Used 1996 Ford Taurus

"Great Reliable car!"

"I bought this car new 10 years ago and now have 182,000 miles on it. It has the 24V V6 engine and has been virtually problem-free. I spent about $120 to replace a pump perhaps 5 years ago, and now just replaced the O2 sensor; replaced a turn signal lamp last year; also have an issue with interior lights not recognizing when doors are shut- so I had to take out the overhead lamps- aside from those items- regular maintenance- and this car has been excellent. I have been very pleased and certainly got my $$ out of it...now on 4th set of tires!"

"The Ideal Value Car...of 1996"

"Ignore your previous judgements of this car or of Ford as a company. This car designed with comfort in mind without paying a fortune for it. Lets start with some pros. Pros: - Extremely easy to drive (especially for a wagon) - Ride quality for the price is great. - Low problems as far as cars go. - Comfortable interior and sleek exterior. And now, for the cons. Cons: - Not thrilling to drive (Slow acceleration and loose steering) - Poor MPG, being 19 city and 24 highway - Transmission reliability is generally poor beyond 100K - Wont impress anyone (If you even care about this) Conclusion: I love weird cars, especially because this looks like a spider with a huge behind. No one likes the underdog, and this makes me have even more respect for it. The one I own has almost no damage to it, meaning its paint is still shiny and its interior bright and plush. It REALLY looks like a 90s car, because it is. Its sluggish performance almost forces you to drive like a normal human being, so it is a GREAT first car. I wash it and pamper it like a Mustang, because every car needs love. Everyone I show it to is surprised with how good it still looks and how well it rides. In the end, it is a great car that is limited by your view. If you see a cheap one, try the Ford Taurus."

"Never let me down, rare repairs usually cheap"

"Purchased new, drove it for 205,000 miles for 13-1/2 years. Loved the car, never broke down on me. Only required one major repair: the air conditioning system required replacement after about 9 years. 24V DOHC Duratec engine lived up to its name - the best running, lowest maintenance engine I have ever owned. Never burned oil, but at the very end a gasket needed replacement (slow oil leak), but it cost too much labor to replace (required removal of other components). Had to replace the turn signal stalk, dome light started staying on at times (couldn't figure out where the problem was). Replaced both rear sway bar links, struts needed replacement. That's about it - incredibly few issues for so many years and miles. Never a transmission problem. Got rid of it because of underbody rust - northern Illinois uses a tremendous amount of road salt that causes significant corrosion. Every vehicle I have owned (Ford, Mercury, Toyota, Oldsmobile) have succumbed to rust (except for my one and only Chrysler product - the engine and transmission beat the rust). No visible body rust, just underside."