- The problem
- Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
Vehicle safety record
1996 Ford Taurus Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 1996 Ford Taurus have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 8 recalls, the latest in April 2009 for the exterior lighting.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Taurus year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
1996 Ford Taurus recalls 8
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
- The fix
- Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began on april 3, 2006. Owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles previously serviced under ford service bulletin 97-17-9 from august 1997 through december 1997. These vehicles were inadvertenly equipped with an 18-gallon fuel tank rather than the 16-gallon as specified. The 18-gallon tank has a second valve location where a shipping plug should be installed.
- The risk
- If this shipping plug is displaced, fuel leakage can result. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could potentially result in a fire.
- The fix
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CORRECT FUEL TANK.
- The problem
- The automatic transmission park pawl shaft may not be free to rotate as intended. If the park pawl shaft does not rotate, it would prevent the park pawl from engaging the park gear when the shift lever is in the park position.
- The risk
- This condition could result in the vehicle rolling as if in neutral with the shift lever in the park position.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft rotation and those shafts with restricted rotation will be replaced with a shorter shaft that will not restrict rotation.
- The problem
- The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
- The risk
- Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
- The problem
- The fuel pressure regulator located on the fuel rail in the engine compartment has a vacuum diaphragm that was damaged during manufacture of the regulator.
- The risk
- If the diaphragm tears or ruptures, liquid fuel could enter the intake manifold plenum through the vacuum line resulting in either release of fuel from the air cleaner assembly or the exhaust system. Fuel release in the presence of an ignition source could potentially result in a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the fuel pressure regulator. Those regulators produced during the suspect time period will be replaced.
- The problem
- The park pawl shaft was improperly positioned when the roll pin that retains it was installed during transmission assembly. If the shaft was not properly positioned, the roll pin may not have lined up with the groove in the shaft and have been crushed at assembly. Also, a burr could have been raised on the shaft.
- The risk
- This could result in the park pawl occasionally not engaging when the transmission selector lever is placed in the park position. This could result in the vehicle rolling as if in neutral if the vehicle operator does not apply the parking brake.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft roll pin. If the roll pin is damaged, both the roll pin and the park pawl shaft will be replaced. In addition, owners will be reminded to fully apply the parking brake, in addition to placing the transmission in park.
- The problem
- The brake system fluid level indicator lamp switch can malfunction. This does not comply with fmvss no. 105, "Hydraulic brake systems."
- The risk
- Consequence of non-compliance: if the switch malfuntions, the brake system warning lamp will either remain illuminated continuously or fail to light as intended when the fluid level falls to a certain level. In either case, the vehicle operator would not be warned of a low brake fluid level condition.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the brake system fluid level indicator lamp switches.
What owners say
Be the first Taurus owner to share.
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
No complaints about the 1996 Ford Taurus yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Ford Taurus: every year compared
All Taurus years1996 Ford Taurus vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Ford Taurus | 0 | 8 | D | |
| 1996 Ford Contour | 581 | 11 | F | Compare |
| 1996 Ford Aerostar | 104 | 6 | B | Compare |
| 1996 Ford Bronco | 99 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 1996 Ford Aspire | 51 | 0 | B | Compare |
| 1996 Ford Club Wagon | 35 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 1996 Ford Cargo | 2 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 1996 Ford Bronco II | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 1996 Ford B800 | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1996 Ford Taurus
Does the 1996 Ford Taurus have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 8 recalls for the 1996 Ford Taurus: exterior lighting (April 2009); exterior lighting (March 2006); tank assembly (March 1998); automatic transmission (September 1996) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 1996 Ford Taurus had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 1996 Ford Taurus a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 33 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Ford Taurus year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
What should I do if my 1996 Ford Taurus has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data