# Ford Taurus from Hell
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 14, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540 "2002-04-14T05:29:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/1 "2002-04-14T05:29:17Z")
My Taurus wouldn’t start the other day until after much trying. I immediately drove it to the shop. It had been making this liquid sound under the dashboard when I hit the throttle. The service writer looked at the oil on the dipstick and noted small bubbles (in newly changed oil) and said that this indicated that the head gasket was blown (rather common on the 1990 3.8 liter engine I understand). Anyway, he said that the full fix was going to run about $3,500 for the new head gasket and the better bolts, etc, new timing cover and water pump. Does this estimate seem about right to dopers? While I generally trust this mechanic, I have noticed that he has no cars in his lot to be working on, as auto maintenance is the last thing people do during economic slowdowns. 🙂
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### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/2 "2002-04-14T06:11:51Z")
That estimate seems fairly high. One thing to consider is that it is a lot more than the value of the car itself, I don’t know if even the best deal you can find for the work will be worth it. Unless you have a great sentimental attachment for the car it might be time to hit the classifieds.
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### Author:  [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/3 "2002-04-14T15:40:01Z")
Sounds high… Before you ditch old Betsy, check some websites for “Secret” Ford warranties on your wagon. Seems to me for did some “customer service” fixes on them in the past.
[www.lemonaidcars.com](http://www.lemonaidcars.com) is a good site to try… you’ve got nothing to lose.
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### Author:  [@njufoic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njufoic)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/4 "2002-04-14T16:10:59Z")
DPWhite-
You could probably replace the whole engine in that vehicle for $3500. If it’s just a typical head gasket failure, it should be more like $1500. I’d take it somewhere else.
By the way, contrary to popular belief, it’s almost always cheaper to fix a car than to buy another one. Unless this car has a million things wrong with it, I’d go ahead and do the repair.
-Andrew L
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/5 "2002-04-14T16:27:20Z")
I think this kind of question is more of an IMHO thread.
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### Author:  [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/6 "2002-04-14T16:34:02Z")
Well, something doesn’t add up here – I’m not sure why a blown head gasket would stop the car from starting. Or at least, I wouldn’t expect that to be one of the first symptoms – wouldn’t you be seeing a lot of white exhaust first?
I’m not saying that the diagnosis is wrong, but it sounds like it could be something else, maybe a broken timing belt.
$3500 seems way out of line.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/7 "2002-04-14T17:39:47Z")
I’m not a mechanic by any means, but I did have a Porsche 924 that warped its head. Symptoms were increased oil consumption and water in the exhaust, in addition to poor running. It was very expensive to fix.
Repair or replace? I don’t know how much a 1980 Ford Taurus is worth, but I’d guess (just a guess) not more than $3,000 or $4,000. I don’t know your financial situation, but you may want to consider if it’s worth fixing. There are a lot no pun intended) of used cars you can get for three kilobucks. On the other hand, **njufoic** may be right. If you buy another used car, you may be trading one problem for another.
Of course you could put the $3,000 down and pay about $230/month and get a 1965 Cessna 172F Skyhawk. 😉 (The catch is that the low monthly payment is over 20 years.)
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### Author:  [@Dirty\_Earthworm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Earthworm)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/8 "2002-04-15T02:25:08Z")
Ford Taurus from Hell? Isn’t that a bit redundant?
\
-Dirty
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/9 "2002-04-15T13:09:58Z")
Seems kind of high, but did they say what kind of damage was done to the heads? If it’s warped beyond the point where resurfacing would take too much metal (or aluminum) off of the heads, he (or she 😃 ) could be putting in prices for new (or rebuilt) heads. You have to remember that they are quoting list prices for all the parts, and that they may be going higher to cover their ass. Sometimes in the end it comes out much lower. I’m not sure what the labor charge is for a head job for a Taurus, but if you want I can go research it.
First thing wrong already…it’s a Ford. :eek: :eek: :eek:
😃
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/10 "2002-04-15T13:17:47Z")
That may be as much as the car, fully functioning, is worth. Check the blue book.
That said, the price is waay out of line. My guess, your mechanic doen’t want to the work, and has quoted a price to make you take it elsewhere. That’s about double what it should cost. 3500 should replace the engine…
BTW, a blown gasket shouldn’t keep that engine from starting…
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/11 "2002-04-15T13:22:11Z")
Reread OP. See that it actually did start.
BTW, what does the water pump have to do with it?
And who is this ‘service writer’? Is this the dealer?
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/12 "2002-04-15T13:31:21Z")
Sometimes a blown head gasket will prevent a car from starting, if it’s bad enough. You need, spark, fuel, and compression inorder for the engine to run, and if there’s no compression, no start-o. I’ve worked on cars with blown head gaskets that didn’t start. Some of them did start, but ran very badly due to low compression.
Usually a service writer is a dealership position. With the price the OP was quoted, I think it’s safe to say that they were quoting genuine FoMoCo parts (usually more expensive than aftermarket parts) and being a dealer, also quoting NEW and not rebulit prices.
Yeah, for the $3500, get something else (not another Ford). 😃
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/13 "2002-04-15T13:36:19Z")
Oh, and mechanics (or technicians, as some of us prefer to be called) generally recommend replacing a water pump, since it’s going to come off anyway and it IS a high-wear item. If the customer refuses it, we put it back. It’s kind of like changing it as a preventative measure. This usually is recommended, as is the timing belt.
For example, you have a car with an engine that has the old style v-belts, say three or four of them. The one all the way in the back snaps due to old age. I would recommend replacing all of them, since you’re taking off all of them just to replace the one all the way in the back (unless one of the outer ones was JUST replaced or something).
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-taurus-from-hell/103540/14 "2002-04-15T13:42:02Z")
Oh, and mechanics (or technicians, as some of us prefer to be called) generally recommend replacing a water pump, since it’s going to come off anyway and it IS a high-wear item. If the customer refuses it, we put it back. It’s kind of like changing it as a preventative measure. This usually is recommended, as is the timing belt.
For example, you have a car with an engine that has the old style v-belts, say three or four of them. The one all the way in the back snaps due to old age. I would recommend replacing all of them, since you’re taking off all of them just to replace the one all the way in the back (unless one of the outer ones was JUST replaced or something).