I know Ford has had some serious problems with Taurus trannies... my Mom had one rebuilt with Ford chipping in half under a "secret" warranty program.
Another buddy of mine has a 1997 that is looking like it will need some tranny work. Is '97 one of the "bad" years ? He's a guy on a fixed income and if he can get Ford to chip in for the work, that would be terrific for him.
Thanks for any insight, Bob