Used Ford Tauruses

1

1 Dollar

Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

Looking at used Ford Tauruses, I found one (2000 Taurus SE, 139,500mi) with the 3.0 Vulcan but it had the AX4N (good) transmission. The reason it had this was that it was a fleet vehicle and was previously a rental for a major company (according to Carfax). The only issue it had was the the trans seemed to shudder a little bit(converter?) when it was cold, but was much better when warm. Would a trans fluid service possibly help this problem? The steering wheel also slightly pulsed side to side between 30-50MPH and it has a salvage/rebuilt title.

Seller was asking $1800. I think $1300-1400 would be max in this condition.

Thanks

(This car will help keep some miles off the tractor-hauler truck)

 

R

RayP(MI)

Well-known Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

My boss has bought a couple of them for my use in driver education. Drive fair for kids. As far as a personal car I am far from impressed. Daughter had one too, dumped it for a Trailblazer. Not impressed. Are fairly cheap around here.

 

F

Flurette Farm

Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

Dollar' I have a very high opinion of Ford Taurus but, in this case I don't think you'd be getting much. The upside of that is you aren't giving much. The problem in the steering probably comes from the salvage title and can't be corrected or it already would have been. This car will probably be very hard on tires but they'll probably out last the transmission. Hard to say.

 

R

RodinNS

Well-known Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

More money than I'd give. Probably a grand would take it here...
Steering could be alignment, tie rods, ball joints, rack.... Pick you big dollar poison.
Wouldn't have much faith in the transmission either...
Head gaskets done on the 3L yet?

Rod

 

C

Case e

Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

i drove one 200k, had a little shudder her and a little vibration there tward the end. It has high miles and thats what you get. I wasnt afraid to run mine 150 mile round trip to work everyday. get it bought cheap enough and drive the wheels off of her.

 

F

Firewood

Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

I have priced out our 99 Merc Sable at Edmunds.com and from my memory the prices you note would be for something with fewer problems.
The deal he is offering seems to have red flags so I would only pay something less than $1K.

there are thousands or millions of Taruses and Sables out there, be cautious and shop around.

 

J

John - OH

Member

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

Sounds like to much to me. Somewhere in the $700-$800 range. Taurus's are a dime a dozen around here. I think I would keep looking. Just my $.02.

 

G

GeneMO

Well-known Member

Location

Pilot Grove, Mo.

• Jan 8, 2010

• #1

Salvage title means that at some time it was damaged so bad as to be an economic total.

go look for another one.

Gene

 

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

RUN FAST. Been totalled already. Front end most likely not fixable. Transmission on last legs. Either of these repairs will be more than car value. Tom

 

E

El Toro

Well-known Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

I would walk away. Hal

 

S

supergrumpy

Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

bot used taurus for my son to commute to college, 2 transmissions later I will not buy another one

 

M

MN Farm Boy

New User

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

I have a 2001 Taurus with the 3.0L in it. It has 240,000 on it! The motor runs great. The tranny started doing the same thing your talking about at 210,000, i put sea foam tranny cleaner in it and took care of the problem. Front end does the same thing and has since i bought it with 200,000. I wouldnt be afaid of it!

 

U

Uncle Ernie

Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

You are on the right track car wise as a Taurus is a pretty good car. BUT this one sounds like one to stay away from!
Keep looking!

 

E

El Toro

Well-known Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

My neighbor had a Taurus and he had transmission problems. I think Ford rebuilt it the first time under warranty and it failed again later on. He had a local transmission shop to rebuild it and I don't think he had any problems after that, but he did sell it and bought a used Honda Accord at an auction. He still has the Accord. Hal

 

K

Kruse

Guest

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

Take the VIN number and have your Ford dealer run an OASIS report on it. The salvage title could mean different things, including that it has been in a major accident. Depending on why it had a salvage title, this is probably one car I would walk away from.

 

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

Some of them were good and others bad. The salvage title would keep me away from it unless you can verify the reason and what was done to fix it.

 

K

kyplowboy

Well-known Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

My dad has a 2000 or some where in there taurus. Last time I looked it was past 275,000. He and mom have had it since new and biggest thing I know of that has been replaced is the heater fan motor I helped him change two years ago. I know it had 3.0 but don't know which trans it has.

Dave

 

T

Tom from Ontario

Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

We've got a 2001 that we bought for a family hauler. Worked OK and it's still here if our boys want it. My wife and I each run a Ford Focus now and figure they are a far superior car. That being said, the Taurus was a good highway car, very few problems.

 

H

HENRY E NC

Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

It would seem to me that many of the cars salvaged after natural disasters have salvage titles. There was a warning hereabouts for cars with salvage titles that had been in the huricanes in LA and MS. There has to be a better buy than that with a regular title,.