There are 19 stored owner reports matching the lighting leading-label group for the 1998 Ford Taurus in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 19 of 19 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)THE CAR HAS A RECALL ON LIGHTS SEAT BUCKLE AND STUD. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT LENS LOCATED ON THE HATCH OF THE VEHICLE, SEPARATED AND FELL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, AND THE POLICE WERE NOT ALERTED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED.
MY DOOR AJAR LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON EVEN THOUGH THE DOORS ARE ALL SHUT. SOMETIMES I AM ABLE TO OPEN AND CLOSE A DOOR AND THE LIGHT WILL GO OUT, BUT OTHER TIMES THE LIGHT STAYS ON NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. THE DOME LIGHT WILL STAY ON DUE TO THIS AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE BULB OUT IN ORDER TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR QUITE AWHILE NOW AND NO ONE IS ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND TWO BATTERIES WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE CAUSED FROM THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A DEFECT SINCE THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE AND IF SO WILL THE DEALER FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO ME? *JB
BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE CLOUDED, DISCOLORED AND HAVE MOISTURE ON THE INSIDE. THE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SEALED UNIT. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.*AK *SB
I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1998 FORD TAURUS WITH 49,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE INTERIOR LIGHTS. AFTER I GET IN THE CAR AND DRIVE OFF, THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES THINKS THAT MY DRIVERS DOOR IS STILL OPEN. THE DOOR IS AJAR LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINS LIT AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON FOR SOME TIME. I CAN MANUALLY TURN OFF THE DOME LIGHT BUT THE UNDER-DASH LIGHTS STAY ON. I DON'T NOTICE IT DURING THE DAY BUT IT IS SOMEWHAT DISTRACTING AT NIGHT. THE DOOR-OPEN DETECTOR IS NO LONGER A BUTTON BUT IS INSTEAD SOME SORT OF ELECTRONIC SENSOR BUILT INTO THE HINGE-SPRING MECHAMISM FOR THE DOOR. IT WILL ALSO NOT ALLOW ME TO LOCK THE DRIVERS DOOR. I HIT THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS BUTTON AND ALL FOUR DOORS LOCK THEN THE DRIVERS DOOR UNLOCKS ALL BY ITSELF. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW. IT IS THE INTERIOR UNDER-DASH LIGHTS ON AT NIGHT THAT IS DISTRACTING. *NLM
WHEN ENTERING VEHICLE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AS NORMAL AND THEN SHOULD GO OUT WHEN YOU CLOSE THE DOORS. CONSUMER STATES LIGHT DOES NOT GO OUT, CAUSING THE WINDOWS TO LOOK LIKE MIRRORS. CONSUMER STATES' VIEW IS OBSTRUCTED BY THIS MIRROR LIKE IMAGE, MAKING IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ROAD. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER.
INTERIOR LIGHT TO ALERT ANY DOOR IS OPEN, COMES OFF AND ON WITHOUT ANY DOORS BEING OPEN.*AK
CAR CAME EQUIPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FROM FACTORY. AT THIS TIME THE HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF UNLESS I DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT EFFECTED THE BACK LIGHTS IN ANY WAY. THEY ARE CONTROLLED WITH THE LIGHT SWITCH, BUT NOT THE HEAD LIGHTS. PLEASE ADVISE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
FIRST THE INTERIOR LIGHT STAYED ON FOR HOURS. WE WERE IN THE ACT OF MOVING TO LA. I CALLED THE1-800 NUMBER IN OWNER'S MANUAL. WAS TOLD PROBLEM USED TO EXIST WITH MERCURY BUT NOT WITH TAURUS. ARE NOT THE TWO CARS THE SAME, EXCEPT FOR THE NAMESASSIGNED TO THEM? AT ANY RATE,I WAS TOLD TO PULL OUT BULB OR GET TO PANEL FOR FUSE. I PULLED OUT BULB. THEN THE TURBO COMPONENT IN ENGINE GAVE OUT AFTER I ARRIVED IN LA. AAMCO HAD TO TOW IT AWAY BECAUSE, AT BEST, IT LURCHED FORWARD OR BACKWARD A FEW FEET. AAMCO REPLACED TURBO UNIT FOR 1400.00 THEY REPLACED BULB INTERIOR. WITHIN A WEEK THE OLD PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. THE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF, THE DOORS WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK, AND ANOTHER PROBLEM STARED--THE SYMBOL FOR A DOOR NOT CLOSED WOULD STAY ON. NO MATTER IF I RE-RE-RE- CLOSED THE DOORS. I TOOK IT BACK TO AAMCO. THEY SAID TO TAKE IT TO A SHOP THAT SPECIALIZED IN THIS PROBLEM. WELL, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THE DEALER HERE IS SUPPOSED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS AT NO COST. I'M GUESSING --NOT --BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL. AT ANY RATE, I DID NOT TAKE THE CAR IN BECAUSE I DID/DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY. THE PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHT AND SYMBOL WENT AWAY, BUT A NEW PROBLEM HAS DEVELOPED. THE ANTENNA WILL NOT GO DOWN. THANKS FOR READING THIS.*AK
TRUCK CARGO LIGHT BURNED HOLES THROUGH 3 LAYERS OF FABRIC, COULD HAVE CAUSE A FIRE, THIS IS A VERY HIGH POWERED HALOGEN BULB AND CAN GET QUITE HOT WHILE THE TRUCK IS OPEN, THE LIGHT HAS NO PROTECTIVE COVER.
THERE WAS A FIRE WITHIN THE TRUNK WHEN SLEEPING BAG CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER PUT THE FIRE OUT. HOWEVER, SMOKE CAUSED ALOT OF DAMAGE. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE RETURNED DRIECTLY AFTER PURCHASE FOR NON-FUNCTIONAL TAIL LIGHT WHICH WAS REPLACED. CONDENSATION WAS PRESENT IN TAIL LIGHT. BULB ALONE WAS CHANGED. LIGHT FAILED AGAIN IN JUNE OF 2001. DEALER INSPECTED CAR AND FIXED LIGHT BY CHANGING LENS. UPON DELIVERY OF CAR TAIL LIGHT STILL DID NOT WORK EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE RECEIVED NEW NYS INSPECTION STICKER. CAR KEPT ADDITIONAL DAYS. AT THIS POINT ONLY LENS WAS CHANGED, BULB HAS NOT BEEN CHECKED, BUT CAR PASSED INSPECTION. CHARGE WAS 224.70 FOR A NEW LENS WITHOUT REPAIR BEING COMPLETED. DEALER REP STATED THAT SILICONE CAULK COULD HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO STOP LEAK AND NEW LENS WAS NOT NECESSARY. METRO FORD THEN CLEANED A "CORRODED LIGHT SOCKET" FOR NO CHARGE. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE LENS CHANGE AND NOT PRICE GOUGED CONSUMER. ALSO HOW CAN CAR PASS INSPECTION W/O TAIL LIGHTS. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF NYS INSPECTION LAW AT LEAST. THIS CAR HAD BEEN DELIVERED AS REPAIRED AND IF WE HAD NOT CHECKED TO SEE WE WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THIS CORROSION PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO FORD, IS COMMON, THEREFORE SHOULDN'T THE PROBLEM BE CONSIDERED AS A RECALL FIX AND NOT BLOWN OFF AS AN ANNOYANCE. PLEASE ADVISE D WILKES. *AK
INSIDE COURTESY LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON FOR 25 MINUTES OR UP TO AN HOUR BEFORE GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.*AK
HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS BURNED CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO REMAIN ON WHEN THE SWITCH WAS OFF.
HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS BURNED CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO REMAIN ON WHEN THE SWITCH WAS OFF.
THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE 1998 FORD TAURUS ARE EXTREMELY INSUFFICIENT REGARDING THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF ILLUMINATION. THIS IS A RESULT OF POOR HEADLIGHT REFLECTOR DESIGN. OTHER TAURUS OWNERS I HAVE TALKED WITH EXPRESSED THE SAME GRAVE CONCERN ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS. I'VE DRIVEN A 2000 FORD FOCUS, WHICH DID NOT EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEM. MY PREVIOUS CAR, A 1996 FORD CONTOUR, HAD EXCELLENT HEADLIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ON THE TAURUS ARE EASILY "OVER DRIVEN" AT ANY SPEED OVER 35 M.P.H. AT NIGHT. THIS RESULTS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE TAURUS DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. CAN YOU INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM? I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD OFFER AN IMPROVED REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHT FOR DEALER RETROFIT TO CORRECT THIS VERY HAZARDOUS SAFETY DEFICIT.
TRUNK LIGHT BURNED GARMENT IN THE TRUNK, LAMP DID NOT HAVE A COVER DUE TO THE DESIGN.
THE HEADLIGHTS DON'T GIVE ENOUGH VISIBILITY ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS AN OBJECT IN THE CORNER OF THE LENSES THAT KEEPS THE LIGHT FROM SPREADING OUT. *SLC
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: May 4, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.