1989 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
562 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Taurus. 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.
11 complaints report injuries (20 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 142 | 25% |
| Electrical System | 118 | 21% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 97 | 17% |
| Structure | 66 | 12% |
| Steering | 53 | 9% |
| Power Train | 52 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 34 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 26 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 4% |
| Suspension | 15 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1989 ford taurus. The contact stated that as he attempted to secure the seatbelt, the entire seatbelt became detached from the anchorage cable. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 215,000.”
Seat Belts · filed Aug 17, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1989 ford taurus. While driving at approximately 65 mph with the cruise control engaged, he noticed that when he tried to pass another vehicle, he was unable to deactivate the cruise control using the brake pedal. He attempted to slow down using the brakes but had to deactivate the cruise control…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Apr 22, 2010
“Tl*the contact owned a 1989 ford taurus gls. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact tried to depress the brakes and the vehicle continued to accelerate up to 85 mph. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle for an hour and a half as the speed increased. The contact continued to…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Mar 3, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODS
Defect Petition DP95004 · opened Aug 8, 1995 · closed Aug 30, 1995
- POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93100 · opened Dec 2, 1993 · closed Jun 30, 1994
- STEERING LCK-UP/IMPEDIMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE93099 · opened Nov 30, 1993 · closed Mar 28, 1994
- UNDERBODY FUEL LINE FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93065 · opened Jul 15, 1993 · closed Nov 30, 1993
- BROKEN TIE RODS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93058 · opened Jun 15, 1993 · closed Feb 16, 1994
- SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL
Engineering Analysis EA92040 · opened Nov 30, 1992 · closed Jun 30, 1993 · led to recall 93V106002
- SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE92056 · opened Jul 1, 1992 · closed Nov 30, 1992
- POWER STEERING LEAKS/FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE92044 · opened Apr 27, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
Technical service bulletins
54 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Taurus. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt
01124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure. *tt
99183 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt
99816 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
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 1989 Ford Taurus 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 1989 Ford Taurus?
- · 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.