1997 Ford Taurus Complaint Log

WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTINTLY COME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE I TOOK IT BACK TO THEM TWICE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX IT. NOW THE PROBLEM IS ESCULATING. THE CAR NOW SHUTS OFF THE POWER TO THE RADIO SPEAKERS, POWER WINDOWS, POWER ASSIST AND PROBABLY OTHER COMPONENTS WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS TAKEN OUT OF PARK. ALL COMPONENTS WORK FINE WHEN CAR IS IN PARK SHIFT POSITION. OF COURSE I'M REQUIRED TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED EVEN THOUGH IT COULD PROBABLY BEEN FIXED RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE DECISION TO STOP GOING BACK TO THE DEALER IS BASED ON THE WORK THEY DID DO (SHABBY) AND THEIR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIX THE MAIN PROBLEM I TOOK THE CAR BACK INTO THEM. IS THE CAR SUPPOSE TO HAD A HIGH WIND NOISE - I WAS TOLD THAT WAS PART OF THE DESIGN AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THAT WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR. *AK

FUEL SPITTING OUT OF FILLER NECK, AND FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. VEHICLE BEEN AT DEALERS SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK THE NOZZLE SHUTS OFF WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK AND THE TANK SPITS OUT GAS. THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM BUT THE FUEL GUAGE STILL MALFUNCTIONS. *YH

TRANSMISSION/OIL PUMP DRIVE FAILED.

LOWER BUSHINGS, SPACERS, BOLTS.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 15 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FAILED, MAKING A VERY LOUD NOISE, CAUSING THE SERVO COVER TO BLOW OFF. CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND DID'NT GET ANY HELP. *AK

FOUR DEALER VISITS HAVE NOT CORRECTED ENGINE PROBLEM, FACTORY REFUSES TO HELP. *AK

RIGHT DOOR LOCK FAILED. NLM

BATTERY FAILURE. *YC

REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR REPAIRS PERFORMED ON DEFECTIVE RADIATOR. *MR THERE WAS ONE FRONT TIRE SEPARATION WITH A KNOT, AND THE RADIATOR WAS INOPERATIVE. (BRIDGESTONE WEATHERIZER) *SCC *JB

1997 TAURUS HEATING SYSTEM FAILED. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE IN THE RADIATOR. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** THE RADIATOR FAILED. *JB

DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE OIL FILTER WITH WRENCH, WRENCH CAME IN CONTACT WITH WIRES NEAR THE STARTER MOTOR, ALOT OF SPARKS CAME OUT AND BURN MARKS WERE LEFT ON THE OIL FILTER, DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

DUE TO NO PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE TRUNK COURSTEY LIGHT, THE SLEEPING BAG IN THE TRUNK BY THE TRUNK COURSTEY LIGHTS CAUSED THE SLEEPING BAG TO BURN A HOLE, ALMOST RESULTED IN A FIRE. *AK

RECALL REPAIR WORK ON THE BROWN COOLANT WAS NOT COMPLETED AS STATED BY DEALERSHIP.

SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE STEERING WHILE I WAS DRIVING A FORD TAURUS RENTAL CAR THAT MADE ME LOSE CONTROL AND TUMBLE OVER AN EMBANKMENT. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, I NOTICED IRREGULAR STEERING THAT RESEMBLED STERRING CONSISTANT WITH A LOW TIRE. HOWEVER, AFTER STOPPING TO CHECK THE TIRES, I FOUND THAT ALL APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY INFLATED. APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES LATER, THE STEERING FAILED CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL IN A CURVE AND TUMBLE OVER AN EMBANKMENT SEVERAL TIMES LANDING ON MY ROOF. SINCE THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR, I DO NOT HAVE THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION SUCH AS VIN NUMBER, MILEAGE, ETC. I HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION I CAN RECALL, BUT WILL ATTEMPT

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. CURRENTLY AT DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS.*AK

OWNER NOTICED 12 INCH CRACK IN WINDSHIELD OF PARK VEHICLE. DRIVING AT APPROX. 5 MPH, HEARD LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY A 13 INCH CRACK IN WINDSHIELD.

BRAKE PAD RETURN SPRING FAILED. MJS

CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE.

WHILE DRIVING REGULAR ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH SLOWED DOWN TO 20 MPH, FOOT ON GAS PEDAL, VERY HIGH NOISE, THERE WAS NOTHING. VEHICLE DID NOT ENGAGE. TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INDICATION. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ASSUMES A CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE.

VEHICLE TRAVELLING THROUGH SHALLOW WATER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TAKES ON WATER AND GETS ON BELTS, CAUSING ALTERNATOR AND POWER FAILURE, AFFECTING STEERING, BRAKES, AND ENGINE OPERATION. DEALER CONTACTED AND AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, NOTHING CAN BE DONE, REFERRED TO HOTLINE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE ACCELERATION. WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE FOR UNKNOWN REASON. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS . DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS CAUSED VEHICLE TO BE IN ONE ACCIDENT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED, BUT CONDITION STILL REMAINS. *AK

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, CAUSED NOISE. YH

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD MOTOR WIPER ALSO STATES THAT THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *MRWHILE OPERATING ON HIGH OR LOW SPEED, WILL GO TO INTERVAL WIPER MODE. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. FINALLY, THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND A SWITCH WAS INSTALLED. SOME TIME AFTER THE REPAIR, THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN, THIS TIME NOT AS OFTEN. *JG

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING OR AFTER A RAINFALL, WHEN DRIVING THROUGH STANDING WATER WHICH CAUSED AN UPWARD SPLASH UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT, THE ENGINE DIED , CAUSING LOSS OF POWER . ENGINE WOULD RESTART AS SOON AS VEHICLE CLEARED THE DEEP WATER AREA, BUT A SQUEALING OF THE POWER STEERING WOULD FOLLOW FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. DEALER AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT HA SYET TO REPLAC EPARTS. *AK

ENGINE HAS CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

I OWN A 97 FORD TAURUS THAT LIKES TO PING. IT STARTED IN 1998 AND AT THE START OF A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP, WENT AWAY, BUT CAME BACK. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER IN TACOMA WA, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CLEANED A CYLINDER AND THAT THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS THAT LIGHT PINGING IS OK. THEY BLEW ME OFF. I MOVED TO FORT KNOX, KY AND THE WHOLE TRIP IT LIGHTLY PINGED. I PUT ON OVER 5,000 MILES IN LESS THAN A MONTH SO IT ISN'T CARBON. USED NAME BRAND FUEL THE WHOLE TRIP. IT GOT TO THE POINT HERE THAT I TOOK IT BACK TO FORD AND WAS TOLD BY FORD, THAT FORD HAS THIS "PINGING"PROBLEM IN ALL THEIR ENGINES. V-6 TO V-8 AND IN DIFF. VEHICLES. HE HAD JUST REPLACED A 4.0 LITER THAT DAY. . HE WOULDN'T HELP ME BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 3 MONTHS, HAVE 37,000 ON THE FORD AND I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH DOCUMENTATION ON THE PROBLEM. I WORK WITH A GUY WHO OWNS A 98 TAURUS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE CHANGED FUEL BRANDS AND OCTANE RATINGS AND IT DOESN'T GO AWAY. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT TAKES A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING TO START ACTING UP, BUT IT IS THERE. HILLS, STEADY DRIVING, CITY DRIVING, IT DOESN'T MATTER. I AM WORRIED THAT I WILL EAT AN ENGINE AND FORD WILL TELL ME "OH WELL". CAN YOU SHED ANY LIGHT ON THIS FORD KNOWN PROBLEM? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

BRAKES FAILED.

I WAS DOING 70 MILES/HOUR IN THIRD LANE OF INTERSTATE 85 WHEN CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AND CAR SLOWED BUT DID NOT DIE. I PULLED ONTO SHOULDER AND PUT CAR INTO PARK AND THEN TRIED TO GO AGAIN. CAR WOULD GO UP TO 4000 RPM'S BUT ONLY DO 30 MILES/HOUR. SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPEND WITHOUT DEALER BEING ABLE TO DUPLICATE. ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN DURING HOTTEST WEATHER AND WHEN DRIVING 150 MILES OF MORE AT A TIME. SEEMS TO BE RECURRING PROBLEMS IN TAURUS TRANSMISSIONS AND FORD WILL NOT ADMIT TO A PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO HELP BUT NOT GETTING ANY COOPERATION FROM MANUFACTURER.

CONSUMER STARTED TO HEAR GRINDING NOISES. REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS ARE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF BRAKES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE WHY REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS ARE LEAKING. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPER CHANGES SPEED ON ITS OWN. CHANGES MODES WHEN USING THE TURN INDICATOR. WILL NOT ALWAYS GO INTO HIGH MODE.

VEHICLE INITIALLY LOST POWER ON INCLINE AND REGAINED ON DECLINE, UNTIL TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AFTER 2-5 MPH. OCCURRED ON FOUR OCCASIONS, ON HIGHWAY TRIPS. DEALER INITIALLY REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER THEN REPLACED FUEL PUMP RELAY. AFTER FOURTH OCCASION, REPLACED FUEL PUMP. ALSO, TRANSMISSION IS SLUGGISH, DIFFICULTY GAINING SPEED ON INITIAL ACCELERATION. THEN SUDDENLY SURGES/HESISTATES AND MOVES ERRATICALLY INTO GEAR. VEHICLE HESITATES AND ACTS AS IF IT STALLS OUT.

TRUNK LIGHT BULB IS UNPROTECTED AND BURNED ITEMS IN TRUNK.

SINCE PURCHASING CAR IT HAS HAD A POPPING SOUND WHEN BRAKING AND TURNING.

WHENEVER STOPPING OR STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD RUMBLE/ VIBRATE AND SHAKE BADLY. TOOK TO DEALER TO HAVE VEHICLE CHECKED. WAS TOLD THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM OF VIBRATING AND RUMBLING STILL EXISTS. *AK

FRONT SEATS RECLINED WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT.

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

IN WARM OR MOIST TEMPERATURE REAR LEFT WINDOW IS INOPERATIVE.*AK

VEHICLE HAS HAD THREE TRANSMISSIONS SINCE ITS PURCHASE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND FAILS. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES GO IDLE THEN JERK AND LURCH FORWARD. WHEN BRAKES WERE RELEASED VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS. WHEN COME TO STOP, ENGINE OCCASSIONALLY RACES TO OVER 2200 RPMS. WHEN CRUSING AND LET OFF GAS, CAR IDLE DOES NOT NATURALLY GO DOWN. WAS FIXED BY DEALER ONCE, NOW RECURRING. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT UNPREDICTABLE IDLE/ACCELERATION CONDITIONS.

STRESS CRACK ON FRONT WINDSHIELD.

THE CAR HAD BEEN PRE-INSPECTED FOR LEASE-TURN-IN IN JAN 1999, AND THEN REMAINED PARKED UNTIL FEB 8, 1999. AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. ON FEB 8, 1999, THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD, ORIGINATING FROM THE TOP CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD, DOWN 4 INCHES AND TRAILING OFF 4 INCHES TO THE LEFT. THE WINDSHIELD WAS INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT, AND NO CHIP MARKS OR TRAUMA TO THE GLASS WAS FOUND. GLASS INSTALLER STATED THAT THE CRACK WAS A STRESS FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF AT 55 MPH. AFTER STOPPING, SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THEY CAME BACK ON. ALSO, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BECOME DISCONNECTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND THERE WAS NO STEERING IN THE VEHICLE. TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL AND THERE WAS NO REACTION IN THE WHEEL. SO THE DRIVER TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES IN THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN. *AK

DURING IMPACT AT 20 MPH, THE DRIVER 'S SIDE SEAT BELT UNLATCHED FROM BELT BUCKLE, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT STEERING WHEEL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ABS RIGHT REAR SENSOR CONTROL MODULE FAILED. MGM

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS AND CUTS OFF CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER DUE TO TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE IS JERKING AND MAKING LOUD NOISES, AND THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING. CONSUMER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK