Taurus owner

[Tala]

Is it just me or is the 1996 Ford Taurus just an expensive piece of car to upkeep?
What I'm needing to know is the cost of a new engine or there abouts and whether to trust a "re-built" or buy a new engine.

A new car would be preferrable, but not currently in the skew of things.
ANY help will be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks

[LeSabre97mint]

Originally Posted by Tala

Is it just me or is the 1996 Ford Taurus just an expensive piece of car to upkeep?
What I'm needing to know is the cost of a new engine or there abouts and whether to trust a "re-built" or buy a new engine.

A new car would be preferrable, but not currently in the skew of things.
ANY help will be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks

What conditon is the car in? Do you like the car?

Why do you want/need a differnet engine?

Regards

Dan

[Colt Hero]

Originally Posted by Tala

Is it just me or is the 1996 Ford Taurus just an expensive piece of car to upkeep?
What I'm needing to know is the cost of a new engine or there abouts and whether to trust a "re-built" or buy a new engine.

A new car would be preferrable, but not currently in the skew of things.
ANY help will be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks

It's my opinion that some mechanics take advantage of the reputation of certain model year Tauruses. I've got a '97 that has a soft transmission and a rusty coolant system. I've managed to sidestep these problems and keep the car going on the cheap by servicing the car myself, but placed in the hands of the wrong mechanic, I'm sure I'd be out several thousand dollars today in rebuilt transmissions and overhauled cooling systems. The engines on these cars are actually pretty good, so I'm surprised that yours needs to be replaced (unless it's got well over 200k on it). When I went through my transmission crisis, I almost pulled the trigger on a Jasper rebuilt (~$2500). Supposedly, a "re-built" is better than a "re-man" because more internal parts are replaced (or even upgraded to better materials that will last longer than the originals). I also found an independent in town who I felt pretty good about and who had a good reputation. He wanted to rebuild it for $1500. His warranty wasn't as good, but he said he'd match Jasper's if I wanted to pay him $2500. I never priced their engines. The bottom line, though, is you've got to go with someone reputable. I think Jasper has a good reputation, but you're going to pay for that and maybe the car isn't worth but a certain amount of investment. A '96 Taurus is probably worth only around $2000, so maybe your only option is to take your chances with a junkyard engine for $500-$700 + Installation.

[RLKester]

as a owner of 3 Taurus over the years (I still have the 95 {200K miles } and 2000 ) these are my thoughts....

Unless the car has been hurt in an accident it is probably worth the effort. Driving costs all considered ( insurance, taxes, maintence etc) a taurus is avery cheap safe ride.

What you should expect...

at about 120-140K miles
tranny change for about $1600-2000,
alternator, waterpump, powersteering pump, fuel filter, tensioner pulley, hoses belts (do all this as preventative in one day to minimize the costs about $600 in parts)
Also make sure the CV boots are changed BEFORE they split ~$200 preventative or $500 per side if you do it after they split. I recommend at about 90K miles.

Overheating is most common cause of death in modern engines ( warping head then manifold seal blows = new engine) make sure the cooling system is well taken care of. If you see a creep in temperature you may need a new radiator - again preventative maintence of cooling system ( & new fluid) is very cheap

as for changing engine if you can find a low mileage recycled ( from an accident) it would be your overall cheapest alternative. If you have luck finding that you should consider taking the engine & tranny - the labor is minimally different and you get the whole matched set.

my two cents....

in a and although it both

Originally Posted by Tala

Is it just me or is the 1996 Ford Taurus just an expensive piece of car to upkeep?
What I'm needing to know is the cost of a new engine or there abouts and whether to trust a "re-built" or buy a new engine.

A new car would be preferrable, but not currently in the skew of things.
ANY help will be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks

[Tala]

THANKS A BUNCH for the replies. With it all said in one response is the reason why:
alternator, waterpump, powersteering pump, fuel filter, tensioner pulley, hoses belts (do all this as preventative in one day to minimize the costs about $600 in parts)
Also make sure the CV boots are changed BEFORE they split ~$200 preventative or $500 per side if you do it after they split. I recommend at about 90K miles.

Overheating is most common cause of death in modern engines ( warping head then manifold seal blows = new engine) make sure the cooling system is well taken care of. If you see a creep in temperature you may need a new radiator - again preventative maintence of cooling system ( & new fluid) is very cheap
It's common sense to service a vehicle, but when one hasn't been taught to do so, the evidence remains.
Thanks again.