSES WORKING PROPERLY. DEALER IS NOT YET CONTACTED.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *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