Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchased a used 1997 Ford Taurus on November the 10th of 2008 from a local dealer. On 11/21/08 at approximately 2100 hours my 17 year old daughter was driving the aforementioned vehicle, when for no apparent reason the vehicle suddenly accelerated by it's self. My daughter tried to stop the vehicle by applying both feet to the brake pedal but was unable to stop the vehicle, at this time she decided to jump from the vehicle. After doing so the vehicle climbed a 6 % grade hill approximately 700 feet through a field, before ramping a 6 foot pile of limestone. The vehicle traveled 14 feet through the air before impating the ground. After impacting the ground the vehicle made a right turn and traveled another 1500 feet before impacting a ditch and a tree. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The contact also noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Oil light does not come on when low. 2. Engine light always on. 3 when I was driving this winter, the brakes, they locked up on me and I almost had a collision with two other cars but I hit a curb and was able to get my car moving again. 4.car is loud while driving. 5 can't get good gas milage.6.car has developed an oil leak.
When the consumer released the brake the vehicle bolted backwards and struck a building. The consumer found out the a recall was issued for 1997 Taurus' for the automatic transmission, however his vehicle was not included.
While in motion, consumer pressed on the accelerator to merge into traffic. The accelerator pedal stuck in the downward position. Consumer pressed again, hoping the pedal would disengage itself but to no avail.
While the vehicle was parked in the driveway it commenced to roll forward and hit the garage door. Dealer was notified, and informed the consumer that this vehicle was not covered under a recall.
I put my car in reverse to back out of a parking space. I hit a concrete pole which was located in the parking lot. The accident occurred when I braked to shift from reverse to drive. The car took off leaving black marks 9 feet long. I did not have a chance to hit the accelerator. The car was acting on its own. I hit the front of the store. The only thing that stopped my car was the steel door frame and the brick building. My car was still moving after I got out because I had not put it into park and turned it off. I had jumped out quickly because glass was coming through my sunroof onto me. A witness said "oh my god, your car is still moving." I had to get back into the vehicle to put it into park and turn the ignition off. This proves that the car was getting fuel somewhere besides me. I feel as though the fuel shut off button located in the trunk should have prevented this accident. …
The accelerator stuck, when I pressed it down trying to merge on the freeway, so I pressed it down hard hoping it would pop back up, but it did not. So I held the brake down hoping this would bring the accelerator back up but that did not work either. So as a result I had to jump out of the car while merging onto the freeway, I did this while holding the brake down to slow the car up. I was not seriously hurt. My car instead of crashing into the off ramp wall decided to proceed straight onto the freeway to the center divide where the front tire stopped it. I was given a ride by a motorist that almost hit me when I jumped out the car. When my car was found the tires were still spinning because the pedal was still stuck, neither of the airbags deployed in the crash. Dt
Spouse backed out from a parking space and when she put the vehicle in "drive" the vehicle took off at a high rate of speed, and before any action could be taken she collided with a store front. The "cruise control" had been used the day before and there is reason to believe it was malfunctioning and caused the sudden forward movement. The reason for this assumption is that I had driven the car on a previous recent occasion, and noticed the light indicating cruise was on although I had just started the car. I thought perhaps I May have bumped it but now I am sure it was malfunctioning. This was reenforced when I talked to three other people who had similar incidents with Ford products.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford Taurus. While the contact was driving at approximately 60 MPH using the cruise control, the contact applied the brakes and noticed that the vehicle suddenly began to accelerate. The contact pushed the cruise control deactivation button which stopped the acceleration. There were no warning lights before the failure occurred. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by the dealership at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were 75,469. Updated 05/07/10. Updated 07/12/10
Acceleration complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 58 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Ford Taurus, 8% of the model year's 770 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Taurus acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1997 Ford Taurus, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Taurus acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 17 crashes, 1 fire and 10 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.