A car thread of a different flavour.

The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. In my opinion, at least through the 90s and 2000s, two of the most bland, boring cars in existence. Never wanted one, never liked them, and rarely heard good things about them. But they sold by the bucketloads and you can see people driving them just about everywhere. My mechanic lovingly refers to them as the "dime a dozen" cars.

My aunt bought a Sable just a few years ago. I remember asking myself how someone would want a car so boring to look at from the front, and downright ugly from the back. But she seemed happy with it so, good for her, I guessed.

Then, three weeks ago, I bought one myself.

I'd been used car shopping for a long time. Having learned a lesson after buying a 93 Lumina that turned out to be the biggest lemon of my lifetime, I made sure I did my research. I learned a lot about cars and annoyed many a salesperson when I found flaws with vehicles before they could even make their sales pitch. Avoided many would-be lemons that way. As it turned out, the best car I found out of them all ended up being this boring, homely, 98 Sable sitting in the lot of a small car dealership. Regularly maintained every 5,000 miles as a former company vehicle, it was in great shape inside and out. Its only problems were an oil leak and a solenoid in the transmission which sometimes slips between 1st and 2nd gear.

So I took the plunge, bought the car, and added a warranty just in case that transmission goes out. At 100K and 13 years old...I didn't expect much.

Three weeks in....I love this car. It has the 3.0 Duratec engine in it, and that thing has serious power compared to the 93 Lumina I had been driving. This thing growls as I accelerate, rides smoothly and solidly, and I'll be damned if this car doesn't handle corners just as well as my old Bonneville, which I was in love with as well.

Who knew that a boring old Sable might end up being a fun car to drive? Who would have thought it'd become one of my favorites?

It's boring as always to look at. But I love my 98 Sable, and I plan to keep her until the transmission goes.

What about you guys? You ever driven or owned a Taurus or a Sable? What was your experience?



[Edited 2011-09-05 08:34:10]

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): Who knew that a boring old Sable might end up being a fun car to drive? Who would have thought it'd become one of my favorites?

Fun to drive? I'm not sure I can buy that. But I have a 2001 Taurus with the same engine. I've had it for 5 years, it has just under 200,000 miles on it, and my repair costs to date have been...

Wait for it...

$7.50

Some little plastic valve wore out causing the idle to go a little nuts. A $7.50 part, and 2 minutes of installation (which the mechanic refused to charge me for). and that's all for the 60,000 miles or so I've had it.

That car has been, by far, the most reliable car I've ever owned, including 8 BMWs, 2 Mercedes, A Pontiac, 3 Chevys and a Chrysler and another Ford. It's ugly, but cheap to drive, cheap to insure, and has never failed to get me from point A to point B in rain, snow, sleet or hail. I call my Taurus "Tom", named after a very old cat we have - like the cat, it is old, ugly, and grey in color, and simply refuses to die in spite of never going to the vet (or garage).

I've actually had the pleasure of owning two. My first car was a 1995 Ford Taurus that was given to me in 2004 when I got my drivers license from a family friend. I loved that car, even though they didn't take the best care of it. It had the 3.0 Vulcan engine and drove like a rock and always felt very solid and I felt very safe in there.

In 2008, I bought my first car on my own, and while I was looking at buying a Hyundai Elantra, I ended up buying a 2006 Ford Taurus SE. I still have it, and it's a fantastic car. It's up to 105k miles, mostly to me moving around so much, but I have no doubt that that car will get me where I need to go. I just moved from Chicago, IL to Phoenix, AZ and had no issues whatsoever driving.

I love my Taurus!

I owned a 2006 Taurus from 5/08 until 7/09 and it was a great car considering how inexpensive it was. The only reason I got rid of it was because I moved to Reno where I thought I needed AWD for the winter time. The V6 seems underpowered on paper, but I always felt it had enough to get the job done. It's also the only car I have ever owned that never once developed some kind of rattle or vibration in the interior panels.

As much as I love the Ford motor company, I can't figure out how the Taurus & Sable were so popular. Yes they were ugly and for many years, not reliable. The 1988 - 2002 Lincoln Continental was based of this car as well.

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): In my opinion, at least through the 90s and 2000s, two of the most bland, boring cars in existence.

I agree.

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): Having learned a lesson after buying a 93 Lumina

Man, you must have bad luck with cars.  

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): Who knew that a boring old Sable might end up being a fun car to drive?

Compared to riding on the bus, then you're right.

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): I love my 98 Sable, and I plan to keep her until the transmission goes.

That may be very soon.  

Quoting Dreadnought (Reply 1): I have a 2001 Taurus with the same engine. I've had it for 5 years, it has just under 200,000 miles on it, and my repair costs to date have been... Wait for it... $7.50

That is the only succuss story I've ever heard with this platform.

[Edited 2011-09-06 11:09:52 by srbmod]

Quoting Superfly (Reply 5): Man, you must have bad luck with cars.

A little history:

My first car was a 91 Escort Hatchback. Didn't last very long. Got me around town for a couple of years, then I drove it to California, where the transmission literally blew apart. It was hauled away by tow truck.

My second car was a 95 Chevy Corsica and I loved that thing. It was in great shape and very fun to drive. I did a few inexpensive mods to it such as lights and interior upholstery. No serious mechanical issues aside from replacing a water pump. Had it from 05-07. Then my wife of the time got behind the wheel and crashed it into another car. Totaled. I still miss that car.  

Replaced it with a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville. Loved that car, had a lot of power and was seriously nice all around. Soft bench seats and red gauges. Had it for one year. Then me and the ex divorced over her affair, and I could no longer make the payments on my income alone. Voluntarily took the car back to the bank.

After that I got around on a bike for three years. I had a trucking job for part of that time and so got to drive a company vehicle for one year, but the rest of the time I used public transit or my bicycle. It sucked but after returning the Bonneville I couldn't get credit for anything.

Then, in June, I finally bought a car again. I didn't do my homework though. I didn't research. I just went with what seemed like the best car available at the time. I was looking for a $500 car, some cheap transportation, and the best I could find was this 93 lumina. bought it, handed over the 500 bucks in cash and halfway home, it broke down. Called the previous owner but he was hardly going to give me my money back.

Owned the Lumina from June to August of this year. In the two and a half months that I owned it, it cost me $2,000 in repairs to keep the car running. I put a mere 600 miles on the car in the time I owned it, and in that time the power steering went, the radiator cracked, two tires went bad and I had an electrical fire in my steering column while driving at highway speed, which then caused the cruise control to stop working. Once I got under the hood, I found the previous owner had used lots of little "tricks" to hide damage to the vehicle. Apparently he'd front-ended it and split the front frame in half. the headlights were not attached to anything and were in fact broken, but he used modeling putty and clay to hold them in place, and hammered out the damage to the front to make it seem less severe. Replaced all headlights and the entire front end, the hood, grille, and hood latch to fix the problem. The list of problems went on. O2 sensor, EGR, ECM, PCV, brake booster, had to buy a new motor and reservoir for the windshield wiper fluid, new wiper arms, blades, and new interior lighting due to a short in the gauge displays.

That. Was a lesson learned.

And that is why I now have my Sable. And why I have stacks of books on vehicles and their maintenance, service bulletins, and logs of common problems and trouble spots for every V6 4 door sedan from 1991 to 2002. I'm never letting lack of knowledge put me in that situation again!

Quoting Superfly (Reply 5): Compared to riding on the bus, then you're right.

As for you guys not buying that the sable is fun to drive....you know, it drives like my Bonneville used to and similar to my Corsica. It has enough power and response for me, has a good turning radius and corners well. A car that can move its ass while handling nicely and offering a smooth ride is, for me, a fun car to drive. It doesn't have to be a 60,000 dollar grand-prix capable vehicle to be fun. Besides, fun is relative. I started with a Ford Escort. Lots of things are fun compared to that.  

[Edited 2011-09-05 09:44:14]

I had a 1989 Mercury Sable. It was a beater and it was given to me. I drove it through the winter of 2004. I then wrecked it on purpose with a buddy of mine. It ran great, but the AXOD transaxle wasn't too hot. It was also loaded with the typical Detroit rust.
The AXOD was a terrible trans. I recall seeing one that actually locked up and most of the internals fused together. We dropped the mess off a roof to try and get it apart.

My dad had an 86 Sable. He bought it in late 1985. It was very unique and cutting edge at the time. He had it for a few years and never had any trouble with it.

Quoting Superfly (Reply 5): Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): Who knew that a boring old Sable might end up being a fun car to drive? Compared to riding on the bus, then you're right.

The SHO model with a manual shift was kind of cool to drive.

Quoting Aloha717200 (Reply 7): Replaced it with a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville.

Now THAT is a cool car.   

Quoting Aloha717200 (Reply 7): Then me and the ex divorced over her affair, and I could no longer make the payments on my income alone. Voluntarily took the car back to the bank.

Yikes. Sorry to hear about that man.
In the old days, guys would just write a country song about it...

Quoting falstaff (Reply 8): I had a 1989 Mercury Sable. It was a beater and it was given to me. I drove it through the winter of 2004. I then wrecked it on purpose with a buddy of mine.

And what else do you do for fun????

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable: Ever Owned One?

No and I hope to God it stays that way.

Quoting Dreadnought (Reply 1): Wait for it... $7.50

Nice. Similar results with my '05 322K mile Nissan Sentra. I have now put a fuel pump, $250, and a $55 purge valve control in it, but that was just recent.

Cars like this run well and last a long time, because of one simple reason. When you make a bazillion of them, you eventually learn what weak parts you have and fix them. Heck, even the last run of the 2.2 liter Chrysler K cars had little problems because years of fixing parts and problems eventually stopped with improvements to the manufacturing of the problem areas. Heck, look at the slant-6 Dodge Pickups that ended production in the 80's. Those engines wouldn't break even if you tried your best!

So what are considered the good years?

Quoting SouthwestMDW (Reply 2): My first car was a 1995 Ford Taurus that was given to me in 2004 when I got my drivers license from a family friend.

You got your driver's license from a family friend? Does this friend know any other tricks?

Had a 1992 Sable from my Junior year in HS until about my Junior year of college. Great car. Parents bought it used and gave it to me. Gave it back to my parents when I bought my own vehicle in 2001.

My only complaint about it was the lack of ABS. It was used, so, wasn't really my choice.

Looked like this, only with tinted windows and no mud flaps:

Quoting ShyFlyer (Reply 15): My only complaint about it was the lack of ABS.

Everybody should have to learn to drive in a car without ABS or stability control.

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): What about you guys? You ever driven or owned a Taurus or a Sable? What was your experience?

I owned, very briefly, an '89 Taurus V6 when I was in college. I took in partial trade for an '88 Escort that I'd fixed up. I couldn't find a use for the Taurus so I parted it out and junked the leftovers. I never actually drove it. This was one of a string of perhaps 15-20 cars that I had during college and right after.

I have, however, driven several Taurii of varying ages.

The first Taurus was the best one, IMO. Compared to the average car of 1985, it was light years ahead, and just about even with the import alternatives of the day. It was a blockbuster hit and Taurus resale value remained high for years. By today's standards it's noisy and rough, but back then it was refined and a far better handler than the Fairmont-derived LTD it replaced. Cheaper to run too, and easier to drive in foul weather owing to it's light, front-drive configuration.

The second Taurus, the 1991-1996 car, wasn't as nice. It was basically just an evolution of the original and while it was still a good car, it was more bland by then and what was cutting edge in 1986 wasn't so hot in 1993. I've driven more of these generation of Taurus/Sable than any other and though I did not hate them, I never really thought they were all that special.

In 1996, Ford went completely off the rails style-wise with the oval car. It was better to drive than any previous Taurus, IMO, and I've driven a fair number of these. The wagon was the best version. But it again wasn't so cutting edge in anything but style, and there it went too far out on a limb, and the CamCord overtook it. And to be honest, that's what should've happened. Ford didn't follow up the original with better and better cars, just more of the same in new wrappers. By 1998, the Camry was a better car, and the Accord long had been. The Accord has always been better to drive than any of the Camry/Taurus iterations, IMO. Honda has lost its' way recently, but in the eighties and nineties they made cars that loved to rev and be abused and would just take harsh treatment all day long.

Quoting CargoLex (Reply 17): The Accord has always been better to drive than any of the Camry/Taurus iterations, IMO. Honda has lost its' way recently, but in the eighties and nineties they made cars that loved to rev and be abused and would just take harsh treatment all day long.

Agree. It seems honda in general have just gotten more expensive w/out offering anything directly better than their predecessors. Competition wise, I wouldn't even say that Hyundai is behind Honda anymore. At least modern Fords are not too bad. This generation's Focus & Fiesta seem pretty great too...

Quoting ShyFlyer (Reply 15): My only complaint about it was the lack of ABS.

My 2006 Taurus didn't have ABS either. A bit cheap if you ask me...

Quoting wn700driver (Reply 14): You got your driver's license from a family friend? Does this friend know any other tricks?

I should of worded that better. I got the car from a family friend. Not the license. Though I wish that was the case!

The current Taurus SHO is a brilliant vehicle to drive.

NS

Quoting GuitrThree (Reply 12): even the last run of the 2.2 liter Chrysler K cars had little problems because years of fixing parts and problems eventually stopped with improvements to the manufacturing of the problem areas.

What years were those made?
My 1987 Chrysler Lebaron convertible gave me tons of problems.

Quoting wn700driver (Reply 14): You got your driver's license from a family friend? Does this friend know any other tricks?

  
Perhaps he made the drivers license to get in to bars and dance clubs under aged 21.


My drivers ed class used the 1989 Ford Taurus (brand new at that time).

I don't have a Ford Taurus but I did drive one for behind the wheel. Nice, stable, and solid car and in all honesty I think the Taurus and Sable look unique. Too bad Ford completely changed the look of the Taurus.

Yep, I owned one. A 1995 Taurus. I kinda inherited it from my mom. It used to be her company car prior to buying it from the company. She eventually got a 2004 Grand Prix, and I wound up taking the Taurus until trading IT in for an '06 Elantra.

The car had over 120,000 miles on it. One day I was on my way to Walmart (I forget why) and the car just became hard to drive. It turned out that the car stalled -- the fan belt broke, which lead to a rather messy situation. Yeah, it was a rather expensive repair. Shortly after that, I noticed the transmission starting to slip, so I wanted to hurry up and get rid of it before I had any further troubles...

In 1997, my grandmother bought a used 1992 Taurus with low mileage on it. When we got it from her in 2004, it had 5,000 miles on it. It now has a little under 78,000 (with my dad having to go out to Suffolk County and back every day for several months, and some other high frequency trips).

When we drove it up to Rochester in October of 2008 it barely made it; two (or maybe three?) of the four engine mounts (or bolts, or whatever they're called) were busted, and the front right wheel was wobbly. A thousand dollars later we barely made it back home.

A little under a year ago it was rear-ended on the highway, and insurance said it was totaled. My dad got it repaired for less, and now it's worth more than it was prior to the accident (which still isn't much).

Over the last year or so a lot of problems began to surface, but we got them all fixed. At the beginning of the summer we were going to Long Beach (NY) (this is where my grandmother lived, and drove the car to Waldbaums and the bagel store); as soon as we passed the "Welcome to Long Beach" sign the transmission started acting up. Was it a sign? We decided this would be the last time we'd take the car into the shop. Since then it's been fine.

I learned to drive in this car, passed my road test in it, and I now drive it to and from school. It runs pretty well (and has been doing so for a while now, thankfully) for a 19-year old car. Not surprisingly, it does better on gas than our other car, a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It sounds great when you really step on the gas, and although the speedometer only goes to 85 it doesn't take too long to get there (if you were to try; I try not to go too fast in it).

It will be a very sad day when the Ford no longer runs  

-J.

Can't say i've owned a Taurus but I love pretty much all Ford products.

I've owned 4 Ford Mondeos (UK models), 2 petrols and 2 diesels - they are super reliable. my current diesel is over 190,000 miles on a 2004 registration, and is going strong - it did 190k on it's first clutch and flywheel which I think is pretty respectable - it's responsive on the motorway and returns 45-50 UK MPG if you cruise at 75mph. I've seen 60+ mpg out of it. Not bad for an estate car, huh?

IS.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 25): It will be a very sad day when the Ford no longer runs

Funny how you get attached to an old POS. My very first vehicle was a 71 Chevy C-10 pickup, inline-6, 3 on the tree. Dirt simple truck with plastic/vinyl/metal interior. When the inside got muddy, I'd open both doors and hose it out with the garden hose - try that with a modern pickup. The car had served as my grandfather's farm truck, and it showed. It was beat to hell.

But it never failed to run. Driving it felt like it had been forged out one big solid hunk of steel. I loved that old truck.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 25): Not surprisingly, it does better on gas than our other car, a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Well of course. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a SUV. The Taurus is a sedan which is lighter and has better aerodynamics than a truck/SUV.

I personally haven't owned one, but my brother has owned 3 of them; 2 of which are still in his family fleet.

His first one was a '95 Taurus wagon w/the 3.0 engine. He had it for several years. By the time he got rid of it; the engine was still good but everything else was worn.

His second was/is a '98 Sable wagon. Again, he's owned it for several years the engine's outlasted all the other components of the car.

His third is a 2003 Taurus sedan that he bought over a year ago. He wanted a wagon but was unsuccessful in finding one of similar vintage. This one's been more of a lemon than his previous 2 models. I forget how many miles were on the thing when he got it but he had to replace the transmission within the first 6 months. Additionally, the larger 16-inch tires that came with the car were worse in the snow than the 15-inchers that the older models had. His reason for not replacing the whole car after that point was that despite the $900 repair bill; it was STILL cheaper than what most other used cars of similar vintages and sizes were selling. During the last few years, at least in Massachusetts, used car prices (outside of a 15-year old beater) have gone off the charts.

Note to Superfly: the reason why he didn't go with a RWD full-size car was because the above-cars were originally purchased for his wife and higher fuel economy (than a full-size, especially around-town) took a greater priority.

That said, from what I've heard, the 3.0L engine seems best for the Taurus in terms of reliabily; and obtaining 30 mpg on the highway was indeed doable and realistic. My brother and I first observed that on a '90 Sable we rented from Budget at the time; we were doing a long r/t drive from Massachusetts to Virginia.

The larger 3.8L engne that was offered through '95, while more powerful, was absolutely unreliable. The controversial police-packaged Taurus offered from '90-'95 was equipped with this engine as was most Windstar minivans. Needless to say, issues with this engine (the 3.8L in FWD configuration) contributed to the demise of the last police-Taurus and Windstar.

Not sure about the 2.5L 4-banger that was offered on the '86-'89 Taurus and '86 Sable. Ford did offer the MT5 package that included the 2.5L with a manual transmission for the above-vintages.

Quoting gigneil (Reply 21): The current Taurus SHO is a brilliant vehicle to drive.

Apples and oranges comparison. The current D3-based Taurus, that originally launched in 2005 as the Five Hundred (the Taurus badge was applied to this model in 2008), is larger than the '86-'07 models and is now considered a full-size car.

Quoting Superfly (Reply 5): As much as I love the Ford motor company, I can't figure out how the Taurus & Sable were so popular.

I wasn't too crazy about them either when they came out; but, apparently, the look and the size just clicked with many people. Personally, I liked the look of the '92-'95 models the best.

Quoting CargoLex (Reply 17): In 1996, Ford went completely off the rails style-wise with the oval car.

   Ford clearly overplayed their hand with this aero-jellybean. Reaction to this look alone salewise dethroned it from the #1-selling car; where it had been during the previous year.

Quoting CargoLex (Reply 17): By 1998, the Camry

A year after Ford launched the jelly-bean Taurus; Toyota restyled to Camry that featured a more angular and conventional look and sales took off. It was around this time that some critics (even Toyota lovers) started using the word bland to describe the Camry.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 25): although the speedometer only goes to 85 it doesn't take too long to get there (if you were to try; I try not to go too fast in it).

Tauruses (exlcluding police and SHO models) and Sables ditched the 0-85 speedometer during the '96 restyle; it went to 0-120 mph, which was standard practice for most cars prior to the implementation of the national 55 mph speed limit. Today, we actually gone to the other extreme in terms of speedometer calibration. Many vehicles (excluding police, muscle and/or sports cars) now feature 0-140 or even 0-160 mph calibrations that, in the real world, rarely go past 100 mph... if ever (example: what's a Hyundai Sonata doing w/a 0-160 speedo?). But that's another topic for another thread.

Quoting JetsGo (Reply 19): My 2006 Taurus didn't have ABS either. A bit cheap if you ask me...

My 2007 Chrysler Sebring didn't have it either. I didn't want to spend the money on that option. You could get ABS on a 96 Taurus if you wanted it.

Quoting steeler83 (Reply 24): day I was on my way to Walmart (I forget why) and the car just became hard to drive. It turned out that the car stalled -- the fan belt broke, which lead to a rather messy situation. Yeah, it was a rather expensive repair.

Should have changed your serpentine long before that. When that goes the water pump usually stops turning (unless it is driven off of the timing belt) and you'll overheat in no time and that can cause a lot of problems.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 25): When we drove it up to Rochester in October of 2008 it barely made it; two (or maybe three?) of the four engine mounts (or bolts, or whatever they're called) were busted, and the front right wheel was wobbly. A thousand dollars later we barely made it back home.

you had more problems than just lose/broken bolts. Sounds like you had ball joint or tie rod problems on that wobbly wheel.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 23):

I spoke too soon -- flipped the headlight switch tonight and nothing happened   Driving home in the dark and the rain is not fun. My dad has to take my brother back to school tomorrow in our Jeep, so if our mechanic can't get it done by tomorrow afternoon (I have class at 2pm), I'll probably ask to borrow my grandparents' Cadillac.

Quoting Dreadnought (Reply 25): Driving it felt like it had been forged out one big solid hunk of steel.

Well it does have a cast-iron V6... 

Quoting falstaff (Reply 28): you had more problems than just lose/broken bolts. Sounds like you had ball joint or tie rod problems on that wobbly wheel.

They were actually two separate problems... so yep we were in big trouble then. Unless the wheel was turned slightly left the entire car shook. At one point I had to pass a truck, and I was being tailgated by a BMW. My speedometer hit 85, then it stopped, so I don't know how fast I actually went; that was the fastest I ever took the Ford, and considering the condition of the car at the time, was one of the most terrifying moments of my life.

-J.

Quoting falstaff (Reply 28): Should have changed your serpentine long before that. When that goes the water pump usually stops turning (unless it is driven off of the timing belt) and you'll overheat in no time and that can cause a lot of problems.

The funny thing is, I had no idea the serpentine belt was going bad. Isn't there usually a sign that your serpentine is about to go? I think I even remember the tow truck driver telling me that those things can go with little or no warning...

All of the above there is pretty much what happened, BTW...

Quoting steeler83 (Reply 30): Isn't there usually a sign that your serpentine is about to go?

Nope.
Like any other belt, they just snap.
I hate serpentine belts and luckily have never owned a car with a serpentine.
Serpentine belts are a terrible idea. The bearings on various components wear out at different times and all it takes is one pulley to go bad and the belt snaps causing everything else to malfunction.
I had the air conditioning compressor bearings go bad on a Lincoln Mark V that I used to own. I just pulled over and cut the belt and kept driving. Couldn't do that if I had a serpentine belt. I'd have to get the air conditioning unit fixed or find a belt that would be able to fit if I bypassed the air conditioner compressor.

I was never, ever, ever, ever a Ford fan. Growing up, if you told me I was going to own a Ford, I probably would have not just laughed at you, I might have even spat. Yuck. A F***in' Old Recycled Dodge? Not in a million years.

Then we inherited one... a 2000 Taurus. (A friend gifted it to us (long story...) )

We inherited it with 189,000 miles. It now has 197,000 miles.
Not a squeak. Not a rattle. Solid, solid, solid.
It has the 3.0 DOHC V6.

We have had to drop a pretty penny to keep it on the road since we inherited it but it seems to be worth every cent.

Sadly, most of the issues with its maintenance has mostly to do with the dealerships rather than the car.
(I hate it when it comes out of the shop in worse condition than when it went in!)

Quoting Dreadnought (Reply 1): I call my Taurus "Tom".

Oh- and we inherited it with a name... Tommy!

Quoting Dreadnought (Reply 1): But I have a 2001 Taurus with the same engine. I've had it for 5 years, it has just under 200,000 miles on it

197,000 miles... compression like new.

Quoting JetsGo (Reply 3): It's also the only car I have ever owned that never once developed some kind of rattle or vibration in the interior panels.

Yep... not a-one!

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 9): No and I hope to God it stays that way.

You'd be surprised. Yes, "FORD" is such a pedestrian name, such a plain-jane jalopy brand. Even the badge looks pretty plain but the car behind that badge will surprise you. It certainly did me.

One gripe though: I rode in the back seat for about 800 km (500 miles) a couple of months ago- I was almost crippled. The back seat back bulges too high up my back.

My partner, a former Mercedes owner has absolutely fallen in love with the car. He has babied it and blinged it up a bit... a few visits to the junk shop has completely transformed the car.

Here he is taking it for a spin in Shaughnessy.....

I currently own an 04 and so far the only unforeseen maintenance has been a flat tire. Its not an exciting car, but it is comfortable, and it works, and doesn't demand much.

Quoting Superfly (Reply 31): Quoting steeler83 (Reply 30): Isn't there usually a sign that your serpentine is about to go? Nope. Like any other belt, they just snap.

My brother hinted that one way to check for wear on a serpentine belt (my '89 Caprice that I had, my current '97 Crown Vic and '07 Mustang all were/are equipped w/such) is feel the ridges on the belt's underside. If the ridges have breaks/gaps in them, then it's likely a good time to replace them.

The key here is one has to make the effort and check the condition of the belt from time to time.

Quoting type-rated (Reply 8): And what else do you do for fun????

Quoting steeler83 (Reply 30): I had no idea the serpentine belt was going bad. Isn't there usually a sign that your serpentine is about to go? I think I even remember the tow truck driver telling me that those things can go with little or no warning...

They often do just break, but there are visible signs if you give it a good visual inspection. Routine replacement is a good idea. I usually go 50,000 miles or so between belt changes. I prefer to be on the safe side.

Quoting PHLBOS (Reply 34): If the ridges have breaks/gaps in them, then it's likely a good time to replace them.

If the sides are frayed or you see chunks missing out of the sides it is a good idea to replace them

I had a hand me down 1995 Taurus with the 3.8. Late in 2001 it was deemed to need a $1400 head gasket job. It was replaced by 98 Camry.

Quoting N801NW (Reply 36): I had a hand me down 1995 Taurus with the 3.8. Late in 2001 it was deemed to need a $1400 head gasket job.

See my earlier post; models w/the 3.8 are to be avoided. Since it was handed down to you, it sounds like you didn't lose any money on it.

I had a '96 Taurus and retired it at at 228,000 miles. The transmission started slipping badly towards the end. However I must say I certainly got my money's worth out of that car.

When I was 10 my family got a new 1989 Sable station wagon. It was probably my favorite car we had over my childhood. I liked the rear facing third seat and the headlights that went across the whole front. It was very reliable up until the end when it had started developing serious problems, mostly engine related and some electrical stuff if I recall. Replaced with a Dodge Caravan which did the same near the end.

I bought a 1986 Taurus with a 4 cylinder engine new.

I liked the way it rode, its gas mileage, its noise level, how well it stood up during five years of very heavy use. It was a bit under powered, but the two teenagers and I could load it up and go camping on back woods trails where few folks would take a 4x4. Loved the HUGE trunk space.

Might still have it had not my then 17 year old son wrecked it.

I bought a used 1996 Sable with a V-6 in early 1998 - 22K miles on it. Loved it. Better than the other one. Ride was better, the extra power was great though the V-6 of course used more gas than the 4. Drove it close to 250,000 miles.

Would still have it but needed something to tow my 4,200 lb boat and trailer.

I grew up in the 60's. I certainly know the difference between a mom car and a good looking one. IMHO, Ford got the Taurus right, all three versions.

Me and my big mouth...

Headlamps fixed; he drilled two holes below them for drainage as water was collecting or something. But I have to bring it in next week as there's a problem with the thermostat and a tube has to be replaced.

But it still goes, and that's what's important (and being able to see where you're going). We're a little over 4 months from 20 years...   

Quoting victrola (Reply 38): The transmission started slipping badly towards the end.

That's happened with our car a few times... we've gotten it fixed twice now (I think?) and it's still going pretty well. Hope it stays that way   

-J.

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): Who knew that a boring old Sable might end up being a fun car to drive?

  

You've never driven a properly fun car, have you?

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter): I'll be damned if this car doesn't handle corners just as well as my old Bonneville,

That ain't saying much.


Anyways, never owned one, but driven plenty as rentals or from friends. Could not wait to get the heck out of them after getting in.


And I love how people keep these things for nearly 20 years and claim "they run great" but then if you look closely everything is falling apart or just about to.

Quoting type-rated (Reply 8): Quoting falstaff (Reply 8): I had a 1989 Mercury Sable. It was a beater and it was given to me. I drove it through the winter of 2004. I then wrecked it on purpose with a buddy of mine. And what else do you do for fun????

Here it is: My buddy Alex and I crashed our car together for about and hour until one stopped running. We did all low speed impacts, less than 10mph. My 89 Mercury Sable out lasted his 1989 Mercury Topaz when the radiator got pushed oiver the oil filter ripping a hole in it and all the oil leaked out. Not long after that the engine siezed. It had run with no coolant for close to 20 minutes.

The Sable had 240,000 miles on it and the Topaz had 540,000 kilometers on it (it was from Canada). The Topaz was in really bad shape too. There was no trunk floor at all and the rear stuts were kept from collapsing inward by a wooden frame.

After the fun we cleaned up and hauled them to the scrap yard.

I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to say I own a 92 Taurus... soon it may be "owned"  

Flat tire on the way to school, then after I fixed it w/ dad (he came out to school since I'd never changed a tire before; it's pretty easy though lol) I was about to pull out of the spot and the brake pedal went down the whole way... AND we still need the thermostat housing to be replaced. I hope this doesn't cost too much... if it does I may be moving on to a Cadillac sooner than I thought (my grandparents' car; unless we buy a Honda Insight which we've been thinking about...).

Quoting Aloha717200 (Thread starter):

Dammit I hate this thread, I posted and now all this bad stuff is happening.

-J.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 44): I was about to pull out of the spot and the brake pedal went down the whole way... AND we still need the thermostat housing to be replaced.

Sounds like a brake line rusted through or a brake hose blew out. Neither of which is much of a problem. We fix those at work all the time. Could be a wheel cylinder too. Was there a puddle of brake fluid on the ground?

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 44): still need the thermostat housing to be replaced

What happened to the housing? It is kind of odd you have to replace that housing. I have replaced them because somebody tightened it too much and cracked it, but other than that they don't usually wear out.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 44): if it does I may be moving on to a Cadillac sooner than I thought

Depending on the model you may wish you had the Taurus back when you get a repair bill.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 44): since I'd never changed a tire before

You should take Auto Shop, if your school has it.

Quoting falstaff (Reply 45): Was there a puddle of brake fluid on the ground?

Not sure what it was. I think it was coolant. It wasn't brake fluid; the brake rotors (or w/e they're called) were shot (one broke into three pieces!). The mechanic was amazed we were able to drive it all the way there.

Quoting falstaff (Reply 45): What happened to the housing? It is kind of odd you have to replace that housing.

Not sure... but the mechanic (we've used him for years and he does everything, so we trust his judgment -- my dad used to be a mechanic in his college days so he's sort of familiar too) said it had to be replaced.

Quoting falstaff (Reply 45): You should take Auto Shop, if your school has it.

I don't believe the school has it. But it sounds like a good idea; there are other schools near where I live that offer stuff like that, I may look into it.

By the way, the bill was $600. Brake rotorswere dead, main cylinder (?) was replaced (it was leaking...), tire was fixed, and thermostat housing replaced. We haven't hit a thousand for this year yet, so no new car just yet!

Anyway now dad said it might be leaking transmission fluid so expect heavy shifting... but today when I drove it was fine. Not a problem, and I hope it stays that way. Today the worst thing to happen was I had to park at the far end of the lot.

-J.

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 46): the brake rotors (or w/e they're called) were shot (one broke into three pieces!).

Now how on earth does THAT happen?  

Quoting KingFriday013 (Reply 44): I may be moving on to a Cadillac sooner than I thought

Stay away from any front-drive model.
I hope they have a Fleetwood Brougham, CTS or STS.

Quoting Superfly (Reply 47): Now how on earth does THAT happen?

Brake rotors are too thin. I have seen it happen a few times. I have also seen rotors worn down so much they look like a saw blade.

Quoting Superfly (Reply 47): Stay away from any front-drive model.

Especially a Northstar. Those engines SUCK to work on and everything is a big job. Just changing the starter is a major job. Those engines were high tech, but as they aged they were terrible.

I skipped most of the replies. Boring and bland?

Again, das Taurus...

I think not. That car was faster than the V6 Mustang, almost as quick as the 5.0 Mustang (same model years), and I had edged one once due to the idiot behind the wheel. If I had a shot at a dream garage, it would include the '91 Taurus SHO.