1988 Ford Taurus Electrical System Problems

WHEN I TRY TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS HARD TO TURN ON THEN WHEN IT IS TURNED ON THE DASH DOESN'T LIGHT UP, AND THE WHOLE CAR IS DIGITAL. I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE SWITCH AND TRY AND TURN THE KEY A LITTLE BACKWARDS TO GET THE DASH TO LIGHT UP. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST A YEAR (SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR). *NLM

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. DRIVER PUSHED ON ACCELERATOR, BUT AUTOMOBILE CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN. REACHING SIDE OF ROAD, AND USING BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR, CONSUMER COULD RESTART VEHICLE BY PLACING IT IN NEUTRAL OR PARK. CONSUMER HAS NOT YET HAD AN ACCIDENT. *AK

CONSUMER CAME TO A START, ENTERED INTO INTERSECTION AND VEHICLE STALLED. ONCE ENGINE COOLS DOWN, IT WILL START BACK UP. CONSUMER IS AWARE OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT. *AK

I WAS DRIVING LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPACE WHEN CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN IGINTION MODULE. *AK *SLC

WIRE FROM STARTER RELAY TO IGNITION SWITCH HAD NO INSULATION OTHER THAN RUBBER CAUSING WIRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND WIRING IN THE DASH TO MELT AND CAUSE A FIRE. *SLC

WHILE AT AN INTERSECTION, AND GIVING CAR GAS IT WILL SEVERELY HESITATE, THEN POP AND BACKFIRE, THEN IT WILL GO. TOOK TO FORD FOR A TUNE UP, AND PROBLEM GOT WORSE. TFI MODULE WAS NOT REPLACED.*AK

I HAVE HAD 2 IGNITION MODULE FAILURES DURING THE 10 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED MY 1988 TAURUS. THE FIRST INCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES AND THE SECOND AT APPROXIMATELY 105,000 MILES. WHILE THESE FAILURES DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT THEY DID CAUSE A GREAT DEAL OF INCONVENIENCE AND COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCES. FORD DOES NOT SEEM TO THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, YET I HAVE HAD 3 IGNITION MODULE FAILURES ON FORD VEHICLES DURING THE PAST 15 YEARS.

WHILE DRIVING NOTICED HEATER NOT WORKING. PULLED OVER & TURNED VEHICLE OFF. RESTARTED VEHICLE & HEATER WORKED FINE. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, THE LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK. THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE JIGGLED BEFORE BEING ABLE TO START VEHICLE. HAS NOT BEEN TO DEALERSHIP AS OF YET.*AK

SEATBELT BUCKLES JUST CAME APART IN MY HANDS. BOTH FRONT SEATBELTS HAVE NO BUCKLES, BECAUSE OF THIS. REAR WIRING FOR RUNNING LIGHTS, DEVELOPED EXTREME CORROSION AND TAILLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY BLEW OUT APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO-THREE DAYS. A SMALL ELECTRICAL BURNOUT OCCURRED BURNING THE PLUGS AND LENSES. HOOD SHOCKS USED TO HOLD UP HOOD WHILE WORKING ON VEHICLE SUCH AS CHANGING/ CHECKING OIL...ETC...ARE NON FUNCTIONAL AND NO BAR IS PROVIDED , NOR IS THERE A SPACE FOR ONE. CAUSING EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITIONS BECAUSE HOOD DROPS DOWN SUDDENLY CAUSING INJURY.

CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING ERRATIC OPERATION OF IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY. VEHICLE WILL EITHER NOT START OR CUTS OFF DURING OPERATION. *AK DEALER FIRST REPLACED STARTER ASSEMBLY AND THEN LATER DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY. *SLC

COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND ODOMETER TO FAIL. COULDN'T TELL THE MILEAGE. *AK

IGNITION OPERATES WITH OUT THE KEY. OCCASIONALLY STOPS WORKING.

DEALER PUT WRONG BATTERY, AND BATTERY EXPLODED AND LEFT A BAD ODOR. *AK

VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND IT MADE NOISES. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

IE98072, THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH MELTED WHICH MAY HAVE STARTED A FIRE. DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. OWNER NOTICED THAT TWO LEADS HAD MELTED TOGETHER.

ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSED VEHICLE FIRE.

ELECTRICAL: HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF VEHICLE,STARTED TOWARD HOUSE AND VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN, INSURANCE ADJUSTOR COMING OUT TO LOOK AT VEHICLE TODAY. *AK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55MPH THE ENGINE JUST CUT OFF. GOT VEHICLE OFF HIGHWAY AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. VEHICLE TOTALED ,FIREMAN SAID THEY THINK IT WAS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. *AK