1993 Ford Taurus Complaint Log

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COMPLETELY FAILED DURING HEAVY RAIN STORMS, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER REPLACED MOTOR WITH NEW UPDATED REVISED PART AND WIRING HARNESS. *AK

I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS THAT A BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON A TAURUS IS A COMMON OCCURENCE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE ON THIS MATTER. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OR A WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALERS ARE TELLING ME I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CAR ONLY HAS 27000 MI. ON IT. THANK YOU FOR ANY INFO YOU CAN PROVIDE.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ALTERNATOR, AND THINKS PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. *AK *MJS

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, WHICH FAILED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, AIR BAG DEPLOYED CAUSING INJURIES TO DRIVER, PASSENGER EXPERIENCED A BROKEN TAIL BONE AND STATES THAT THE SEAT BELT LEFT BRUISE MARKS ACROSS HER STOMACH WHICH STILL CAUSES PAIN, CONSUMER PURCHASED A 1995 TAURUS AND STATES THE ABS EXPERIENCES SAME PROBLEMS AS VEHICLE INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT, THE BRAKES LOCK AND THEN UNLOCK. (POLICE REPORT ATTACHED) *SLC

ENGINE COOLANT FAN, STOPPED RUNNING, CAUSING THE CAR TO OVERHEAT. ALSO, FLUID WOULD LEAK OUT, CAUSING THE THERMOSTAT TO FAIL. TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOOK TO A MECHANIC WHO CLAIMED THAT VEHICLE NEEDED AN ENGINE OVERHALL, AND NEW ENGINE HEAD GASKETS. CONSUMER NEED TURNING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER FOR THE NOISE TO STOP. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE BELT PARKWAY IN SLOW SPEEDS, TRANSMISSION ACTED NORMAL. AS I INCREASED SPEED, I FELT MY OVERDRIVE GEAR DROP OFF. DIAGNOSIS-FAILED DIFFERENTIAL GEAR(AND NEW TRANNY). BOUGHT CAR WITH BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY REPLACED. 5 MONTHS LATER--STILL WAITING. TOLD IT IS ON BACKORDER, YET IT IS THE MOTOR MOUNT!!

WINDSHIELD WASHER:FLUID RESERVOIR MALFUNCTIONED, WATER NO LONGER COMES OUT FOR CLEANING WINDOWS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM CO TO IL, HOT LITE CAME ON. ENGINE TURNED OFF AND PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD (INT76).2YR OLD, 10YR OLD, 2 ADULTS ON SIDE OF HIWAY - CARS PASSING @70MPH & ABOVE. FORTUNATELY HAD A CELL PHONE - STILL SAT ON SIDE FOR 2+HOURS. NEW ENGINE, TRANS, WATER PUMP INSTALLED 9/99. HEAD GASKET LEAK DETECTED 12/2000 AFTER BLOWING RADIATOR. RADIATOR REPLACED BY A NON-FORD GARAGE. DEALER SAID IT WAS A BAD RADIATOR (NEW RADIATOR HAD BEEN INSTALLED 2 WEEKS PRIOR-SEAMS BURST NOT RUSTED). PACKEY WEBB NOW REPAIRING HEAD GASKET & WATER PUMP (FAILURE PROBABLY CAUSED BY GASKET LEAK SAME AS THE RADIATOR). FORD WILL COVER THE PARTS BUT NOT THE LABOR AND WILL NOT COVER THE RADIATOR. VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN TO A DIFFERENT DEALER (JOE MADDEN - DOWNERS GROVE, IL) SEVERAL TIMES FOR "ROUGH RUNNING" PROBLEMS DURING THE FULL WARRANTY PERIOD (OF THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE) AND CHARGED $115 EACH TIME FOR "DIAGNOSIS". "COULDN'T DUPLICATE CUSTOMER'S CONCERN" FORD HAS ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE IN '94 AND '95 TAURUS' BUT REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE '93. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO NOT BE ON THE HIGHWAY IN DANGEROUSLY COLD WEATHER WITH THE CURRENT HEAD GASKET PROBLEM

THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE. TOOK VEHICLE TO HAVE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED. MECHANIC CHECKED VEHICLE & NOTICED THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. *AK

MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER FAILED, CAUSING BRAKE FADING. YH

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS, AND ENGINE STALLED/ CUT OFF. CONSUMER HAD TO COAST VEHICLE TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY. CONSUMER FEELS VEHICLE WILL NOT RUN IN HOT WEATHER. CONSUM PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

BLOWN HEAD GASKET

VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE NOISE AFTER RECALL REPAIR (98V094000 / 98I002000). HOWEVER, THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF FAILURE PRIOR TO THE SAME RECALL REPAIRS. DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. *YC

VEHICLE STALLED AT TRAFFIC SPEED OF 65 MPH. HAVE HAD 3 OTHER INCIDENTS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THREE DEALERS THUS FAR AND NO ONE WILL FIX THE CAR. I TOLD THE DEALERS THAT THE CAR ONLY STALLS AFTER TRAVELING APPROX 75 TO 100 MILES. NO DEALER HAS BEEN WILLING TO DRIVE THE CAR LONG ENOUGH TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CALLED FORD MOTOR CO. TWICE TO COMPLAIN AND GOT NO HELP SO FAR. DEALERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE DONE DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT CHARGED ME ANYTHING. DEALERS HAVE KEPT MY CAR ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 4 DAYS AND DONE NO REPAIRS WHATSOEVER. EVERY TIME A DEALER HAS HAD MY CAR, I HAVE HAD TO INITIATE ALL CALLS TO INQUIRE ON THE STATUS OF THE CAR. I GOT ONE CALL IN 4 DAYS FROM CLONNINGER FORD HERE IN SALISBURY. EVEN ON THE LAST DAY THEY HAD THE CAR, THEY DID NOT CALL AND TELL ME WHAT THE STATUS OF REPAIR WAS. (WHICH WAS NONE). I HAVE STRESSED HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO HAVE THE CAR STALL IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. WHEN I CALLED GERRY WOOD WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, I SPOKE TO MS. WOOD WITH MY COMPLAINTS. HER ANSWER TO ME? "THAT'S WHY PEOPLE STRIVE TO BUY NEW CARS RATHER THAN USED ONES." I POINTED OUT TO HER THAT THE CAR I BOUGHT ONLY HAD 42,000 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE AND THAT I HAD ALSO BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO COVER ANY NEEDED REPAIRS. HOWEVER, MY WARRANTY IS NO GOOD IF THE DEALERS WILL NOT TEST OR REPAIR THE CAR. SHE DID NOT SEEM TO CARE AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A RISK EVERYONE TOOK WHEN THEY BOUGHT A USED CAR AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING SHE COULD DO FOR ME. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TO TRI-CITY FORD IN EDEN, WHERE IT STALLED WHEN I WAS VISITING MY SISTER IN THE HOSPITAL. (100+ MILES FROM MY HOME, STRANDING ME). NO REPAIRS BECAUSE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AFTER HAVING IT THREE DAYS. I TOOK TO CLONNINGER FORD IN SALISBURY AND GOT THE SAME RESULTS AFTER 4 DAYS OF KEEPING THE CAR. PLAZA FORD, LEXINGTON NC KEPT CAR FOR 1 DAY AND DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH IT! MORE......

DRIVING ON CROWDED HIGHWAY IN 3RD LANE UPHILL WITH WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN IN CAR WHEN ENGINE HAD SUDDEN ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AND WHITE SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT EXHAUST. HAD TO GO THROUGH 2 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC TO MAKE IT TO BREAKDOWN LANE. ENGINE QUIT IN 1ST LANE WITH ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY. THEN HAD TO WAIT ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY FOR TOWTRUCK. EXTREMELY HEAVY WHITE SMOKE ALSO BLINDED CARS BEHIND US AND MADE IT TOUGH FOR THEM TO SEE. I FEEL HEAD GASKET SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 100K MILES MINIMUM AND SHOULD NOT FAIL SO CATASTROPHICALLY. UNDERSTAND THIS IS VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND FORD HAS A SECRET OWNER REPAIR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR CARS UNDER 5 YEARS/60K MILES. HEAD GASKET DEFINITALY SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 60K MILES. I ALSO FEEL THIS HIDDEN WARRANTY SHOULD BE EXTENDED AND THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT IN THIS ENGINE.

ELECTRICAL WIRES MADE CONTACT, BLEW FUSE AND FUEL PUMP. POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. FRACTURE FUEL TANK SUPPORT COULD RESULT IN DROPPED TANK WHILE IN MOTION. EXPLOSION HAZARD

THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT START UNTIL 10 MINUTES LATER BECAUSE OF IRC MODULE FAILURE. YH

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $3,000.00 FOR A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I AM A 66 YEAR OLD WIDOW AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS KIND OF REPAIR. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF A RECALL. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THE HEAD GASKETS ARE GOING BAD AGAIN, VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY AND COOLANT FLUID WAS IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, HAD GASKETS REPLACED TWO YEARS AGO, CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK. CONSUMER STATED AFTER DEALER REPLACED GASKETS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, RADIATOR FAILED, IDLE AIR CONTROL MOTOR, PCV FAILED, FUEL INJECTOR SEAL, IGNITION MODULE, STARTER MOTOR, AND EXHAUST GAS RECALCULATION (EGR) FAILED. *YD

FAULTY ENGINE HEAD GASKET CAN ALLOW ENGINE COOLANT TO GET INSIDE THE INNER ENGINE.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

WAS DRIVING 65MPH WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED FOR NO REASON. HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 TIMES. BEEN TO DEALER & PLACED ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. INFORMED COMPUTER CHIP OR FUEL PUMP AT FAULT & HAD MALFUNCTIONED. QUOTED PRICE FOR FUEL PUMP. *AK

THIS APPARENT DEFECT CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD FOR MYSELF AND FAMILY, AS IT RENDERED THE AUTOMOBILE UNMOVEABLE DURING A RAINSTORM AND LEFT US STRANDED. I HAVE ALREADY HAD THE REPAIR MADE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE REPAIR BILL WAS $385.

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ONE EVENING IN A DOWNPOUR WHEN MY WINSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING SUDDENLY. THEY QUIT WHEN I WAS DRIVING THROUGH AUBURN, IN. ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A WAL-MART STORE AND BUY SOME RAIN-X. I DROVE INTO A SERVICE STATION WITH AN AWNING SO THAT I COULD DRY MY WINSHIELD AND APPLY THE RAIN-X. THE RAIN-X WORKED AS ADVERTISED. THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME SAFELY. MY WIPERS HAVE NOT WORKED SINCE.

VEHICLE WILL TURN OFF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. *AK DEALER FINDS NOTHING WRONG WHEN INSPECTING VEHICLE, HOWEVER CONSUMER FEELS THE FAULTY PART IS THE TFI MODULE. GENERAL TIRES HAVE EXPERIENCED 2 CORD SEPARATIONS AND ONE BLOWOUT. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE DIES OUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALSO VEHICLE JERKS. *AK *YC

AFTER 30-45 MINUTES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE BRAKE BOOSTER "STICKS" CAUSING THE BRAKE ROTORS TO WARP AND THE CAR TO VIBRATE SEVERELY, RESULTING IN A REDUCTION OF STEERING AND BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. *AK

FREQUENTLY STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM HIGHWAY TO CITY; NOTHING SHOWS ON COMPUTER AT INDEPENDENT GARAGE; HAVE REPLACED EGR SYSTEM WITH NO CHANGE; COULD THIS BE TFI RELATED?

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT IN STOP AND GO DRIVING, DEALER PERFORMED FUEL AND IGNITION TESTS, FOUND COOLANT WAS LOW AND RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE HEAD GASKET, CONSUMER DECLINED REPAIRS, CONSUMER THINKS TFI MODULE IS CAUSE OF PROBLEM, MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *TT

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AS BEING REIMBURSED BY FORD, COST OF REPAIRS ESTIMATED AT 3,500.00 BY LACEY FORD CATSKILL NEW YORK WHERE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO. THE COST OF REPAIRS FAR EXCEEDED THE VALUE OF VEHICLE. SINCE WE WERE OVER 300 MILES FROM HOME, WE FELT IT NECESSARY TO LEASE A NEW VEHICLE FOR A PERIOD OF 3 YEARS. IF THE HEAD GASKET HAD NOT FAILED WE WOULD NOT HAVE INVESTED IN A NEW VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. *AK

HAD TURNED IGNITION SWITCH OFF & VEHICLE FAILED TO SHUTDOWN OR TURN OFF. CAN REMOVE KEY & THE SHIFT LEVER CAN BE MOVED. *AK

THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT, I GOT IT FIXED FOR ABOUT$2000. THEN THE DAY I PICKED IT UP, I GOT ABOUT 70 MILES FROM THE SHOP AND IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. I CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND IT WAS TOTALLY DRY. APPARENTLY WHOEVER BUILT THE TRANSMISSION--BRAND NEW--FORD, I GUESS, DIDN'T SEAL THE BOLTS PROPERLY TO BEGIN WITH, SO ALL THE FLUID LEAKED OUT. I HAD TO DRIVE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 150 MILES, STOPPING EVERY 10 TO ADD FLUID. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION HASN'T EXACTLY FAILED YET, BUT I'M SURE IT GOT DAMAGED FROM NOT HAVING FLUID IN IT.

THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE WOULD SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR. TOOK TO DEALER & THE MECHANIC DID NOT CHECK FOR CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY

AT A SPEED OF 25-65 MPH THE CAR BEGINS TO JUMP AND JERK WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE GEAR ONCE SETTLED INTO GEARS THE PROBLEM STOPS.DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED. YH

HEADGASKET BLEW IN JUNE OF 1999, 5000 MILES LATER HEADGASKET HAS BLOWN AGAIN. NLM *TT

WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR BRAKES TIME AFTER TIME . WE HAVE REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE PADS 5 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF AND REPLACED THE ROTORS TWICE .WE HAVE HAD THE BRAKES WORKED ON NUMEROUS TIMES NOW SOMETHING ELSE HAS BROKEN AND MY WIFE AND CHILD NEARLY HIT ANOTHER CAR WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. *AK

ACCELERATOR CABLE FAILED. YH

COOLANT IS LEAKING THROUGH THE GASKET. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK *YC

ORIGINAL PROBLEM FOUND WAS DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS, CONTINUOUS OVERHEATING AFTER WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, HOSES, FAN AND HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED. CAR CONTINUOUSLY OVERHEATS WHEN DRIVING EVEN AT 15 MPH. *AK

SMELLED ANTI-FREEZE BURNING. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ENGINE OVERHEATED AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS HOT. PULLED OVER. CONTACTED DEALER, NO WARRANTY. BUT, THEY WERE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DECELERATING ON INTERSTATE EXIT RAMP. THE CAUSE, AS DETERMINED BY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WAS THE FAILURE OF TORQUE CONVERTER. *AK

TRANSMISSION HYDRAULICS FAILED. YH

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WENT OUT AND LEAKED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT REPAIR SHOP EIGHT TIMES, BUT DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING HEAD LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE HEADLIGHT TO TURN OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN VISUAL DIFIFCULTY AND MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THERE IS A RECALL 98V009000 FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH IT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO RETURN TO THEIR NORMAL RESTING PLACE, CAUSING OBSTRUCTION OF VIEW AND INAPPROPRIATE DRIVING CONDITION. THE VARIABLE SWITCH MECHANISM SEEMS TO BE INACCURATE AS WELL. THE INABILITY TO HAVE THE WIPERS RETURN TO THEIR RESTING POSITION WHICH IS BELOW SIGHT LEVEL ON THE WINDSHIELD POSES A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO DRIVING AND POTENTIAL ACCIDENT SITUATION. *AK

THE HEADGASKET BLEW WHILE I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE HEADGASKET BLOWS BECAUSE THE BOLTS STRETCH. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, BUT FORD WILL NOT COVER ANY OF THE INCURRED DAMAGE. *AK