1990 Ford Taurus Engine Problems

VEHICLE STALLS ON HIGHWAY AND WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP. ENGINE CHECK AND BATTERY LIGHTS COME ON AS A WARNING SIGNS. VEHICLE LOSES ALL STEERING AND BRAKES WHEN IT STALLS. MANUFACTURER IS DOING NOTHING AT THIS TIME TO REMEDY SITUATION. *AK CONSUMER STATES BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, HOWEVER BOTH THE BATTERY AND ENGINE LIGHTS STILL ILLUMINATE, CONSUMER HAS SPENT OVER 1000 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS, AND VEHICLE STILL IS NOT REMEDIED. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING ON A HOT DAY ENGINE WILL STALL WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO STOP VEHICLE, AND LET ENGINE COOL OFF. THEN, RESTART VEHICLE AGAIN.*AK

FORD HAS FAILED TO FIX HEAD GASKET PROPERLY AFTER FAILURE OF ORIGINAL COMPONENT. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL APPLICABLE TO OTHER FORD 3.8 L ENGINES. *AK

THIS IS THE 3RD HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN 2 1/2 YEARS OF THIS TYPE ENGINE!

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE DIDN'T PASS EMISSION TEST. CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES ENTERED VEHICLE AND CONSUMER GOT SICK. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, IT STALLED, AND EVERYTHING CUT OFF. NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES SO FAR.*AK *YH

TRANSMISSION CAN'T TAKE HILLS, TRANSMISSION HAS TO BARE DOWN GOING UP HILL, AND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS AROUND MAIN SEAL. THIS WILL BLEED TRANSMISSION DRY. CONSUMER HAD IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION COMPANY, AND HAD IT REBUILT AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. THEN 6 MONTHS LATER, TRANMISSION FLUID IS LEAKING OUT AGAIN.*AK CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A LOSS OF HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONER. WINDHSHIELD WIPERS WORK POORLY. DRIVER SEATBELT IS DEFECTIVE. ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. *SLC

THE TRANSMISSION HAS EXTENDED SHIFTS EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT RECENTLY BEGAN DOWNSHIFTING HARD, AND UPSHIFTS VERY QUICKLY, SOMETIMES ROUGHLY UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION. THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE SINCE PURCHASE IN 1996.*AK

THE EGR SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *SLC

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE JAN 1994; IT HAD 78,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. IN THE LAST YEAR I HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH NO RESOLUTION. FRONT CENTER SEAT BELT BUCKLE BUTTON REMAINS DEPRESSED AND WILL NOT RETURN TO THE TOP POSITION MAKING IT UNUSEABLE AS A RESTRAINT. TAILGATE LATCH HAS BROKEN OFF DEEP INSIDE THE DOOR AND WILL NO LONGER LATCH. CATALYTIC CONVERTER "RAM'S HORN" BURNED OUT IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR; STARTED ENGINE AND BARELY AVOIDED SERIOUS ENGINE FIRE AS RESULT OF CONVERTER FAILURE. CAR SURGES WHEN IDLING, CAUSING IT TO LUNGE BACK AND FORTH SO HARD IT IS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED; WINSHIELD WIPERS STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN USING INTERMITTENT WIPE; A YEAR AGO WIPER MOTOR BURNED OUT AND WAS REPLACED. HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION WORKED ON THREE TIMES IN THREE YEARS. LED INDICATOR ON STEREO BURNED OUT 1 YEAR AFTER CAR WAS PURCHASED. ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE FAILED-ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE CONTINUOUS DESPITE $3,000.00 + IN ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THEM. ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE RADIATOR, AS WELL AS BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT TRANSAXLES ON FRONT OF VEHICLE IN AUGUST 1999. FREEZE PLUGS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR CURRENTLY "STORED" IN MY DRIVEWAY, AS I CANNOT AFFORD TO PUT ANY MORE $ INTO USELESS REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE.

THE FRONT MOUNTS ARE CORRODING & RUSTING & NEEDED REPLACING. HAS RECEIVED RECALL FOR REAR SUB-FRAME MOUNTS, BUT NOTHING FOR FRONT. *AK

WE ORDERED THIS CAR NEW IN 1990 WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASUM. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PERFECT CAR FOR MY WIFE TO DO HER DAILY DRIVING IN WHICH AVERAGES ABOUT 10 MILES. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR.FORD HAS REPLACED THESE MOUNTS 3TIMES UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE FOURTH TIME I PAID $356.00 FOR THEIR REPLACEMENT.NOW ONCE MORE I AM HEARING THAT FAMILAR CLUNK WHICH MEANS THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS NEED REPLACEMENT AGAIN.THESE MOUNTS HAVE FAILED SINCE 12/29/93, 5/20/94, 7/17/95, AND O5/8/97. FORD REPLACED THE MOUNTS THE FIRST THREE TIMES UNDER WARRANTY,THE FORTH TIME I HAD TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED,IT COST $356. I CALLED FORD ABOUT THIS PRBBLEM,AND ASK IF THIS SHOULD BE STILL BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THIS IS A REOCCURRING PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD NO. HOPEFULLY,THIS PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED. THANK YOU RUDY MARTELL. *AK

FORD NOT RESPONDING. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

WHILE HAVING THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED AT A PRIVATE SHOP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ENGINE MOUNTS WERE CORRODED. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

ON NOVEMBER 20, 1998, I HAD WORK DONE ON MY CAR AT SHEEHY FORD COSTING $1100. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR DIED WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. KEN REED AT SHEEHY FORD SAID IT WOULD COST $3000 4000 TO REPAIR AN ENGINE BEARING PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD SPENT $4000 FOR CAR REPAIRS IN 1998-ON 2/23 WATERPUMP REPLACEMENT, INSPECTION OF FUEL SYSTEM HOSES AND TUBES, ON 3/18 FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT, 6/12 NEW PFE SENSOR, 8/13 REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR AND REGULATOR,COOLING FAN AND FUSIBLE LINK , 8/14 REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND INTERGRATED CONTROL MODULE, 11/11 OIL CHANGE AND MULTIPOINT INSPECTION AND ON 11/20/98 ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AS WELL AS GASKETS, SEALS, HOSES THERMOSTAT ON THIS DATE. SHEEHY FORD REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR PART OF THE MONIES SPENT ON 11/20 OR PROVIDE FREE WORK ON OUR OTHER CAR A FORD EXPLORER IN LIEU OF CASH. I CONTACTED MONTGOMERY COUNTY DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND THEN, THE STATE OF MARYLAND CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION. SHEEHY FORD REFUSED TO ARBITRATE AND NEITHER DIVISION COULD PROVE SHEEHY WAS AT FAULT. I HAD INITIALLY CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS REFERRED TO MY DEALER. AFTER DEALING WITH THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICES , I WROTE A LETTER TO JAC NASSER, CEO OF FORD. ABOUT 6 WEEKS LATER IN MARCH 1999, I DID GET A CALL FROM A FORD REP WHO REFUSED COMPENSATION BECAUSE I HAD DONATED THE CAR JANUARY 31, 1999 SINCE IT WAS NOT DRIVEABLE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AUTOMATION INC. ON 1/25/99 AND WAS TOLD THE CAR NEEDED NO LESS THAN A CRANK KIT, ESTIMATE $12-15,000. I BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER SHEEHY FORD DID TO MY CAR ON 11/20/98 CAUSED BY CAR TO STOP RUNNING FOREVER ON 11/21. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO A CAR WITH 65,510 MILES THAT WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. HAS AN ENGINE BEARING PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE?

BOTH ENGINE MOUNTS FAILED.

FRONT & REAR ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACE ABOUT 3 TO 4 YEARS AGO UNDER FORD RECALL PROGRAM. FRONT & REAR ENGINE MOUNTS FAILED AGAIN CAUSING EXTREME ENGINE VIBRATION AND CAUSING ENGINE TO HIT CAR HOOD. FORD WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND REPLACE THE PREVIOUSLY FAILED AND REPLACED ENGINE MOUNTS HAD FAILED AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME. IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY FURTHER DAMAGE, I REPLACED THESE PARTS AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THIS CAR IS 8 YEARS OLD AND IS ON IT'S THIRD SET OF ENGINE MOUNTS ! THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY FORD.

SUBFRAME RECALL WORK PERFORMED AND FAILED RESULTING IN THE DRIVER LOOSING STEERING ABILITY.

BODY MOUNTS SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FALL ONTO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK