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1998 Ford Taurus
The 1998 Ford Taurus appears in 2 NHTSA recall campaigns (seat belts and exterior lighting) and in 544 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is vehicle speed control: 166.4 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 43.3 per 1,000 across all 1998 model-year vehicles and against 92 per 1,000 for the Ford Taurus line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 438.0 complaints per model year across the 39 Ford Taurus model years on this register; 61 complaints reported a crash and 14 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2000 (97); the most recent in the file is dated 30 Mar 2018.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual seat tracks. The front seat belt buckle attaching stud may have been improperly heat treated. This heat treatment may have resulted in cracks developing in the stud.
Consequence: If the stud is cracked, in the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and stud assembly.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Defect, as filed: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Consequence: If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may be confused by the aiming instructions provided in the owner guides causing the headlamps to be improperly aimed.
Remedy: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 1998 Ford Taurus (black) against all 1998 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 1998 | Taurus line | All 1998 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 166.4 | 92 | 43.3 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 126.7 | 54.8 | 107.5 |
| Power Train | 104.6 | 131.5 | 90.9 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 94.3 | 144.3 | 124.5 |
| Suspension | 86.9 | 146 | 82.7 |
| Steering | 60.4 | 49 | 55.7 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 113 | 166.4 | 92 | 43.3 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 86 | 126.7 | 54.8 | 107.5 |
| Power Train | 71 | 104.6 | 131.5 | 90.9 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 64 | 94.3 | 144.3 | 124.5 |
| Suspension | 59 | 86.9 | 146 | 82.7 |
| Steering | 41 | 60.4 | 49 | 55.7 |
| Air Bags | 39 | 57.4 | 37.6 | 49.3 |
| Electrical System | 35 | 51.5 | 70.8 | 82.5 |
| Seat Belts | 29 | 42.7 | 24 | 22.5 |
| Structure | 23 | 33.9 | 46.5 | 45.5 |
| Visibility | 17 | 25 | 45.8 | 56.5 |
| Interior Lighting | 15 | 22.1 | 2.7 | 3.8 |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 20.6 | 27.2 | 27.3 |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 17.7 | 17.9 | 21.7 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 16.2 | 23.1 | 36.4 |
| Tires | 10 | 14.7 | 17.4 | 52.1 |
| Equipment | 9 | 13.3 | 14.2 | 22.9 |
| Seats | 7 | 10.3 | 5.9 | 16.4 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 7 | 10.3 | 5.4 | 12.4 |
| Wheels | 5 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 10.9 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 5.6 |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 4.4 | 7.2 | 3.4 |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 7.5 |
| Engine | 2 | 2.9 | 14.1 | 6 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.6 |
544 unique complaints, 679 component mentions; 64 injuries and 4 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
No NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation action in the current file names this model year.
Other Ford Taurus model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1981 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1983 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1985 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1986 | 8 | 101 | 8,923,200 |
| 1987 | 8 | 255 | 8,919,345 |
| 1988 | 5 | 333 | 5,564,000 |
| 1989 | 5 | 562 | 4,519,000 |
| 1990 | 6 | 381 | 4,245,112 |
| 1991 | 4 | 649 | 3,888,700 |
| 1992 | 5 | 681 | 3,640,200 |
| 1993 | 6 | 1,557 | 3,772,112 |
| 1994 | 4 | 923 | 3,490,900 |
| 1995 | 5 | 1,205 | 3,681,660 |
| 1996 | 6 | 825 | 561,600 |
| 1997 | 3 | 769 | 711,800 |
| 1998 | 2 | 544 | 578,800 |
| 1999 | 5 | 871 | 939,166 |
| 2000 | 8 | 1,189 | 3,716,463 |
| 2001 | 9 | 1,030 | 3,980,991 |
| 2002 | 3 | 1,421 | 1,376,297 |
| 2003 | 3 | 1,205 | 1,406,609 |
| 2004 | 1 | 365 | 24,277 |
| 2005 | 0 | 752 | — |
| 2006 | 2 | 304 | 199,961 |
| 2007 | 0 | 140 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 158 | 695 |
| 2009 | 0 | 56 | — |
| 2010 | 3 | 163 | 379,009 |
| 2011 | 4 | 133 | 772,632 |
| 2012 | 5 | 54 | 775,669 |
| 2013 | 9 | 258 | 1,548,116 |
| 2014 | 5 | 98 | 570,971 |
| 2015 | 6 | 63 | 1,760,319 |
| 2016 | 4 | 11 | 1,762,969 |
| 2017 | 4 | 10 | 315,504 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 1,763,906 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1,550,599 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Taurus model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 1998 Ford Taurus have?
2 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 98V198000, was reported to NHTSA on 25 Aug 1998 and concerns seat belts:front:anchorage. Across all model years the Ford Taurus line has 69 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 1998 Ford Taurus?
No NHTSA investigation in the current file names this model year.
What component do owners of the 1998 Ford Taurus complain about most?
Vehicle Speed Control: 113 of 679 component mentions (166.4 per 1,000). Next is service brakes, hydraulic with 86. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.