I have a 91 Ford Taurus 3.0L AXODE in Silver Grey .

This car is excellent for a family of four, and has plenty of leg room, and for a 91 a well designed ageless feel to it. The car has 200000 km. It was the first attempt by Ford to use Dr. Deming's Japanese quality theory. It’s still going, however I do use rust check spray every other year to stop salt damage in the Canadian winter. The car handles very well, is low and wide and I never feel unsafe driving.

The car still has original alternator, steering, radiator, fuel system, engine computer, emission control, convertor, front shocks, engine, wiper motor, master cylinder, fuel pump/tank,

I had to replace the transmission (below), starter (failed relay), brake booster, front bearing, front CV (right), muffler, tie rods (inner and outer), front bearings, water pump (2), plugs, wires, cap rotor, battery, A/C clutch, A/C seals, Apart from the transmission, I consider this all normal wear and tear.

Now the A/C has failed, Last year there was a musty odour, and perhaps the evaporator has failed. Regardless it will cost 1500-2000 to fix and is simply not worth it at this age. A/C must be the most unreliable part of any car ..

Transmission Failure : Avoid cars with the 3.8L engine (gasket failure) and all cars from 1991 onwards. They suffer from weak transmissions (clutch failure and lube tubes). All Taurus Sable and Windstar are prone to expensive repairs. I have had to replace the transmission at 130000km and 6.5 years. Ford attitude is unacceptable even though they extended the warranty. I should have been a total recall.. Once the warranty is over, Ford are not interested in further compensation. .

All being said, however for a second hand vehicle , I paid 10000 and i’ve owned it 8.5 years. I think I have had overall value for money but I do not like the shoddy transmission.

If you own a Ford, expect niggling problems, and possible major component failures. I suggest you invest in a web based extended warranty,and buy a 2-3 year old product. At least you still have service life out of the car, and did not pay much for a decent family car. Check out the web carefully for upcoming class actions and general comments on this car.

It also helps if you are a bit of a do it yourselfer and are able to figure out what might be the problem, before you go to your chosen independant local mechanic.