Ford Taurus 2000 - 2006 review

2006 Ford Taurus

2006 Ford Taurus

Introduced in 1985, the Taurus held the title of the best selling passenger car in the US from 1992 to 1996, but since then, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord led this category.
The 2000-2006 Taurus offers very comfortable, roomy interior, good handling and quiet ride. Used Ford Taurus is not very expensive and while still lacking overall quality, the 2000-06 Taurus doesn't have that many problems compared to the previous model.

Available as a sedan or station wagon, the 2000-2006 Taurus has front-wheel drive with transversely-mounted V6 engine and 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
Two engines were available: 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 wagon); the ABS was optional.

The conservatively-styled interior is very comfortable, roomy and fairly quiet, although the quality of some materials could be better. Available power-adjustable pedals are a nice feature for shorter drivers. The trunk is spacious and the split rear seat can be folded down for extra cargo room.

The ride is soft and comfortable, although feels a bit "bouncy" on cracks and small potholes. Steering is light. Overall handling is good. 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.

Ford Taurus 2000-06 model received "Good" overall rating in the offset frontal crash test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
In NHTSA frontal crash tests, models from 2000 to 2003 received five stars for both the driver and the front passenger, while 2004-2006 model got four stars for the driver and five stars for the front passenger.

The engine

The 3.0-liter OHV V-6 Vulcan engine

Taurus is available with two engines: The base 3.0-liter 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. 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.

Strengths

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

Weaknesses

- Not the best quality
- Depreciates fast
- Rear windows go down only half way
- Ride isn't smooth on rough road
- No 4-cylinder version

Overall

The 2000-2006 Taurus may not offer Accord's high-tech interior or Camry's smooth ride and dependability, but it's roomy, comfortable to drive and affordable - used Taurus costs few thousands less than Camry or Accord of the same age.
The 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 generations, the 2000-2006 Taurus doesn't have that many problems, however Ford still has plenty of room to improve long-term reliability of its products.

What to look for when buying a used Taurus

Ford Taurus is a popular car with fleets and rental companies; as a first step, check used car history records - follow this link: How to check used car history
- Check the service records if available - it's important to verify that the car was properly maintained.
- Check for leaks
- If the "check engine" light is on, have the problem assessed with your mechanic or a Ford dealer before buying a car.
Learn more what to look for when buying a used car
- Prior purchase have the car inspected by a mechanic of your choice.
After you buy a car, visit your local Ford dealer to check if all necessary recalls have been performed.
Shop wisely, check few cars to compare; it's worth to pay a little extra for a well-maintained vehicle in good condition; check our step-by-step used car buying guide for more information.
Some models may be costly to insure. Get the insurance quotes first.

Few maintenance tips

- Wash your car regularly, wax it once in a while to protect the paint.
- If you live in the area with high humidity, rustproofing will help to protect the car body from corrosion.
- Regular oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Change transmission fluid in recommended intervals.
- Try to avoid overheating the engine - it may cause serious problems.
- Take care of minor issues before they cause bigger problems.
- Follow recommended maintenance schedule and keep all the fluids clean and topped up.
- 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. Many components (e.g brakes, steering, suspension) cannot be properly inspected by simple visual inspection at fast lube places; the car must be on the lift.
Check more Car maintenance tips from Samarins.com

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

Links

Repair Manual

If you need a repair manual with check engine codes, electrical diagrams, diagnostic procedures, vacuum line diagram, fluid type, maintenance schedule, component location, technical service bulletins, etc. follow this link: Where to find repair manual

by Vlad Samarin