Gen III Problems and Reliability

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

f150fan

SHO Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2001
Messages
285
Reaction score
4
Location
Los Angeles, CA
I catch myself reading about the tranmission and Cam problems and just hope it doesn't happen to me, but what other problems have you GenIII SHO owners come across with these cars? (Excluding resale value..ugh) I hope these cars are worth their trouble being a new owner!
 

ADE 1000

New Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
46
Reaction score
0
Location
Addison, IL
Welcome to the forum. Well, the trans and cam problems are the major problems on the gen III SHO. The following is a list of other problems I have had with my '97 and the costs to repair them:


1. Front left wheel bearing failure ($550)

2. Electrical short in radio/climate control ($400)

3. Right rear brake caliper locked up ($350)

4. Front left ball joint replaced ($200)

5. All swaybar endlinks wore out ($150)

6. Center console latch breaks all the time($15 x 5)

7. Rear suspension squeaks like crazy (not sure what is causing this yet)

Overall, I like the car a lot but its reliability has been poor. I did not expect to spend this much money on it at less than 60K miles. I planned on keeping it for a long time, but with potential major problems in the future it might be replaced by car that is more reliable and less costly to fix.

I hope this not scare you to much. Overall, the SHO is a fast comfortable car that is a great deal for the money on the used market. Chances are you will not experience the problems I faced or the trans or engine problems. There are many owners out there with high mileage trouble free 3rd gen SHOs.




------------------
1997 Silver Frost Taurus SHO
- Borla Exhaust
- K&N Panel Filter

2001 Quicksilver Corvette Z06
- B&M Ripper with Momo Combat ****
- !CAGS
 

TheBigEgg

New Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2001
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
They aren't THAT costly if you can work on things yourself. I've only had my car in for repairs twice, once I thought it was the tranny, and the second turned out to be the torque converter. If you have Ford Peformance Specialists rebuild your transmission (when it goes) not only will you save money, but it will last a lot longer than a normal rebuild. I had mine rebuilt just because the tranny was out anyway. Total cost was $3500. My tranny had 80k on it and the mechanic said it looked brand new, I was amazed how it looked. The cams could be a problem but they give you a pretty good warning it seems. I have 80k+ on mine and it doesn't make that cam "tick". I don't know if I have a freek car or what, but I saw the bottom of the engine when the oil pan gasket was off and everything still looks new. Who knows, maybe next time I drive my car everything will go. I wouldn't be as worried as you are about it. They just need to be maintained a little more than an average car.

------------------
97 White SHO
UDP, Bullets, K&N, Gutted MAF, No Res, FPS tranny

94 Tbird V8
Stock, Soon- Flowmasters and Bilstiens
 

OzzmanNT

New Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2001
Messages
317
Reaction score
14
Location
Dinwiddie, VA
So far no problems but if they come up I'll fix it. It is the most unique/fastest car around these parts. If anything happens to mine looks like i'll have to drive 500miles to FPS oh well. This car is too much fun anyways

------------------
1998 Burgandy SHO (Tan/Mocha leather)
K&N panel filter
Mobil 1 5W-30 Synthetic Oil
Cool Blue headlights (much brighter than stock and look much better)
OBD-II diagnostic Module (this thing is schweet)
Installing ride control switch soon
Upcoming Mods:
-Borla Exhaust (working with a local muffler shop on this)
-Paint brake capilers (or polish them)
-Colgan Bra
-SHO lettering on the doors
-Upgrade intake system
-and probally a few more as I think of them.
OzzmanNT( mailto:eek:[email protected][email protected]</A> AIM: OzzmanSHO)
 

stephen newberg

SHO Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2001
Messages
3,370
Reaction score
398
Location
Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Well, so far everything has been covered by the original warranty, and now I am onto the 3 more years of the ESP, so my repair costs have been zero. A few things have been done:

1. Front sway bar end links replaced.

2. Front brake calibers replaced.

3. Serpentine belt replaced.

4. Wheels replaced due to chrome peeling.

There have been a few other little things, like the motor that does the radio antenna and those plastic inserts that cover the weld zones on the roof. But in general, the car has been pretty trouble free over its first 3+ years. The trans breakdown problem seems to only happen very quickly or to the people that really work it hard at the stoplights a lot. The cam problem is a new item and has only been reported by a few people, and we do not know the treatment of their motors prior to the problem.

In general, I find it a very reliable car. And thus far my costs have been about as low as one could hope. At about 70,000, at the moment.

pax, smn

------------------
'98, Black
Mod.Porter intake, K&N panel, SARC cutout, instrumentation cluster, 23mm rear swaybar, 245x50x16 Bridgestone Potenzas
 
9

98BigSHO

Guest
Bought mine at 65K..... Research maintenace record from ford. No warranty work has been done to it since it was built. One owner prior to me.

I have 77K on it and still running strong.

The only problem in my horizen I can see is front struts (found one developing a leak)
frown.gif


Easy fix with high price tag... can anyone get me a deal on two front strut (SARC)



------------------
Mac's 98 SHO
newshopic1_small.jpg

Pictures: http://www.iland.net/~blueoval
 

myshonuff

New Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2001
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Location
orlando,florida,usa
i purchased a 96 sho about six months ago.the car is very comfortable to ride but the prospects of future repair cost is crazy.first the low end pick up is not even close to the yamaha six cylinder sho.thats one of the things that ****** me off.2 then i heard about the potential problems with the cams and that really put the nail on the coffin.i sold it and now im driving my 93 sho atx and loving it.it feels great knowing that if the timing belt goes my engine will be alright just have to reset timing and alls fine.on the other hand on the 96 v8 weak low end pickup and just about every part costs an arm and a leg to repair even doing it yourself.its ashame ford could not have continued making the six cylinder yamaha engine in the new model shos.good luck .and by the way the one i sold had 34000 miles but i was not going to take a chance on the cams or transmission or whatever else might go wrong and to top it off the low end pickup sucks.
 

CMurderSHO

New Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Messages
138
Reaction score
0
Location
pittsburgh,pa usa
go to http://209.217.44.39/ which is cincy sho and they have front or rear pairs of sarc struts for $155. If you are doing the struts you may want to do the roush springs also. go to http://www.tauruscarclub.com/ for a discount on the roush springs which are stiffer and lower the car 1 1/2". The instal is a little time consuming because you have to take apart the whole suspension to remove the struts. but well worth it. you can see pics of the lowered car at my site. I have 60k and have only had one major problem which was the tranny. I bought the car used and had no warrenty but my dealership covered $1500 of the $2000 bill for the new tranny. Other then the tranny and stuts spring replacement i have had no problems with my 96. And the low end is not as bad as it is talked about because I will take on anyone with a gen II ATX. I have had both and they are very close in performance.

------------------

/1996taurussho/
96 silver frost
18" asa js5 wheels
225/45/18 continentals
bullet turbos 3 1/2" tips
open K&N filter
powerslot slotted rotors
superchips chip
asp underdrives
 

ADE 1000

New Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2001
Messages
46
Reaction score
0
Location
Addison, IL
Originally posted by myshonuff:
i purchased a 96 sho about six months ago.the car is very comfortable to ride but the prospects of future repair cost is crazy.first the low end pick up is not even close to the yamaha six cylinder sho.thats one of the things that ****** me off.2 then i heard about the potential problems with the cams and that really put the nail on the coffin.i sold it and now im driving my 93 sho atx and loving it.it feels great knowing that if the timing belt goes my engine will be alright just have to reset timing and alls fine.on the other hand on the 96 v8 weak low end pickup and just about every part costs an arm and a leg to repair even doing it yourself.its ashame ford could not have continued making the six cylinder yamaha engine in the new model shos.good luck .and by the way the one i sold had 34000 miles but i was not going to take a chance on the cams or transmission or whatever else might go wrong and to top it off the low end pickup sucks.

All this talk of a lack of low end torque is nonsense. For such a high revving motor low end torque is not bad in my opinion. The main problem is that the car is too heavy.

In any case, I'd also take on a gen II ATX any day. I think there is no question that a gen III is as fast or faster than a gen II ATX at any speed.

------------------
1997 Silver Frost Taurus SHO
- Borla Exhaust
- K&N Panel Filter

2001 Quicksilver Corvette Z06
- B&M Ripper with Momo Combat ****
- !CAGS
 

myshonuff

New Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2001
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Location
orlando,florida,usa
yea the low end is just the same as the atx thats why vadim is working on ablower to help the low end on the v8 .i have owned both the v6 and the v8 and the difference in low end pickup is very noticable and it does not make sense considering we are talking about a v8 againt a v6.in my opinion the v6 is all sho and is years ahead in durability and quality compared to the half ford half yamaha v8.but i guess to each his own.and the v6 YAMAHA IS NOT AN INTERFEARENCE ENGINE.
 

SCOTTDW

New Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
305
Reaction score
0
Location
Memphis, TN, USA
I am approcahing 37,000 miles on my 98 model and have had two warranty items. I had to have the CD changer replaced and the right rear tail light assembly leaked so they replaced the whole unit. Best sedan I have ever owned.
Scott
98 SHO SF
Magnaflows 3" tips
K&N Panel
 

ncmcn

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2001
Messages
99
Reaction score
3
Location
Cumberland, RI, USA
My 99 just turned 30K. So far, the engine has been silent and bullet-proof. No squeaks or rattles. No repairs.

But, it would seem that I'm developing a warped rotor up front. I know this can be typical of late model Fords, but this concerns me because I'm particularly good on brakes....

Ahhh, probably just a good excuse to upgrade anyways....
biggrin.gif


------------------
Neil
'99 Black - Last of the Breed
'65 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C Replica
http://neil.mcnulty.org/cobra.htm
 

scrcmull

New Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
rochester,mass
I'm approaching 112,000 so far so good on a '97. As a matter of fact I recently had it's yearly inspections done and the guy said the motor ran as well as a " new " engine...emissions-wise. He said it was the easiest to test on the emmissions dyno he had ever done....:)
 

SHO-FLY

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2001
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Location
Nashua, NH
My 98 is the best car I've owned so far. Thank god for an Extended Warranties, replaced the front ball joints. Other than that it's been great with the mods it's a real BMW Killer. WIth the folllowing mods I think it's rocket:

Drilled CATS
SHOshop 3rd car remove
Custom Bent mandrel Pipe
Bullett Polished SS mufflers w/ 3.5 Tips
Porterized induction
TS Motorsports 7.5x18 245/45 Goodyear F1's
FUSE VSL's "keeps them guesssing at night"
6x9 Kicker sub in rear deck & 12 Kicker in trunk
Tinted 35% all the way around


------------------
Seth McCall
SHO-FLY
 

SHO me the way

New Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2001
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
Ga
Just wrote alot of stuff here...the password i got in my email didn't work...oh well
 

SHO me the way

New Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2001
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
Ga
Hey folks .

I'll start off by saying I'm lovin my 96 ebony satin beyond any material possession I've ever owned . The great handling , the comfortability , the speed , it's one **** of an amazing car . I've had it nearly a year and uppped the milage from 66 , 000 to 80 , 000 , but I've changed jobs recently and hoping to keep my milage down , and give me a few more years on teh scenic windy routes rather than the boring road to work .

What else , Oh...I am intent on doing some customizing to her , so I'll be checking out this board . All I ave done is replace the tires with Goodrich Comp T/A's . I also want it to make an evil hum , i wannna make some noise .
cool.gif


I boought the car from my stepmom . She says it had ben to the dealer alot on recalls , but I haven't seen any records . She says it was a demo car , whatever that means .

I think I will ask her , just to know a little more about it . She kept care of it , stilll in ultimate condition (barring when I thru a smoke out and it landed in the backseat , pretty big spot on the leather , like someone dropped a doob) .
redface.gif
I wanna fix that too .

It is the car for me . I wanted some speed but didn't want a sportscar , this sedan fits me perfectly .

I've had no troubles with her . She never had troubles with it . It's been serviced by trusty mechanics ever since . Although one think kinda wigs me out:

When i am in reverse doing a turn on a hill (I.E. my driveway) , i hear a lite squeak coming from under . Anybody know if any future problems could come from this?

nice cars Ya'll ,

tony
 

stephen newberg

SHO Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2001
Messages
3,370
Reaction score
398
Location
Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Your underbody noise could be a lot of things. Most likely would be something like the sway bar bushings. Is it rythmic or do you get it as the car suspension reacts to bumps and such?

A lot of the SHOs went to various Ford executives as cars for them to drive as part of their employment packages. This is probably what was meant by Demo. If you ask at your Ford dealership, they should be able to get you details about this, as well as pull up the complete maintenance record on the car for you.

pax, smn

------------------
'98, Black
Mod.Porter intake, K&N panel, SARC cutout, instrumentation cluster, 23mm rear swaybar, 245x50x16 Bridgestone Potenzas
 

SHO me the way

New Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2001
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
Ga
Yeah , the noise is reacting to whatever surfaces i drive on . I am thikning it may do it even during a drive , but wouldn;t be able to hear it then .

My SHO doesn't have the emblem on side door panel , only on the back end . As i recall , the usualy 96 SHO suspect has them on the side too . That was the only demo change i saw , yer probably right . Or maybe the car was at a show or something . Thanks for the info , so all i have to do is pop by the dealer . They should give me no hard time about obtaining those records .

Are sway bar bushing one of those scary repair cost situations??

Coincidently , opened my door today with alot more force than what I am use too using , from the outside . So i guess that's another problem .

tony
 

stephen newberg

SHO Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2001
Messages
3,370
Reaction score
398
Location
Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Sway bar bushings are cheap, and putting them in not all that hard. So no real problem there.

The SHO maker on the side of the cars are additions made by owners. None came from the factory that way. The SHO symbol can be purchased very cheaply from Ford, and it makes a simple, rather good looking mod.

Sounds like your doors need hinge greasing. If you just started driving the car, it is a great time to go over everything that might have been neglected, like hinges, CAB filters, etc. It is the small things that tend to get missed, and that can be very annoying.

Best of luck. It is really and excellent car and I hope you get a lot of good miles from it.

pax, smn

------------------
'98, Black
Mod.Porter intake, K&N panel, SARC cutout, instrumentation cluster, 23mm rear swaybar, 245x50x16 Bridgestone Potenzas
 

Forum statistics

Threads
107,174
Messages
1,182,172
Members
16,216
Latest member
hosbaldosho

Members online

No members online now.
Back
Top