AI Damage1998 Ford Taurus SHO: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Ford Taurus SHO filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 50% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 40% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 20% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 10% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (40% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 2 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Brake line corrosion and separation causing failure of the brakes. Resulting in also front sway and link bar damage. No brakes. Front sway bars break when vehicle is turned a certain degree.
Tl contact owns a 1998 ford taurus sho. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph and trying to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate. The overdrive button had constantly been going on and off. The vehicle had not been inspected nor had the vehicle been repaired.
The rear seat belts lap and both shoulders have gotten jammed in the side compartments twice and were unusable. I had it reapaired once at no cost at a local repair shop. Both rear door panels are coming apart also. This is not normal wear and tear.
My 1998 ford taurus experienced a problem exactly as the recall states for the 1999 ford taurus re: the spring coil breaking and puncturing the tire. This resulted in a flat tire, coil, spring, and mount repair, as well as a tow and rental car.
No failure, the car is a 1998 ford taurus sho. The owner previous of me spent $13000 replacing the engine due to a camshaft sprocket failure in an interference engine. I would like information as to what the nhtsa is going to do about this.
There were two copies of consumers report (bound in folders). Responded to report of defective engine camshafts in 1998 ford taurus sho vehicles. Sent a voq to the consumer for future use.
Speedometer shuts down at highway speed. Took to dealer and they can't duplicate problem.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Taurus SHO has 12 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Ford Taurus SHO?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, suspension. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (10%), overheating, coolant loss (10%), rust, corrosion (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Ford Taurus SHO?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Ford Taurus SHO from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.