Two problems related to brake fluid leak have been reported for the 1997 Ford Taurus. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
1997 Ford Taurus (1996-2005+) brake line failure. The brake lines to the rear of the car have a corrosion problem under the drivers seat, under the car. The lines corrode severely and then burst under pressure. All braking is lost after the fluid leaks out. Steel lines were not protected from moisture and have plastic shield that traps water.
While driving for a fuel fill-up on a heavily-traveled allegheny CO (PA) four-lane road (speed approx. 30-35 mph), traffic heavy, I experienced, without prior warning, a sudden total loss of all braking effectiveness. I followed a Ford f-250 pickup into the gas station lot and brought my car (1997 Ford Taurus sdn, 90,000 miles on odometer) to a stop by smashing into the back of the truck. No one was injured. There was extensive damage to the front end of my car; inconsequential damage to the heavy-duty steel rear bumper of the truck. A sizable puddle of brake fluid was observed forming under driver's side fr door of my car, caused by sudden catastrophic rupture of one or more hydraulic brake lines on my car, resulting in total loss of all braking power. My car is now under repair to replace all rusted-out or corrosion-compromised brake system components. What if, instead of 5:15 pm on a Saturday, this catastrophic loss of brakes had occurred at 3:15 pm on a school day, with a school bus in front of me disgorging half a bus load of school kids crossing the street in front of me? believe me, the flashing red lights of the school bus would not have caused my car to stop. In over 50 yrs of driving, this is the first time I ever experienced a brake line failure, and I routinely drive a car for 10+ yrs. Have the auto mfgrs been permitted to squeeze a few more pennies of profit by adopting a cheaper, less corrosion-resistant grade of steel for the vehicle brake lines? is not the braking system of my '97 supposed to have a redundancy feature to retain some braking effectiveness in the event of loss of one of the lines? the manager of the repair shop where I took the car tells me that brake line replacement has become an increasingly common repair in this part of the snow-and-salt winter driving belt.