There are 10 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 1998 Ford Taurusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
1998 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON BEGAN LOW POWER ACELERATING AT STOP TIMES 2. A THIRD INCIDENT OCCURED FROM A COMPLETE STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKES AN THIS TIME IT COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITH BOTH FEET ON BREAKS. IT RAN FOR ABOUT 75 FEET AND THEN QUIT ON ITS OWN. TOOK TO LOCAL FORD DELEARS SHIP AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. I ASKED IF THIS WERE COMMON AND WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH THING. KEEP CAR TWO DAYS I CONTACTED THE TAURUS CLUB OF AMERICAL AT THEIR WEB LINE AND IT SEEMS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS AND THEY CALLED IT SURGING. *AK
FUEL PUMP FAILURE LEAVING DRIVER STRANDED. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED AT A COST OF $568.81. *JB
THE FUEL PUMP JUST STOPPED WORKING CAUSING A COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ALL SYSTEMS NO STEERING, BRAKES, ETC;JUST BY LUCK THE WIFE WAS DRIVING SLOW IN TRAFFIC BUT CAN YOU IMIANGE IF YOU WERE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS!!!! AND TO TOP IT OFF BECAUSE OF A POOR DESIGN THE CONSUMER GETS STUCK WITH A 619.00 REPAIR BILL DUE TO THE FACT THE FUEL PUMP IS LOCATED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AND IS LABOR INTENSIVE TO REPAIR WHICH REALLY SUCKS!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME BUT TO ME THIS IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD NOT TO MENTION THE HIGH COST JUST TO REPAIR A FUEL PUMP
WHILE CHANGING THE RIGHT PASSENGER TIRE THE CONSUMER HIT A TUBE WHICH CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 TO 30 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED, COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER DRIVER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED IT WAS FUEL PUMP PRIMARY MODULE RELAY.*AK *SLC
FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED TWICE, AND WAS REPLACED MARCH 2000 AND 2001. LATEST INCIDENT WAS DUE TO PUMP NOT HAVING ENOUGH PRESSURE TO PUMP FUEL INTO ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
FOLLOWING IS THE E-MAIL FROM A PERSON ASSIGNED TO THIS TAURUS: IT MIGHT BE ADVISABLE TO ALERT ALL DRIVERS OF NEWER TAURUSES TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A FUEL PUMP SHUT-OFF SWITCH LOCATED ON THE UPPER INSIDE WALL OF THE TRUNK. THIS IS INERTIA OPERATED, AND AN UNSECURED LOAD HITTING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRUNK CAN TRIP IT, SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. I HAD THIS HAPPEN YESTERDAY AS I TURNED OFF THE FREEWAY DOWN JAMES STREET. WITHOUT THE POWER BOOST ON BRAKES AND STEERING, I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR SLOWED AND INTO THE MUNI GARAGE. IF I HAD LESS STRENGTH IN MY LEGS, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION. ONCE THE SWITCH HAS BEEN ACTUATED, IT CAN BE RESET VIA A BUTTON ON ITS TOP, BUT ACCESSING THE TRUNK IN NECESSARY TO DO THIS.
FUEL GAUGE FAILED. MJS
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH FUEL SPITTING BACK OUT WHILE REFUELING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER COST. *AK
GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY WHEN FULL, DIGITAL MILES LEFT GAUGE READ 0, THREE OF FOUR TAURUS'S WITHIN THE FLEET HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE GAS GAUGE. *MJS
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