Ford Taurus 1996–1997 — technical service bulletin
Bulletin 5048 · NHTSA communication 613143 · issued Nov 1, 1998
Technical service bulletin
communication type
Engine and Engine Cooling
component
1996–1997
model years
4
vehicle entries
Official summary
Repeat message regarding contaminated / corroded coolant, high or fluctuating temp gauge; coolant odor, coolant overflow, blown or leaking hoses, blown head gasket, failed engine, lack of heat. *tt
What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.