# 2001 Ford Taurus Steering Noise

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-ford-taurus-steering-noise/2583>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** steering, taurus\
**Created:** [August 3, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-ford-taurus-steering-noise/2583 "2007-08-03T18:47:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![raybos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@raybos](https://community.cartalk.com/u/raybos)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-ford-taurus-steering-noise/2583/1 "2007-08-03T18:47:44Z")

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I bought a used 2001 Taurus SW (24 valve eng) 2.5 years ago, with 60k miles on it. I have 82k miles on it now. It’s making a creaking noise when I turn the steering wheel, mostly to the right. I know the steering rack was changed before I bought it. What’s the noise from? Is it the steering rack, the power steering pump? Will the steering eventually fail if not repaired? The power steering fluid was overfilled and I took some out recently.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-ford-taurus-steering-noise/2583/2 "2007-08-03T18:58:16Z")

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It’s impossible to tell without a hands on look, but it could be a bad ball joint, tie rod end, or something like that.

Yes, this could fail and cause you to crash. get it looked at.

- mountainbike

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**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-ford-taurus-steering-noise/2583/3 "2007-08-03T19:06:36Z")

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I had the same noise on my 91 Taurus (35k miles) and 98 Windstar (57k miles). In both cases, it was the tie rod ends. The creaking was most noticeable a low speeds turning the steering wheel (i.e. backing out of a parking space). There are no grease fittings on the ball joints and tie rods. My mechanic was able to grease the tie rod ends on the Windstar using a needle (?) fitting. The tie rods were still holding up when I sold the Windstar with 99k a few years later.

Ed B.