1996 Ford Taurus Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED MINOR SHIFTING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY SHIFT INTO PARK. OCCASIONALLY, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT FAILED TO MOVE. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO PARK AND THE CONTACT'S FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO ROLL BACKWARDS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE SHIFTS OUT OF FIRST GEAR VERY HARD, AND THE ENGINE REVS UP TO 3,000 RPMS. A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WAS PERFORMED, WHICH STOPPED THE FAILURE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 96V086000 AND 96V166000 (POWERTRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)) WERE REFERENCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 113,000.

THE TRANSMISSION PARTIALLY SHIFTS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE MONTHS AND IS INCREASING IN OCCURRENCE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF PARK AND ALMOST ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO A DITCH. THE VEHICLE HIT A CULVERT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SUSPENSION. THE DRIVER AND INFANT PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL #96V176000 REGARDING THE POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, DUE TO THE VIN.

WOULD NOT GO TO FOURTH GEAR WHILE EXCHANGING LANES WAS HIT IN THE REAR. *JB

THE INTERNET SAYS MY 1996 TAURUS HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR A PARK PAWL PROBLEM.THE NHTSA SAYS THAT 400,000 1996 TAURUS CARS ARE EFFECTED.MY CAR WON'T STAY IN PARK,SO I CALLED 2 LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIPS AND THEY GAVE THE RUNAROUND STATING THAT MY PARTICULAR CAR HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED.PLEASE ADVISE.MY VIN# IS 1FALP 52U8T A1018 63 I WANT FORD TO AUTHORIZE THIS REPAIR.THANK YOU. STEPHEN BLANK 407 HAMILTON AVE. LINWOOD,N.J. 08221-1516 609 926-9277

1996 FORD TAURUS PURCHASED BY MY FAMILY IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1996 FROM HEWLETT-PACKARD FLEET VEHICLES. WE'VE HAD INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE PARKING GEAR (CAR ROLLS WHEN IN PARK) SINCE WE GOT THE CAR. I FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN 3 "PARKING PAWL" RECALLS ON THE FORD TAURUS IN 1996--ALL OCCURRING PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASE OF THE CAR. NOW, FORD IS TELLING ME THAT THE RECALLS DON'T APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. SEEMS SUSPICIOUS SINCE I AM EXPERIENCING THE VERY PROBLEM THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE 3 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RECALLS LISTED AT THE NHTSA WEB SITE. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?*AK

TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. STARTED BY NOT SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE. THEN AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT COMPLETELY WENT OUT LEAVING ME COASTING INTO A PARKING LOT. THERE WAS NO SIGNS OR WARNING LIGHTS TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. IT ONLY HAS 72,000 MILES ON IT.*AK

DT: THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ROLLED WHILE PARKED. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HER THAT HER VEHICLE WAS MADE ONE MONTH TO EARLY AND THAT HER VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE RECALL WAS FOR A PARK PIN WHICH WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES ROLLED WHILE PARKED ON LEVEL GROUND, BUT MOSTLY ROLLED WHILE ON HILLS. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO START THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER IS AFRAID THAT SHE MAY FORGET TO PUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND LEAVE HER VEHICLE. SHE ACTUALLY HAS HAD TO CHASE AFTER THE VEHICLE TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING OTHER VEHICLES. NO PRIOR WARNING TO THE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED GOING INTO PARK SUDDENLY AND SHE'D HAVE TO TAKE IT IN AND OUT OF GEARS. *NM

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. IT WAS CALLED SUDDEN TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF CLUTCH PLATES WHICH CAUSED THE PARK PIN PLATE NOT TO STAY IN POSITION. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER THAT THE PIN DID NOT STAY ENGAGED IN THE PARK POSITION. HE WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE HE LIVED IN CANADA HE NEVER RECEIVED THR RECALL NOTICE. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN CANADA. THE CONSUMER SPENT ABOUT $5000-6000 IN REPAIRS ON SOMETHING THAT WAS RECALLED AND NO ONE WANTED TO HELP HIM BECAUSE OF WHERE HE LIVED. *AK *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION CLUTCH PLATE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CAR AND JUST AS I EXITED, THE CAR BEGAN JERKING UNCONTROLLABLY AS I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT. EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE CAR WOULD DO THIS. THE FOLLOWING DAY I COULDN'T EVEN GO TO WORK AND HAD ONE MECHANIC TELL ME IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND HE COULD REPAIR FOR $1600+(NOT INCL TAX). I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC THE FOLLOWING DAY AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD THAT THIS WAS COMMON WITH THE TAURUS'S AND THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1901.00 (TAX INCL). APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ. FORD SHOULD REALLY ADDRESS THIS. THE PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY WAS:TORQUE CONVERTER, NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH, OVERDRIVE PISTON, PUMP SHAFT, ETC. *JB

MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE I WAS GOING TO WORK OUT OF TOWN. CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REPLACE IT AND CALL A TOW TRUCK. I MISSED A DAY OF WORK . HAD TO RENT A CAR. I HIT A DITCH AND HAD 2 FLATS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. *TR

CONSUMER SHIFTED VEHICLE TO PARK, BUT VEHICLE WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THE REVERSE GEAR. THIS WOULD CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR THE CONSUMER WHEN TRYING TO PARK THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

TRANMISSION DOES NOT WORK GOOD IT HAS AHARD BUMP WHEN TAKEING OFF HAD IT REDONE BUT HAD THE SME PROBLEM AND PUT TWO SPEED SENORS IN IT SAME THING ITALKED TO SOME MOREPEOPLE THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE DRIVER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK

TRANSMISSION HAS HAD A VIBRATION AND TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS, I HAVE HEARD RUMORS THAT OTHER TAURUS OWNERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEMS. CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 ADULT DRIVEN MILES ON IT AND THIS SEEMS OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR AN AUTO WITH SO FEW MILES. *PH

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. DUE TO A BROKEN TORQUE CONVERTER.*AK

ON AUG. 4, 2003, I NOTICED MY CAR WAS SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL ON A STOP. ON AUG. 5, 2003, MY CAR WAS SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL ON A STOP, AND HESITATING BEFORE SLAMMING INTO FIRST UPON ACCELERATION. ON AUG. 6, 2003, MY CAR STOPPED SHIFTING BACK INTO FIRST WHEN IT NEUTRALIZED AT A STOP. IT HAD TO BE MANUALLY SHIFTED TO PARK, AND BACK INTO DRIVE. IF I TURNED OFF THE OVERDRIVE, WHICH IS AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED ON THIS CAR, SHE DROVE LIKE NEW, BUT IF I FORGOT TO MANUALLY DISENGAGE MY OVERDRIVE, MY CAR VERY LOUDLY REMINDED ME TO SHUT IT OFF.

TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING AND RIGHT BEFORE THE CAR COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE TRANNY BUCKS. I WAS TOLD BY TWO TRANSMISSION SHOPS THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS A FAULTY FORWARD PISTON AND NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AT A COST OF $1800.00 DOLLARS. THE CAR HAS ONLY 71K MILES. AFTER READING ALL THESE HORROR STORIES, I THINK FORD SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL!!

NHTSA# 96-V-086-000: PARK PAWL SHAFT WAS IMPROPERLY POSITIONED WHEN THE ROLL PIN THAT RETAINS IT WAS INSTALLED DURING TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. IF THE SHAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED, THE ROLL PIN MAY NOT HAVE LINED UP WITH THE GROOVE IN THE SHAFT AND HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AT ASSEMBLY. ALSO, A BURR COULD HAVE BEEN RAISED ON THE SHAFT. *AK CONSEQUENCE THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PARK PAWL OCCASIONALLY NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AS IF IN NEUTRAL IF THE VEHICLE OPERATOR DOES NOT APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.