1997 Ford Taurus Complaint Log

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE HAS STALLED AGAIN GOING THROUGH A SMALL PUDDLE. THIS TIME AT 2MPH. I'VE ALREADY CHECKED RECALL, CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND THEIR ARE OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU OR I CAN DO. READING REPORTS NOT GETTING ME ANYWHERE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. CAR CAN'T HANDLE ANY WATER ON ROAD AND DEALER CAN'T REMEDY. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS

WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THEIR REPAIR OF MY TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER, I AM TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR FOR THIS MYSELF. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? THEY BREAK IT, I PAY FOR IT TO BE FIXED. THIS IS FORD QUALITY IS JOB1 AT ITS BEST.

ENGINE STALLS WHENEVER I HIT A WATER PUDDLE OF ANY SIZE REGUARDLESS OF SPEED. DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T FIX.

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. ALSO, THE FUEL TANK DID NOT SHUT OFF. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED & NOW WHEN CAR IS IN PARK AND NEUTRAL YOU CAN DRIVE IT, WHEN YOU PUT IT IN REVERSE,O DRIVE & DRIVE IT WILL NOT MOVE, AND CANNOT TAKE OUT OF GEAR, THE BAD PART IS THE CAR ONLY HAS 38185 MILES.

TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS GOING BACK AND FORWARD TOWARDS THE HOT SECTION, AND THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING VERY HARD WHEN DRIVIING AT ANY SPEED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON I95 DURING A RAINSTORM, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHEN I ACTIVATED MY LEFT DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL. VISIBILITY SUDDENLY BECAME ZERO AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED A SERIOUS CRASH. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO RESTORE PARTIAL USE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BY SWITCHING ON MY HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHTS. I TRIED THIS PROCEDURE BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS AS WELL AS THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ARE ALL CONTROLLED BY THE SAME HANDLE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT INSIDE THE STALK THAT HOUSES THE WIRING FOR THESE CONTROLS. I HAVE RARELY USED THIS CAR IN THE RAIN ( THERE HAS BEEN A VIRTUAL DROUGHT IN MY AREA) AND THIS IS THE FIRST REAL WORKOUT OF THE WIPERS.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN MAKING A STOP TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT DOWN TO THE LAST GEAR. VEHICLE HESITATES TO SHIFT DOWN. WHEN TAKING OFF, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWO TIMES BEFORE THE TRANSMISSON WAS FINALLY REPLACED. *AK.ET.

ABS PUMP FAILURE DEALER ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR $ 1,500.00. FORD REFUSED ANY FINANCIAL HELP WITH THE PROBLEM

REQUESTED DEALERSHIP TO CHECK TRANSMISSION AT TIME OF PURCHASE, FELT THAT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY, WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, HAD A MECHANIC RUN COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS, CODES P0734 & P0761 READ ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. MECHANIC TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION AND SAID IT DID NOT HAVE 4TH GEAR AND RECOMMENDED IT BE REBUILT. I HAD CONTACTED 2 FORD DEALERS BEFORE I KNEW THAT IT WAS A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THAT NOTHING WOULD BE COVERED BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 1,000 MILES. I THINK THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. I CONTACTED JASPORS THE MANUFACTURER OF TRANSMISSIONS AND IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT A CLIP OR SELONOID IS BREAKING AND THEY HAVE DONE 6 UPDATES TO THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION. A TRANSMISSION EXPERT SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE COMPELETLY REBUILT. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR UNTIL SOMETHING TRIGGERED THE ENGINE LIGHT. ONE DEALER OFFERED MY TO SELL ME THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE THEY WOULD COVER IT. I HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR WHICH IS OPERATING AS IT ALWAYS HAS AND TRYING TO DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.

SURGE AT STEADY SPEEDS EVEN WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON ALSO WHEN SETTING AT A RED LIGHT

BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON IT. HAD SEVERAL SENSORS REPLACED FAIRLY SOON AFTER THAT. AROUND 30K, REPORTED SEVERAL PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WHILE AT A STOP/STARTING FROM A STOP. DEALER COULD NEVER REPLICATE. EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED THAT THESE PROBLEMS WERE ONLY OCURRING WHEN THE CAR WAS WARM...WHICH IT NEVER WAS WHEN THE DEALER TESTED IT AFTER IT SITTING ON THEIR LOT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. PROBLEMS STARTED GETTING WORSE. WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AT STOPS. COULD SHIFT CAR INTO NEUTRAL, GUN IT ENOUGH TO GET THE RPM'S OVER 2000, AND THEN PUT INTO DRIVE AND IT WOULD CATCH. AFTER THE WEATHER TURNED WARM AGAIN, AND IT STARTED DOING IT MORE, THEN THE DEALER COULD FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SAID I NEEDED A REBUILD OR REPLACEMENT. DROVE IT UNTIL MY HUSBAND NAGGED ME ENOUGH, AND IT WAS DOING IT CONSTANTLY. TOTAL COST NOW, THROUGH A TRANSMISSION SHOP, NOT THE DEALERSHIP, IS $1800. STILL HAVING SOME ADJUSTMENTS MADE. STILL HAVING MORE SENOR PROBLEMS. THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN ON THEIR OWN A TIME OR TWO.*AK

HAD TURNED VEHICLE OFF & PARKED IT. WENT BEHIND VEHICLE. CHILD IN VEHICLE & RELEASE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE. VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING FORWARD & DOWN A HILL. HIT A NEIGHBOR'S VEHICLE. NO KEYS IN VEHICLE AT TIME. *AK

IDLE SPEED WILL INCREASE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED HIGH IDLE/ACCELERATION RATE (IDLE SPEED INCREASES FROM 600-800 RPM TO 1500-2000 RPM) THAT MAKES STOPPING DIFFICULT. IN ADDITION, WITH THIS HIGH IDLE THE CAR WILL MAKE A SUDDEN SURGE WHEN BRAKE IS RELEASED. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER OVER 18 TIMES, DEALER AND FORD ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM, HAVE CHANGED NUMEROUS PARTS BUT WERE NEVER ABLE TO FIND ACTUAL CAUSE. FORD REFUSES TO MAKE REPLACEMENT AND/OR REPURCHASE OFFER OTHER THAN WHAT DEALER WILL OFFER AS MINIMAL "TRADE-IN" VALUE IF I PURCHASE A NEW FORD. DT

ENGINE HEADS CRACKED, CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, SCORING OF ENGINE CYLINDERS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE ENGINE

RECEIVED MANUFACTURER RECALL NOTICE 98B23/ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR NOTICE BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN COMPUTER, BUT CORRECT VIN # WAS ON NOTICE. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

ALTENATOR WENT BAD AT ONLY 38,989 MILES. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY DUE TO ALTENATOR DRAINING IT.

UPON STARTING VEHICLE AND APPLYING THE BRAKES TO SHIFT INTO GEAR, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 12 MPH, CAUSING CONSUMER TO CRASH INTO GARAGE DOORS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND THE ENGINE RACING AND PULLING.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

ALL OF A SUDDEN, CAR STARTED JERKING SPEED DROPPED AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE.

VEHICLE STALLS ALMOST RESULTING IN COLLISION. HOWEVER, THE SENSOR & TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TO PREVENT FAILURE, HOWEVER CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE FAILURES. *YC

VEHICLE SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHEN AT A STOP POSITION. WHILE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY DEALER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL. VALVE BODY HAS BEEN REPLACED, PROBLEM HAS NOT REOCCURRED, ALTHOUGH THERE IS ROUGH SHIFTING. *AK *ML

WATER PUMP FAILED. DURING INSPECTION AND REPAIR A RUST COLORED FLUID WAS NOTICED TO BE CONTAMINATING COOLANT SYSTEM. *AK

#1 DOOR AJAR SWITCH,LIGHT IN DASH STAYS ON AND INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON WHILE DRIVING. #2 WINDOW DID NOT WORK AT ALL, REPAIRED BY DEALER, #3 WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP, TOOK TO DEALER, TOLD TO TAKE DOOR APART AND BEAT ON MOTOR, WAS ABLE TO GET WINDOW UP.

REAR WHEEL CYLINDER IS LEAKING , CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID, WHICH COULD LEAD TO BRAKE FAILURE AND A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY THE FUEL REGULATOR--FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE MANIFOLD. *AK *ML

TRANS FAILED TO ENGAGE AT STOP-THEN SLAMMED INTO GEAR. VEHICLE THEN STOPPED WHEN GOING 40-SLAMMED INTO GEAR AGAIN.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

HORN WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE DEALER IS CHARGING OVER $300. *AK.ET.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVER WAS MANUVERING A CURVE RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE JUMPING A DITCH,ROLL OVER AND STOP AGAINST A POWER POLE UPSIDE DOWN. NLM

BRAKES LOCKING UP. NLM

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 35,000 MILES REPLACED BY A FACTORY REBUILT DEALER TRANNY. SECOND TRANNY FAILED AT 43000, DEALER STATED THAT NO FACTORY REBUILTS WERE AVAILABLE. REBULT TRANSMISSION INHOUSE. BOTH TRANSMISSIONS FAILED DUE TO SHIFTING FROM 1 TO NEUTRAL. AFTER THE REPAIR OF THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE BY ITSELF . STARTING FROM A STOP , PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE CAR SHIFTS FROM 1 TO 2 ND TO 3RD , IF I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDEL THE CAR CONTINUES TO GAIN SPEED AND THE TACH NEEDLE DOES NOT DROP DOWN BUT CONTINUES TO STAY IN THE 2 TO 3 THOUSAND RPM RANGE, IT I PUT THE TRANNY IN NEUTRAL THE TACH NEED JUMPS UP TO 3,000 RPMS. *AK

WAS DRIVING 55MPH WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW. THE TIRE CAME APART. THE TREAD OF THE TIRE CAME OFF. THE STEEL BELT IN MIDDLE OF TIRE WAS SLICED. *AK

TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN FIRST GEAR WHEN STARTING COLD, OCCASIONALLY SLIPS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS OR ACCELERATING RAPIDLY. DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM, BUT SLIPPING CONTINUES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A WATER PUDDLE, THE VEHICLE AND DRIVER EXPERIENCED AN APPROXIMATE 4-5 SECOND LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON. *AK *ML

PASSENGER'S SEATBELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. DEALER NEEDS TO REPLACE THE SEATBELT RETRACTOR. *AK

THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE AT 25MPH WITHOUT BREAKING SINCE THE IDLE WILL RUN AT 1500 RPM OR MORE. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO PULL AS IF IT IS ACCELERATING UNTIL YOU BRAKE TO 0 MPH THEN IDLE SEAMS OK. FORD MUST HAVE A PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF REPORTS LIKE THIS. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT IF THIS IS WHAT THEIR CARS ARE LIKE.*AK

ON THE BALL JOINT PART, THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT OUR STERRING WHEEL COULD HAVE LOCKED UP AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO STEER IN TRAFFIC.

THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS UP AND DOWN WHEN YOU MAINTAIN A STEADY SPEED OF APPROX. 60 MILES AN HOUR. THE WHOLE CAR JERKS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT FEELS LIKE THE POWER TO THE CAR TURNS OFF IT IS SUCH A HARD SHIFT. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM AT 32,000 MILES TO JIM SKINNER FORD. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, "TAURUS'S DO THAT". IT ALSO JERKS REALLY HARD WHEN I SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE BUT THEY SAID THIS IS NORMAL ALSO. PERIODICALLY, WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP IT SURGES FORWARD. *AK

MANY PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE, VERY DISATISFIED, CAR WAS NOT CHECKED OUT PRIOR TO SALE, CAR WAS MISSING BASIC FLUIDS, CAR HAD LIGHTS OUT WHICH I WAS TICKETED FOR, CAR WAS RUNNING HORRIBLE NEEDED BRAKES, ALSO NEEDED WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A TUNEUP BUT CAR CONTINUED TO RUN HORRIBLE WHICH LOOKS TO HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE ENGINE PROBLEMS WHICH LED TO REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED, AND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY SHAKED. DEALER REPAIRED THE ROTORS. *A

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A "POPPING" NOISE (SIMILAR TO KNUCKLES BEING CRACKED) EVERYTIME A LOW SPEED TURN TO EITHER SIDE WAS MADE. SOUND SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM DIRECTLY UNDER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NOISE OCCURRED PREDOMINANTLY WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING OUT IN THE HOT SUN OR WHEN IT HAD BEEN RUNNING AND WAS HOT. WOULD NOT HAPPEN IN COOLNESS OF THE MORNING. TWO ATTEMPTS TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM BY A FORD DEALER RESULTED IN THEM HAVING NO IDEA WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. THE THIRD TIME A MECHANIC DROVE IT AND PINPOINTED THE "SUBFRAME INSULATORS". THEY ORDERED NEW ONES, INSTALLED THEM AND CHARGED ME FOR IT. NOW LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LATER, THE NOISE IS STARTING AGAIN. SAME LOCATION. I WAS TOLD TWICE BY THIS DEALERSHIP AND ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP, THAT THIS WEAR WAS NOT INDICATIVE OF BAD DRIVING HABITS OR DAMAGE AND THAT IT WAS NOT "A SAFETY ISSUE" IT IS HOWEVER, VERY ANNOYING AND UNNERVING TO HEAR THE SOUND NEARLY EVERYTIME THE CAR MAKES A SLOW SPEED 90 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT.

AUTOMTIC TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR, AND IT IS DIFFICUILT TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. WHENEVER VEHICLE COME TO A STOP IT IS DELAYED BEFORE GETTING INTO GEAR. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK

ENGINE SHUT DOWN AT IDLE - WAITED 1 MINUTE THEN RESTARTED. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT PRIOR INDICATION. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING OFF AND ON FOR NO REASON. FORD REPAIR INFORMED ME IF I HAVE AN ACCIDENT WHILE THE LIGHT IS ON, THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY.

THE IGNITION TENSION PULLY FROZE UP AND CAUSED THE BELT TO COME OFF AND THE MOTOR TO OVERHEAT. THE MOTOR OVERHEATED THIS ONE TIME THAT I KNOW OF AND CAUSE ALL THE ALLUMINUM IN THE MOTER TO WARP, BASICLY RUINNING THE MOTOR. THE CAR WAS SHUT DOWN WITH IN 3 MIN I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED FROM THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT COVER THE PARTS DAMAGED DUE TO OVERHEATING, EVENTHOUGH A COVERED PART CAUSED MOTOR TO OVER HEAT. THANK YOU. *AK