1997 Ford Taurus Sho problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Taurus Sho. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 23 | 77% |
| Power Train | 3 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 7% |
| Suspension | 2 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Engine | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 21 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 86,000 miles (middle 50% between 69,000 and 105,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Accelerated as normal to 30mph, released the accelerator pedal, and the car kept accelerating up to at least 50mph. Failed to steer 90 degrees left, resulting in the car jumping the curb. Lost control in damp grass, and ran into a tree. *tr”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Aug 19, 2012
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford sho taurus. The contact was driving approximately 5 mph in reverse when the front coil spring broke and shredded the tire. The contact stated that a recall for the 1998 to 2001 ford taurus is directly related to the failure. The failure mileage was 139000. Updated 02/02/10. *lj updated…”
Suspension · filed Jan 13, 2010
“Vehicle description: 1997 ford taurus sho ford (fmc) has acknowledged in writing that the problem is manufacturer related, which stems from the yamaha manufactured engine used in sho models. The vehicle would rough idle after 20 mins. On the road, shake aggressively, then shut-off for days at a time in…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 18, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
12 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Taurus Sho. The 10 most recent:
Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series…
03144 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Some vehicles may exhibit a harsh 2-3 shift after installing a remanufactured transaxle. *slc
15128 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2001
Service action 00e11, supplement #1 - update information regarding on-board diagnostic system upgrade. *tt
00E11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2001
Service action bulletin regarding on-board diagnostic system upgrade. *tt
00E11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2000
Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent loss of integrated control panel (icp) illumination. **mr**
8016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2000
Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent loss of instrument control panel (icp) illumination. *mjs
13802 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2000
Some vehicles may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp (mil) with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p1135 or p1155 stored in memory and / or a long crank / slow start. *tt
99127 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 14, 1999
Concerns with buzz or vibration with the gear selector in park. *tt
996123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 1999
Some vehicles may exhibit front outer tie rods squeak and / or pop noise over bumps and / or turning. *tt
12570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 1999
Experiencing a squeaking and / or popping noise from the front outer tire rods. *tt
5897 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Ford Taurus Sho in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Ford Taurus Sho?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 86,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.