Ford Taurus 2000 - 2006 review

Overview

2001 Ford Taurus. Photo: Ford

Introduced in 1985, Ford Taurus held the title of the best selling passenger car in the US from 1992 to 1996; however, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord led this category since then.
The 2000-2006 Ford Taurus offers a very comfortable, roomy interior, good handling and a quiet ride. A used Ford Taurus is not very expensive. While the reliability is not better than average, the 2000-2006 Taurus is much improved vehicle compared to the previous generation. Available as a sedan or station wagon, the 2000-2006 Taurus has front-wheel drive with a V6 engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Two engines were offered: the 3.0-liter 155-hp OHV V6 Vulcan and more powerful 200-hp 3.0-liter DOHC V6 Duratec. The Taurus has disk brakes in the front, drums in the back (all four disk brakes were available on a wagon); the ABS was optional. The 2000-2006 Ford Taurus received "Good" overall rating in the offset frontal crash test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
In the NHTSA frontal crash tests, the 2000-2003 Taurus received five stars for both the driver and the front passenger, while the 2004-2006 model got four stars for the driver and five stars for the front passenger.

Inside, the Taurus is roomy and very comfortable with a conservatively styled dashboard, simple controls and instruments. Available power-adjustable pedals can be a helpful feature for shorter drivers. The seats are cozy; the rear seat offers plenty of space. The trunk is large and the split rear seat can be folded down for extra cargo room. On the downside, the quality of some interior plastic could be better.

The ride is soft and comfortable, although the car feels a bit "bouncy" on cracks and small potholes. The steering feels light. Overall the handling is good. A heavy front end provides good traction on the snow - I drove the Taurus through the snow storm and with good tires it held the road very well.

• Overview
• Engine
• Pros and Cons
• Overall
• What to look for when buying a used Ford Taurus
• Maintenance tips
• Short specifications
• Ford Taurus photos

The engine

The 3.0-liter OHV V6 Vulcan engine

Ford Taurus is available with two engines: the base 3.0L 155-hp 185 lb.-ft. 12-valve OHV V6 Vulcan is a durable powerplant with an old-style pushrod design; it's simple and easy to work on engine. It has good low end torque and is fairly powerful for daily driving.
The 3.0L 200-hp 24-valve V6 Duratec engine has more advanced DOHC design and offers more power. Both engines are fairly reliable if maintained properly.

Pros

- Affordable price
- Interior room and comfort
- Spacious trunk
- Good handling and comfortable ride
- Heavy front end provides good traction on the snow.

Cons

- Quality could be better
- Depreciates fast
- Rear windows go down only half way
- Ride isn't smooth on rough road
- No 4-cylinder version

Overall

The 2000-2006 Ford Taurus is roomy and very comfortable vehicle with good handling. It may be not as modern-looking as the Honda Accord and not as reliable as the Toyota Camry, but it's more affordable; a used Ford Taurus costs few thousands less than the Camry or Accord of the same age. Ford Taurus is not very expensive to maintain, and any repair shop can work on it. Parts are widely available and moderately priced. Compared to the previous generation, the 2000-2006 Taurus is much improved vehicle. On the downside, there are plenty of complaints, including the broken suspension springs, automatic transmission problems and electrical issues. Overall, the reliability is not better than average.

What to look for when buying a used Ford Taurus

Ford Taurus is a popular car with fleets and rental companies; check used car history records, read more: How to check used car history
- Check the service records if available; it's good to know if the car was properly maintained.
- Watch out for leaks.
- Test the heater and the air conditioner; make sure the heater fan works in all speed settings.
- Watch for the water leaks, especially on the front passenger side. There was a Ford TSB that mentioned installation of Rain-Hat Extension Seal to prevent water leaks in the cowl area under the passenger side wiper.
- If during a test drive you notice anything irregular with the way the automatic transmission works, avoid a car, as there are plenty of complaints about the automatic transmission problems, especially in 2003-2005 models. Any noise coming from the transmission or slipping, or issues with the shifting is a sign of transmission problems; although many complaints say that the transmission just stopped working with no prior signs.
- Lack of engine power is an indication of a problem (e.g. low fuel pressure, clogged catalytic converter, etc.).
- If the "Check Engine" light is on, have the problem assessed with your mechanic or a Ford dealer before buying a car.
- Check all the electrical features; problem with power windows because of a bad driver's door wiring harness are fairly common.
- Watch for broken suspension springs.
Read more what to look for when buying a used car
- Prior purchase have the car thoroughly inspected on the lift in a repair shop by a mechanic of your choice.
After buying a car visit your local Ford dealer to check if all necessary recalls have been performed. Read our step-by-step used car buying guide for more information.

Few maintenance tips

- Wash and wax your car regularly to protect the paint finish.
- If you live in the area with high humidity, rustproofing will help to protect the car body from corrosion.
- Regular oil changes are important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Overheating the engine may cause serious problems.
- Take care of minor issues before they cause bigger problems.
- Keep all the fluids clean and topped up.
- If you notice that one side of the car sits lower than the other, have it checked for broken suspension springs; there are many complaints about this problem.
- At least once a year have your car inspected in a garage on the lift (e.g. when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. A simple visual inspection at quick oil change places is not enough; the car must be on the lift to properly check the brakes, steering, suspension and other components.
- Rough idle and engine codes P0174 and P0174 could sometimes be caused by vacuum leaks. The rubber elbow on the PCV hose is one of the common vacuum leak sources. A hissing sound from the engine also indicates a possible vacuum leak.
- Inoperative fan blower motor or a heater fan resistor could be caused by water leaks in the cowl area. There was a TSB for that issue. Google 'Rain-Hat Extension Seal' for info on this problem.
- A bad brake light switch could cause the problem when the transmission won't come out of Park, even with the brake pedal depressed; check the brake lights, if they don't work, the brake light switch could be bad.
Read our Car maintenance tips.
If you have Check Engine light on, and already scanned the computer for trouble codes, read here what they mean: Engine trouble codes.

Ford Taurus 4-door sedan short specs. (2003 model)

Dimensions:
Overall length: Overall height: Overall width: Wheelbase:	197.6 in (5020 mm) 56.1 in (1426 mm) 73.0 in (1855 mm) 108.5 in (2757 mm)
Maximum Towing Capacity:
3.0L 2-Valve Vulcan Engine 3.0L 4-Valve Duratec Engine	1250 lb (525 kg) 1750 lb (795 kg)
Engines:
3.0L 2-Valve Vulcan 3.0L 4-Valve Duratec	3.0-liter OHV 12-valve V6 155 hp @ 4900 rpm, 185 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm 3.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 200 hp @ 5650 rpm, 200 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
EPA Fuel Economy (US MPG, L/100km):
3.0L 2-Valve Vulcan Engine: 3.0L 4-Valve Duratec:	city: 18 MPG (13.1 L/100km) hwy: 26 MPG (9.0 L/100km) city: 18 MPG (13.1 L/100km) hwy: 25 MPG (9.4 L/100km)
Recommended Fuel:	87-octane unleaded or higher
Fuel Tank Capacity:	18.0 US gallons (68 liters)
Engine oil capacity:
3.0L V6 Vulcan engine Including filter change: 3.0L V6 Duratec engine Including filter change:	4.5 US qt. (4.25L) 5.5 US qt. (5.2L)