An in-depth look of the history of Ford Taurus SHO starting with first generation SHO to the 4th generation. The video also covers reliability and buying guide of the SHO. #jionidrive #fordtaurus #taurussho #ecoboost
@TrevorZ, I appreciate the feedback. I'm trying to make decent videos that are worth it for the viewers. But I'm also a fan of the cars that I reveiw. Thank you for watching.
My first car at 16 was a 2011 SHO. Saved up and bought a used one in 2014 with 36k miles. That car has over 200k on it now with the original engine, turbos, trans, and ptu. Ran AMSOIL fluids ever since I got it. Oil every 5k, PTU every 30k, and trans every 50k. Maintenance is key
@jtoddk98, at 16 with 365hp? You probably had the fastest car in high school! Congrats on affording the car at 16 and learning how to maintain it. Put another 100k miles on it! Thank you for watching and for the feedback! It’s always nice to hear from real owners. Keep enjoying the ride!
@TrevorZ, enjoy the ride for SHO! In sport mode, it’s a different beast. But if I owned one, I would put an aftermarket intake and exhaust to open it up in terms of air-flow and improve the sound.
I bought a black '16 new back then and still have it. As soon as I brought it home (27 miles on it), I put a CAI, changed the 2bar to a 3bar, cold .038 gapped plugs, tuned it from unleashed tuning. It surprises alot of people who ride in it to those who want to run with it lol. Very comfortable ride, alot of trunk space as well. When I'm on the interstate people usually pull out of the left lane thinking it's a cop car 🤣. Cops usually wave at me too lol.
@nashvillelewis-jones5666, 😂 it’s a car that gets you to your destination quick. If the cops wave at you, I might need one myself! Thanks for watching. Enjoy the the ride!
This is a good review and true to the advantages and disadvantages of this car. I currently own a 2014 SHO and have had it for 5 years, and have put about 60k miles on it since I bought it. (It has about 80k miles on it now.) I changed the PTU oil and get regular oil changes, approximately every 3-5k miles with synthetic oil. It has been very reliable to me and I love the car...it is very quick. Anything that can do 0-60 in under 6 seconds is pretty quick. But the fuel economy and performance will diminish over the years due to carbon buildup on the intake valves. I am scheduling a walnut blast to these valves to clean them and while not cheap, it is not overly expensive and I recommend this service to your viewers. I have spoken to other Ford owners that have had this done with their EcoBoost engines and they do not regret it.
@Martin McIntyre, thanks a lot for watching and for sharing your experience! Due you change the PTU fluid yourself? Have done any modifications? Thanks for mentioning the carbon buildup since I did not mention it on the video! It seems to be a common issue with ecoboost engines.
@@JioniDrive No, I have this done by the Ford dealer. I am a city dweller and don't have a garage. So needless to say all of the maintenance I have done by someone else. No mods on the car so far, but I would love to get a DIY bundle from Livernois Motorsport in Michigan. Many SHO owners get great HP and torque gains from a Stage 1 package, and that is around $1k if your are willing to do the work. Like a couple of hours.
I did that to mines blast values. Keeping up w the maintenance is key w the sho. Probably spent 4k in 2yrs, not bad considering I drive 120plus a day Monday to Friday
@davidsanchez4164, I’m glad you found the video to be informative. I was worried the video was too long but overall, the feedback has been positive. Thank you for watching! I appreciate your time.
@@JioniDrive your video on the SHO is the best by far. And I've watched a lot of them, and yours answered all my questions that I had in mind. Thanks for making that video.
@@Santu1939 I did not mention carbon buildup in the intake valves due to fuel injection. It can slightly affect the Performance. But overall, I think they are wonderful cars especially if you live in a snowy area.
I had a '90 Taurus SHO. I loved it, even though it was a total lemon. The engine made up for everything. 220 HP at 7200 RPM from a 3.0 liter V6 in 1990 without a turbo was unheard of. Yamaha can make some amazing engines.
Fun fact: When Yamaha got done with the 3rd gen 3.4L V8, it produced a little over 300HP that redlined at 8000rpm. However, Ford did not have an automatic transmission that could handle the power or torque. So, Ford de-tuned it to 235HP. Imagine the feelings the 3rd gen would conjur if Ford produced better transmissions in the day. 😢
@jb40now47, oh man, that was a waste of a good engine. They should have taken a manual transmission from a Mustang and slap it on there. Or make a special mustang with 3.4L. Thanks for the info.
I bought a brand new 2014 SHO and kept her for 7 years - I even modified it with a Gearhead tune, CAI, exhaust system, etc - got it to 495 Horsepower and 515 ft lbs! Guess what? Not ONE issue with this car ever! OH, except there was a recall on the PTU which the dealer replaced for free. That's it - a perfect car and I enjoyed it very much! 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
Bought a 2013 mks with the 3.5 ecoboost and 73k. Ran synthetic oil changed at 5k intervals. Motor and both turbos blew at 80k. Jumped time. Had a warranty from the used lot i bought it from. So the motor and turbo were replaced. Turbos were new and motor had 38k. When the car was a bit over 100k the water pump went out. Had it repaired and the timing chain done. I now have 142k on the car and powertrain has had no more issues. I have replaced front wheel bearings twice, a tie rod end, and two stabilizers on the rear. Not cheap!
@johncoperland8852, thanks for sharing. Good thing you had a warranty and the warranty company actually paid for engine replacement. It is not a cheap car to own but it is a fun car. Keep enjoying it.
Excellenr video. Great information skillfully shot and edited. Bravo. I have a 2011 Limited wth new water pump issues ao it iant long for this world. Looking into a 2015 SHO...your video helped!
@MotleyDeth, I’m glad the video was helpful. I think 2013 or newer for SHO are better because of the updates. Hopefully the one you’re considering has all the maintenance done. Or do a pre-purchase inspection. All the best with the SHO.
I love my low 11sec SHO. Made about 600hp before I went full built motor with bigger turbos. You can’t beat the sleeper aspect of a family car that can hang with hellcats/corvettes while using the messaging seats. 🤷♂️
@@JioniDrive possibly, I did also have a ghost cam in the tune that gave it a cam lope so they may have know it’s not stock. Don’t know yet what it makes, still breaking in the new built motor before seeing what it will do.
I had a regular Taurus and even that car was peppy and fast, until the transmission took a dump. It was all of a sudden, the tranny just died one day. I always maintain my vehicles, tuning, fluids etc. Still I liked that car.
Nice review, man The other Taurus’ just don’t compare to the SHO frfr They (the other Taurus’ too not just the SHO) have to be really great cars simply due to the fact that a lot of police departments still use them We’ll definitely see less of them since Ford no longer makes them 😢 The SHO rims gotta be the most distinct rims out there
i started out in a 3rd gen SHO and have an engine for one waiting to be put in a swap car. haven't decided on that yet. i have been looking for the right 4th gen for a long time and i think i might pull the trigger on one. have always loved SHOs. and i would also like to find a 1st gen with the manual as well but they are getting harder to find. clean ones anyway.
@EmilyS15213, they’re are great cars. I would not mind owning the 1st generation SHO. The 4th Gen is a different beast compared to the older ones. Thank you for watching and good luck with the purchase of the 4th Gen SHO.
@Willem Allen, they’re great cars if they’re are well maintained. You can find a nice one at around $20k. But I would also recommend test driving a Cadillac CTS VSport. It’s a twin turbo V6 with 400 hp and rear wheel drive.
My 2015 SHO has already gone through epas rack, oil leak on the timing chain cover, front struts with only 57xxxkms. And then there's regular wear and tear, brakes all four corners and tires.
I had a 2013 for a few years, put 60k on it. My favorite all around car I have owned. It was practical, great in the snow, and just super fun. I sold it to get something with better mpg but i will definitely buy another one in a few years
@@adamowens5507 make sure to change the ptu fluid every like 15k. Make sure the water pump is good too. Preferably replaced already because its spendy haha
@@JioniDrive Yeah, I’m thinking about stuff in that category, fun modern daily driver that can move a family and be exciting too. Thinking about a bunch of cars in that category, including the Focus ST. I’m 41 now, had nothing but manuals my whole life, wondering if I want another manual, or something more mature like a big auto sedan.
I've got a Black 2016 myself ... just getting to 35,000 miles. Non-PP with H&R lowering springs, K&N air filter and cold air intake, straight piped the resonator/third cat, Flowmaster 40 Series race mufflers out back ... 415 HP, Torque @ 397. Always run it with traction control off to get the all wheel drive balanced out better .. I don't drive crazy. The Ecoboost engine is pretty decent in stock configuration. But even with these sort of basic mods, gets downright frisky. Kind of jumpy. Wants to run, like, all the time. The lowering springs do wonders for the handling. No torque steer, no dive. Superior highway cruiser and one damn good daily driver. Under the radar, but somehow or other, people don't usually hold me up. Next stop? Steeda Motorsports to see about some tuning options ... think it has the same Gen 2 EcoBeast as the wife's 2017 Explorer Sport.
@Mitch Miller, damn.. 35k miles, it’s almost new! I bet the H&R springs improves the suspension quite a bit. I felt that it needed better air flow and I’m pretty sure straight pipes opened it up. How much power are you aiming for?
@@JioniDrive Yeah, Bro ... kinda lucked out. Got it in March 2019 with just 14K. Then comes COVID and been pretty much been working from home since ... except for monthly meetings, like Wednesday when I caught a damn nail in my rear driver's side tire. 😠 Wanted to stop @ Steeda in Pompano Beach, dammit! ... but had to rush home (30 hwy. miles) after busting out the portable Husky compressor. Home Depot. Get one. It'll save your bacon one day. 😉 And crazy as it sounds, I'm good with my bolt-on power level, though I'm guessing ECU upgrade, 3-map sensor, and thermostat - maybe spark plugs, hopefully gets me to 460-470? Fine with me. I'm sure a few more WRXs, Si's, Evos & Golf Rs out there to increase the gap on. And Jetta GLs. 🙄 Believe that? FL Turnpike ... always wanna race me. 🏁 Still giving them surprise Ls. (😲 what just happened!?) Cost-wise, seems decent bang-for-buck & a quite common upgrade in the SHO community. I'll let you know! ✌
Got my 2017 sho 2 years ago. Only problem I had was a 02 senor. Got it w 60k. Now I'm at 106k . Very reliable I think. Every 2nd oil change I pay for w.e maintenance I need. Overall probably spent like 4k in maintenance not bad considering I drive 120 plus miles a day Monday to Friday. Love the car so much thinking about refinancing, trade up to 2019 sho. If not keep the 1 have, pay it off n mod it out. It's a scat pack killer n I be pissing of hellcat owners once I dropped the sho in sports mode off the line 💯💯💯👺🦿🦾💨💨
Adaptive cruise control is not available with the PP. That is why I passed the on the PP. you can always upgrade the brakes and suspension on the non-PP and have just as much performance. The non-PP is also a little faster.
2013 SHO was my wife's. Always serviced by Ford dealer. Lasted to 168,000 miles when the water pump started leaking. She loved the car so she spent $4800.00 at ford dealer to have timing chain/water pump service done. 6 days after getting the car back from repairs, one of the turbo chargers blew an oil seal. What a total waste of $4800.00. We sold it at CoPart. Never again will I put that kind of money into a high mileage car.
I find the timing that when your SHO was in service, the turbo charger failed. I don’t trust dealerships, and you never know if they tampered with something or if there’s a reason that the turbo failed when they were doing whatever work they need to be completed. I’ve heard stories like yours before, and others have had had similar experiences after they had maintenance completed. I just find it, oddly coincidental of the timing that the turbo fails at the same time the car was in for service.
Very nice car but I think I prefer the Australian made Ford Falcon I the FG & FGX. It would be interesting to get a comparison of the Taurus SHO and Falcon G6E Turbo / XR6 Turbo.
@deanjohnson712, I’m not familiar with Falcon. I will have to go watch some RU-vid videos to educate myself. But I would also like to see the comparison between American made vs Australian made Ford.
@@JioniDrive Ford bought the ugly Taurus to Australia but it didn’t sell well. Mainly because of it’s looks, size and performance when compared to the EL Falcon / Fairmont. Perhaps if it was one of the other models it may have been a different story.
A great fun fast car if it didn't have constant issues lol. Especially the Water Pump and Coolant issue that is bound to happen on these same models. If you can get it on very low mileages, then it would do some justice. One great thing about these models are how easy and affordable prices to upgrade and kick some mopar-boats! SHOs are lethal when upgraded.
@I’ll fight u in Comments, I agree; buying a high mileage one is throwing money away. Similar to buying high mileage Audi. At least parts for Ford are a little bit cheaper compared to German made cars.
I have a 2017 sho. 2yrs of having it, got it w 60k miles, now have 106k. I drive 120 plus miles a day. Only problem I had w mines o2 sensor. Besides maintenance, tires etc. Probably spent under 4k in maintenance in 2yrs. Never had the problems you're saying.. my guess, ppl have the problems you're saying because of poor maintenance checked. I don't just get a oil change, I get everything done w e pops up on the computer.
You did a great job on your presentation on your video. You should take very much pride in your video. You were very informative and I never give any positive feedback. I want you to know that good job I’m not a subscriber.
@thetruth7453, thank you for the feedback! I appreciate your time and honesty. Hopefully one day, I will present a better video that will convince you to subscribe. :). But in all seriousness, thank you for watching!
@mathewmoore661, I did not see a pattern of head gasket failures with the 3.5 Ecoboost. However, with the water pump failures, I’m sure there are quite a few failed head gaskets.
@@Zambineaux305nothing engine wise just some normal suspension replacements like Tie Tods, Shocks, & Struts but she’s still running strong 150k on the dash I’m definitely not gonna sell or trade her just add a pickup truck I live up north the winters are harsh.
@@the_p.s.a6384 Thanks for the info bro 😎 a lot of people here are saying they had problems with the water pumps and someone even mentioned a power steering issue 😪 lol but I want one so bad. I see quite a few SHO’ on CarFax and CarGurus
@madarauzumaki3703, they are still out there and the prices are not too bad. I think we will see prices decrease a little bit more going forward. Keep looking and eventually you will find the right SHO for you. Thanks for watching!
Well, from my research, the 3.5 EcoBoost is a reliable engine but it is not perfect. Some of the common issues are not particular to this engine but are found in other engine, even from other manufacturers, that use the same technology. For instance, the Carbon build up is common with direct injected cars; a downside to direct injection technology rather than the engine itself. -Oil blow-by in the intake and MAF is also common with the EcoBoost but all it needs is a cleaning. But you can add a catch-can. This issue is common with cars from different manufacturers. -Spark plugs probably need to be changed more often than Ford recommend. Turbos put a lot of stress to the ignition system due to high cylinder pressure. Turbos also produce a lot of heat which can shorten the lifespan of some engine components. -Timing chain is probably the only issue particular to this engine but it is seen more in the F-150 (maybe because there are millions of F-150s on the road). -People who own SHO are aware of how maintenance heavy the car is. There are frequent fluid changes and spark plugs. Heat is a major cause of fluid degradation in these engines and the PTU. Ford has continued to improve the engine and in 2nd GEN 3.5 EcoBoost, they added port injection on top of direct injection to eliminate carbon build up. But I think the engine is reliable. You should compare it to BMW twin turbo engines failure rate or maintenance required.
@@JioniDrive my 2010 MKS ecoboost has 109,000 on it. i had the PTU done at 100 K, but only because of the internet, nit because Ford advised it, as they SHOULD on these cars. i change oil every 5K and only use Mobil 1 euro long distance. my engine has never had any issues but the build was horrific. leather cracking and fading, separation of center console materials...even the dash top has recently degraded to the point it is covered with a rug. ford quality has really become the worst. what is this you say about the vectoring of the AWD system. i never new this was possible
@@paulpellico3797 I thought the MKS would have a better interior than the Taurus. After all, it is supposed to be the premium brand. The leather is cheap in the Taurus but I wasn't expecting Lexus quality in a Taurus. The MKS on the other hand should have high quality comparable to other premium brands. In terms of torque vectoring, Ford does it the cheap way. It uses 'brake vectoring' and all it does is apply some brake force on the outside front wheel when accelerating through a corner. My mistake, no 4 AWD vectoring. But the AWD system does transfer 50% of power to the rear drive unit (RDU) when front wheel slip is detected or a heavy throttle is applied from a dead stop. When the front wheels gain traction, it will transfer power back to Front wheel dive unit. Majority of the time, the car is FWD only. Instead of using torque vectoring, this system uses clutch pack mounted in the rear that disengage the drive shaft from rear diff. The PTU and drive shaft are always spinning. I think it is still a good idea to maintain the tires and alignment. Thank you for pointing out some misinformation on my video. It is feedback from people like you that help me improve my content.
@@JioniDrive thanks for taking all this time with me. the lincoln came with bridge of weir leather...and at first seemed better than any luxuy car goin. but sadly, the drivesears and passenger all had poor cracking and even spotting. had to re-skin the arm rest panel gaps horrible...but that i can live withas long as the build was solid. i ceramic coat my car every two yeas and hand wash weekly with coatings. look...i silllove the lxo-barge. even had a tunebuilt for itnow running 445 HP and 455 pft torque. i would by another but make it the SHO because the trunk opening is more usable. thanks for you time and look forward toyour future
@Skubee Raw, sadly we might see an electric Taurus in the future… but it might be a while before the road is full of electrics. As a fan of manual transmission, the world is changing fast. Thank you for watching!
These were good cars however they failed miserably in the crusher. For some reason these cars don’t look very good busted down. I bought my 2013 SHO new back then. I sold it after a saw a 2014 crushed at a Tampa FL junkyard. I just didn’t feel safe in it anymore.
