Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
On 4/3/2015 my mother in law pulled into the driveway after a 10 mile trip to town. Upon pulling in the driveway the car started on fire immediately, at first she thought the car was overheating (white smoke) then realized the car was actually on fire (black smoke). She had to be helped by an idaho power employee who was driving by. A total of two 15lb fire extinguishers and garden hose were used to keep the fire at bay until the fire department arrived. The car was destroyed from the dash panel forward. The fire department determined the fire started at the power distribution box located by the master cylinder on the firewall. The fire department determined the cause as an "electrical fire", up until the fire the car had no known electrical or major mechanical problems. The car had no modifications and was completely stock. …
All lights, brake lights, hi-low beams and running lights work! All panel lights and interior lights work. Turning signals & emergency flashers do not work at all! It is as though the wires in the steering column were disconnected from both the turning stick (switch) and the emergency switch? Checked every fuse in fuse box under hood and they all look OK. Assume no bulb problem because there was and is no fast blink... It seems like the problem was first noticed during an all day rain storm...very dangerous situations came about because I assumed directional were still working during several turns...then someone almost hit me when I was changing lanes....I thought it was just a dumb driver till it happened a few more times....then I noticed no turn signals...very scary (VIN: [redacted])!
This incident has happened before the date below but this time I decided to make a complaint after it happened again. When there is a lot of water and you turn right, my car turns off, the battery light comes on and then it makes this squealing noise. And then it starts right back up. I had this checked out but nothing was found wrong with my Ford 97 Taurus. I've driven through a lot of water going forward in the car and it doesn't turn off or make any noise, just when turning right. I never noticed it when turning left.
Every time I put it in reverse, my radio goes out, my pl, ps, and pw stop working. If I drive longer than 5 - 10 miles, the lights and all electrical start blinking and the ps goes on and off. I almost hit a car along side of me the 1st time it happened, I only drove it out of town one time after that, now I don't drive it out of town at all. Even in town if I'm driving all over, it does it. I tried talking to Ford corp. And they blew me off, even though I told them nobody knows what it is. Help!!
The instrument panel will display the "door ajar" warning icon and the dome light will remain on while operating the vehicle. After exiting and securing the vehicle, the dome light will remain on for an indefinate amount of time. The problem is intermittent but can continue to malfunction for a week-at-a-time and not have a recurrence for up to a month. Dealer told me that unless I could localize the source of the failure, they could not begin to solve the problem.
While driving it was hard to shift gears/steer the vehicle. The brake and tail lights failed to work. The electrical system was intermittent, the radio would go off when the steering wheel was turned and when the vehicle was in drive. The problem would start when the vehicle was in park, reverse, or neutral. The seat belt light flickered on and off without cause.
Consumer was traveling about 30mph on a side street, and there was another vehicle parked on side of road, and consumer's vehicle hit other vehicle from behind. Upon impact, driver's side airbag did not deploy.whenever the alternator gets wet the light gomes on and the power steering fails making it difficult to control the vehicle. Nlm
Vehicle parked. Owner noticed smoke coming from inside of vehicle. Vehicle windows were blown out & black smoke escaped & then flames. Fire department was called & put flames out. Gave no indication of origin of fire. Insurance inspector checked vehicle & indicated a possible electrical short in the wiring system that caused the fire.
Power steering intermittent failure; first began when placing shift lever into reverse gear, then later occurred also in forward drive gears. Suspect electrical/electronic problem since radio speakers also go silent and power windows do not operate when this occurs. All other fuses working properly. Dealer is not yet contacted.
While driving at any speed ABS light appeared on the dashboard. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection. The check engine soon had also come on. The consumer stated that the lights would come on intermittently, both at different times.
Electrical complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1997 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 62 complaints about the electrical system of the 1997 Ford Taurus, 8% of the model year's 770 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Taurus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.