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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

3389 messages,  Last post on Jan 21, 2011 at 11:46 AM

You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Sedan

Messages Page 30 of 340

#288 of 3389 FROM A "HAPPY FORD OWNER by 2k_impala_ls

Jul 15, 2000 (5:37 am)

I recently purchased a 1998 ford taurus se with 27,412 miles on it on 4/12/00. I have had it in for service (warranty work) 3 times now... 1) The transmission goes out 2 weeks after I bought it, 2) They have to repair the damage they did to my vehicle, 3) The shift assembly needed replacement (6/2/00 - 6/8/00). You mean to tell me that SOUTHGATE FORD of Michigan does not have the resources to detect problems with vehicles continuously brought in for service???? I have to take it back on Monday for bad something again. I am not sure what it is yet... it kind of sounds like something is really loose in the back of the car, which the car is front wheel drive! Brakes or something similar to that I suppose. I am demanding a replacement vehicle as I am afraid of what will happen when the warranty expires. Word for the wise: hindsight is always 20/20... take your time, look around... and by all means, buy something other than a Ford Taurus!!!!


 

#289 of 3389 RE: 315 by fordman33

Jul 15, 2000 (6:07 am)

Could have been any model - when you buy used, you don't know what your getting.

#290 of 3389 Cabin air filter, taurus quality, etc by greggk11

Jul 15, 2000 (3:44 pm)

-- All new Taurus' have the cabin air filter (particulate filter). This helps keep dust out of the car. Change interval is 15k miles.


-- I've been driving my new Taurus since December, I got the SEL trim level with the 24V Duratec, MACH stereo with side air bags. I was very impressed with the build quality on this car, everything fit together nicely with no squeaks or rattles. The acceleration and the car is beatiful, and I've gotten a lot of complements on it. I just hit 15k miles with no problems.


-- OK, I forgot I did/do have one issue. When the car is in overdrive at about 35-40mph on a flat surface it will "trailer-hitch" or modulate slightly some times. Dealer checked and didn't have a fix for it. Had the computer re-flashed for a recall and that didn't fix it. It's a minor annoyance.


-- The only thing I'd change on the car is the seats. I bought it off the lot and it came with no cost leather seats. I never had leather seats before and find these a little uncomfortable (hard). Go with the cloth seat covers.

#291 of 3389 2k by regfootball

Jul 15, 2000 (4:26 pm)

FORD SELLS ONE MIDSIZE CAR (actually two-Sable)


GM SELLS (too) MANY.


You're still missing the point. Why do they need to burn cost and resources engineering and marketing sooo many different cars that compete with each other essentially?


Bottom line-if the Chevy Impala is soo freakin awesome, then why doesn't the Chevy Impala outsell the Taurus? Chevrolet and Ford are direct competitors. Chevy probably has more dealers. The cars are the same class. Last I saw, the Taurus probably outsells the Impala 2 to 1.


Back when GM actually had market share, it made sense to offer many different models (Regal, Cutalss Supreme, etc.) They sold enough of each make to make it worthwhile.


At the very least, for all the effort GM puts forth to make so many different midsized offerings, a Chevy midsized sedan that is in direct competition with a mid sized Ford should still outsell Ford shouldn't it?


No, it only sells half maybe. Why? You figure it out.


All the sales of the Grand Prix Intrigue and Regal/Century added to the Impala should be double or more than the Taurus but my bet is its probably close to equal. So GM having all those extra choices is nice but it certainly isn't sending shockwaves through the market.


Too manhy folks today are more fond of Passats, Camrys, Accords, AND Tauruses instead of the GM's.

#292 of 3389 RE: cabin air filter by fordman33

Jul 15, 2000 (7:56 pm)

Just had my 2000 SE in for the "free 30 day checkup". The dealer verified that it does have the cabin air filter. I don't know why the book is so vague about which models have the filter. I have some concern about the rear door molding problem mentioned earlier; I mentioned it to the shop - they didn't seem concerned and I didn't have time to argue about it today. I will definitely keep an eye on this issue.

#293 of 3389 Sure but.... by teo

Jul 15, 2000 (8:14 pm)

It took Ford Motor Company 10 years to fix most of the Taurus reliability issues. The first Taurus went on sale on 1986 and the car became more or less trouble free until the dismal 1996 redesign.


Why Taurus sells well?. Because it is valued priced and marketed at very close price points in relation to its main targets: The Accord and Camry. The Taurus offers "more car" for the money than either Camry and Accord, plus the Taurus is styled more in tune to what import buyers are looking for (Milk and Toast design cues, better assembly quality, more space, better engines,etc).


Now, if you try to sell a "base" Taurus at more than $21,000 per unit, Ford would have a more difficult time moving them out of dealership lots. You can get a nicely equipped Taurus in the neighborhood of 18K to 19K, so that cuts right into Accord/Camry Territory.


Now, GM and Chysler midsize offerings compete more among each other than with the Accord/Camry duo. For instance the Impala target market is the Crown Victoria, Dodge Intrepid and Ford Taurus. Each one of these are Domestic cars. So guys, the why the Impala doesn't go after the Camry/Accord sales is a lame argument to say the least. Impala, Intrepid, Regal,etc,etc appeal to more traditional domestic buyers than for one reason or another don't have their tastes gravitating toward absolute 'Import' oriented autos.


The Impala has been selling close to 15,000 units per month, a figure that the old Luminas could only dream of. So not bad for a first year Chevy model in the market right there in the 10/11th sales spots.


Would the Impala brake the barrier and compete head to head with the Taurus?? May be, but GM needs to sell close to 200,000 cars per year to see those goals a reality. Remember that the "Impala" moniker has a much wider market recognition than the "Taurus" moniker, altough Ford has done a commendable job to boost the car's popularity. When t GM sold 1 million Impalas in 1965 (No other car or automaker has been able to beat this sales record)Ford didn't even dreamed about the "Taurus" then (21 years in the future)so,the Impala name carries much weight and automotive history with it. GM made a terrible mistake replacing such 'household' names as Impala and Malibu for the insipid "Corsica" and "Lumina" names. In the mid 1990's they realized about this mistake and the 94-96 Impala SS was reborn in more 'serious' caprice clothes. Ditto for the Malibu.


The first Impala was launched to market in 1959 and the Last run was made until 1979 or 1980. Then the car was 'revived' in the mid 1990's and re-relased for longer production run in 2000.


The upcoming Impala SS,Taurus SHO and Dodge Charger R/T should bring back the "Spice" in the high performance domestic sedan arena.


People that view cars as RICE BURNERS are more fond into bland and boring Accords and Camrys and strongly believe that reliability and resale value are the very end of automotive history. (Been there done that). People that value high fashion looks, good performance and the European flair associated with german cars fall for Passats, Jettas, BMW's, etc. People that like more substantial sedans, better performance, better looks, more room, more safety, and more value for the dollar, look for domestic nameplates such as Taurus, Regal, Impala, Grand Prix, Intrigue, Intrepid,etc.


So to put it in a more "Human" way:


Japanese cars = Chinese food take out or delivery Pizza, reliable, plain and plenty tasty.


European Cars = A good glass of Chardonnay with the best gourmet Salmon cut.


American cars = An Ice Cold beer (Pick your favorite brand) with a 14oz new York Strip prime cut steak and French fries.


Who doesn't like any of these choices?

#294 of 3389 Question for Ohio7 by barjon

Jul 16, 2000 (12:23 am)

I read your messages and I'm curious if you know exactly what your dealer did to make the moldings fit so much better. Did they use some sort of filler, or did they replace the moldings completely with some old stock?

#295 of 3389 SES Mileage by emerson_t

Jul 16, 2000 (8:30 pm)

I have a new 2000 Taraus with 4,000 mile on it and my gas mileage in town is 15 and 16 mpg. That seems very low to me. I'm a sane driver and don't do jack rabbit starts etc. Has anyone else had this problem?

#296 of 3389 SES Mileage Ditto by tcengia

Jul 16, 2000 (9:22 pm)

I know exactly what you mean. Right after purchasing our 2000 SES, I did 2 mileage checks on a combination city / highway drive profile. I got 23 MPG. After 3 weeks, I received the recall notice for the PCM, had it done, and ever since have experienced a loss of power and lost about 3 MPG.I am curious as to whether you received a recall notice after you purchased your car? I just returned from a 2400 mile trip, mostly highway driving at 70 MPH, and averaged 24 MPG. The car has 4520 miles on it.
 

#297 of 3389 SES Mileage by emerson_t

Jul 16, 2000 (9:43 pm)

No, I didn't get a recall notice. I too took a 2000 mile trip and got 24 to 29 on the highway. The brand of gas seems to really matter in this car. I do ok with Texico.

Messages Page 30 of 340

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