So in the confines of the following comments as a former Ford Senior Master Tech, a 100 lifetimes ago (I walked away for much greener worlds in 2000 and never looked back):  

I appreciate the fiscal opportunities that era Taurus, Sable, Continental (don't forget about the Lincoln bastard of that platform) and the early Windstars afforded me.

Through most of the 1990's until Ford (Jaques Nasser may fucks be upon him) decided to "re-figure" the warranty times for everything and screw over every technician at every dealership in North America, it was not uncommon to book 50-60 hours a week (Flat Rate) primarily based on just work from that vehicle platform:

AXOD/AXODE in the 3.8: Just bad design application, 30 years later I could still do one in my sleep. Funny, in my second career I worked with another Engineer who got his start at Borg-Warner who was actually the original design house for the AXOD. They even warned Ford that the 3.8 was outside of the torque limits for that AXOD design. Remember, that AXOD started when it was only the 2.5 and 3.0 and you almost never saw a 3.0 fail it's transmission. AXOD-E starting modulating the torque converter lock up and that just made it worse on the O/D band which was the primary failure point.

3.8 Head Gaskets: I paid for my first mortgage in 3.8 head gaskets. The best working theory always has been that harmonics from the front end accessory drive transmitted through the large retention bolt in the transverse mounting, which caused the premature blow out between the two cylinders. You rarely ever saw 3.8 in a traditional application (Mustang, Aerostar and a few others) ever blow that head gasket.

92S61: The subframe falling out problem... that was always fun and did them by the 1000's. The rear subframe bolts would rot and the subframe could drop out. Add new hardware, the giant plate and if needed, cut the floors open to replace the captured nut.. trust me after SLTS was re-figured, odd how every one needed that level of repair then,  

A/C lines: Almost an annual replacement

P/S lines: ugh...still have nightmares and still have the "special wrench" fabricated to tighten them (you'd use a dewalt to cut the lines off, then a socket to remove the flair fitting)

Motor Mounts: 3 years at most, plus when they break since the motor is lifting about 8 inches every time you put in gear, it's ripping other stuff

Disc Variation Thickness, aka pedal pulsation: I still have F2DZ-1125-A burned in my conscious (that is the p/n for the 2nd gen front discs). Until then then started with the "on-car" lathe but, people would still just blast the wheels back on with an impact and warp the heads.

EATC head unit: 2 years and the buttons would wash out and collapse on themselves

And it goes on and on and on.. then with Continental you added the Air-Suspension to the mix.

Frankly, they were good-shitty cars. I know that makes zero sense but, compared against Lumina and other offerings they weren't out of line for the era.  

You take a 3.0 (not a 3.8) Tauri or Sable, basic climate control, basic everything and it'll survive nuclear war.

Biggest automotive regret of my life was getting rid of my 92 SHO around 98, but I just didn't want to deal with the "Taurus" problems.

When I met my wife her dad has an '88 Taurus. Calf shit brown, very rusted. Family had been telling him the transmission was slipping for 2 years. Being a farmer he said "Keep fluid in the fucker and it will run forever". It was the family loaner. I drove it for a year, trans leak getting worse the whole time. Same thing. "Keep fluid in it".

Ignition problem arose, blew the catalytic converter off. $50 in junkyard parts and a straight pipe. Transmission still leaking.

He drove it for 2 years and hit a deer. Big doe, put her head through the windshield. She pulled her head out of the hole and ran away to die elsewhere.

He taped plexiglass over the hole with mailing tape. Drove it for another 2 years, transmission still leaking. "Just keep fluid in it".

He hit a 6 point buck. Hit him so hard he threw the deer back into the dich he came from. Punctured the radiator, leaked out his coolant. Overheated the car getting home.

That fucking transmission was still working when he drove it onto the trailer to haul it to the junkyard.

I sawed the antlers off, mounted them on a plaque with the Ford badge from the car and gave them to him.