There are 20 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 1997 Ford Taurusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
HEADLIGHT FAILURE DUE TO FAULTY LIGHT SWITCH. *JB
RANDOM CHANGES IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SPEED, REGARDLESS OF SETTING. HAZARD SIGNALS FAILED OR ONLY ONE SIDE FLASHING. TURN SIGNAL FAILURE (OF EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR CONSOLE LIGHTS). FAILURE OF INTERIOR LIGHTING TO TURN OFF AFTER DOORS CLOSED. FAILURE OF POWER WINDOWS (ALL FOUR). SHORT IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RESULTING IN REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF GEM MODULE. TURN SIGNAL/WIPER CONTROLS REPLACED. GEM MODULE REPLACED.*AK
DT: CONSUMER OWNS A FORD TAURUS. THE HEADLIGHT LENS WAS NOT CLEAR, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. THE CLOUDINESS HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. HAD TO BUY 2 NEW SEALED HEADLIGHTS.*AK *NM
A PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT LENS. HEADLIGHT LENS IS SO FOGGY THAT VISIBILITY IS POOR ENOUGH THAT IT MUST BE REPLACED. FORD SAYS THE DETERIORATION IS DUE TO AUTOMATIC CAR WASH SOAP. HOWEVER, CAR WAS HAND WASHED. THE APPROXIMATE COST FOR PARTS ALONE IS $500 AS THE LENS IS NOT SOLD SEPARATELY. CARS IN THE JUNK YARD ALSO HAVE SAME CONDITION. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO CONSTANTLY WIGGLE HEADLIGHT SWITCH TO KEEP HEADLIGHTS ON. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME.*AK
HEADLIGHTS WOULDN'T GO OFF AT ALL. THE ONLY WAY WAS FOR TO LIFT HOOD UP AND DISCONNECT BATTERY TO CABLE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
THERE ARE NO LIGHTS AT ALL IN OR OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. LIGHTS IN FRONT WENT OUT FIRST, AND THEN THIRD LIGHTS WENT OUT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
FALSE LIGHT SHOWING OPEN DOOR WILL NOT GO OFF, THEREFORE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT SHUT OFF/EVEN WHEN CAR IS OFF. *AK
THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON DUE TO THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT BEING ON IT ONLY HAPPENS AFTER NOON WHEN TH CAR IS PARKED IN THE SUN LIGHT AND AFRAID TO CAUSE ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE DRIVERS UNDERDASH LIGHT BEING SO BRIGHT. *AK
DASHBOARD SHOWS DOORS ARE OPEN, AND INTERIOR LIGHT WILL STAY ON. DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON I95 DURING A RAINSTORM, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHEN I ACTIVATED MY LEFT DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL. VISIBILITY SUDDENLY BECAME ZERO AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED A SERIOUS CRASH. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO RESTORE PARTIAL USE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BY SWITCHING ON MY HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHTS. I TRIED THIS PROCEDURE BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS AS WELL AS THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ARE ALL CONTROLLED BY THE SAME HANDLE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT INSIDE THE STALK THAT HOUSES THE WIRING FOR THESE CONTROLS. I HAVE RARELY USED THIS CAR IN THE RAIN ( THERE HAS BEEN A VIRTUAL DROUGHT IN MY AREA) AND THIS IS THE FIRST REAL WORKOUT OF THE WIPERS.*AK
NO PROTECTIVE COVER FOR TRUNK LIGHT CAUSED LAMP TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH CONTENTS OF THE TRUCK THUS CAUSING A FIRE. NLM
DUE TO NO PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE TRUNK COURSTEY LIGHT, THE SLEEPING BAG IN THE TRUNK BY THE TRUNK COURSTEY LIGHTS CAUSED THE SLEEPING BAG TO BURN A HOLE, ALMOST RESULTED IN A FIRE. *AK
TRUNK LIGHT BULB IS UNPROTECTED AND BURNED ITEMS IN TRUNK.
THE CAR HAD BEEN PRE-INSPECTED FOR LEASE-TURN-IN IN JAN 1999, AND THEN REMAINED PARKED UNTIL FEB 8, 1999. AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. ON FEB 8, 1999, THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD, ORIGINATING FROM THE TOP CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD, DOWN 4 INCHES AND TRAILING OFF 4 INCHES TO THE LEFT. THE WINDSHIELD WAS INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT, AND NO CHIP MARKS OR TRAUMA TO THE GLASS WAS FOUND. GLASS INSTALLER STATED THAT THE CRACK WAS A STRESS FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF AT 55 MPH. AFTER STOPPING, SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THEY CAME BACK ON. ALSO, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BECOME DISCONNECTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *AK
INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHICH MAY CAUSE VISIBLE PROBLEM, AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE INTERIOR LIGHTS TWICE. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL, EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN A CERTAIN POSITION, THE SIGNAL WILL NOT LOCK IN. WHEN CHANGING LANES THIS ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. *AK
THE HEADLIGHT BEZEL IS DISCOLORED. THERE APPEARS TO BE A FOG INSIDE THE BEZEL. THE DEALER STATES THAT THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER STATES "SOMETHING" MUST HAVE BEEN SPRAYED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BEZEL. I WAS TOLD THAT SOME OF THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE A GASKET LEAK AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGAURDING THIS PROBLEM? *AK
THE DOME LIGHT AND THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. YH
POOR SIGHT SIDE VISION FROM THE HEADLIGHTS. IF HAVING TO MAKE A SHARP TRUN DRIVER CANNOT SEE THE ROAD TO THE SIDE. PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO THE MANUFACTURER'S ATTENTION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026