2003 ford taurus 208k miles how many more can i go if i take care of it?

This car has no rust its literally looking and running like brand new 208k miles nothing wrong with the engine doesn't burn oil or anything car works great its a 24 valve dohc v6 how many miles can i go if i take care of it?

The answer is It Depends. Are you the original owner? Have you kept the maintenance up since new? Has the recommended maintenance been done? (Timing Belts, etc…) In theory it can run 500,000 miles if all maintenance is done when necessary, Use good quality oil and filter, anti-freeze, keep it washed, good tires, brakes etc… The other side of the coin is, it might not make it out of the driveway tomorrow. It is all about regular maintenance and quality products.

Based on all the Taurus owner's I've worked with, the transmission is the weak point at this mileage. Never seen one go more than 225K

I had a 2000 Ford Taurus with about 140K miles on it. It was my first car and I just got rid of it this year for a 2008 Toyota Corolla. It was kind of a nightmare for me - it seemed every time it was in the shop, they'd find another $500 or $1000 repair. Finally, I took it into the shop January of this year and they said there was multiple oil leaks, a failing fuel pump, bad struts, bad muffler and exhaust. They quoted me $3400 to repair everything. My mechanic told me it wasn't going to last more than a year. I drove it for about two more months and one day when I was on the freeway, my steering jutted to the left, I smelled a really bad burning smell, and my steering wheel started shaking violently. I pulled off to the side of the road and my brakes were smoking. I got it to drive home by taking side roads, but it was really difficult and I kept having to stop to let the brakes cool down. Plus, the transmission takes a while to go into gear. I shift it into gear, and it takes about a second to go.

I used my car for pizza delivery where I was driving 80 miles per night in heavy city traffic. I took care of it with oil changes, but eventually, it just got too expensive to keep replacing parts on a car that was 15 years old. I thought I was going to be driving my Taurus until I was an old man - but it was just costing me too much money.

I loved that freaking car. I'm still building a relationship with my Corolla. But my Corolla has had no major issues except for a burnt out headlight that was about a $10 part at O'Reily. Took me 5 minutes to install. The Taurus was way more comfortable and roomy, and the 6-cylinder engine was a dream when I needed to pass someone.

I'm just sayin' - you chose to buy a Taurus - perhaps one of the most unreliable cars of the 2000s. Drive it until she dies - that's what I did. But don't be surprised if one day you start her up and she throws in the towel. Oh, and it'll be the most inconvenient day ever. My Taurus left me stranded downtown during my shift at 4 in the morning.

Theoretically, it could last forever if you literally replaced everything like some sort of frankenstein car. Eventually - you won't want to keep putting money into it. If you ever buy a new car, I'd recommend the 2002-2006 Camry or the 2003-2008 Corolla. They basically look and drive the same - but are about 10x more reliable.

Not to mention, you have a 2003 - which is the worst year for the Taurus transmission according to: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Taurus/2003/

Good luck though. Enjoy your car while it lasts - I know I did!