1998 Ford Taurus Complaint Log

ACCELERATOR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE, JERKS AND STICKS DOWN.*ET

VEHICLE ACCELERATES BY ITSELF. IT DOES NOT SLOW WHEN ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, AND TWO VISITS TO THE DEALER PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. DEALER SAID TO BRING IT IN WHEN IT IS HAPPENING, BUT THIS IS UNWORKABLE AS CAR MUST BE SHUT OFF TO STOP HIGH ENGINE SPEED AND THEN THE PROBLEM STOPS UNTIL NEXT OCCURANCE. I FEEL THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND THE CAVALIER ATTITUDE OF THE DEALER IS OF NO HELP.*AK

ROTORS WERE WORPED AT 14000MI GOT THEM FIXED. ROTORS WERE WORPED AGAIN AT 46000MI EVEN THOUGH ALL 4 BREAKS PADS WERE FINE.

NO SUMMARY

ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR , RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT HOLD SPEED WHILE GOING UP AND DOWN INCLINES, FLUCTUATION IS 15 TO 50 MILES MPH, TOO EXTREME. *MJS

AFTER 40 MPH THE CAR HAS A SURGING PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE SENSOR WHICH THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY CALLED FORD MOTOR CO AND FOUND OUT THERE IS A SURGING PROBLEM WHEN THE HYDROCARBON BUILDS UP. THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RECALL THEM UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE RPM'S GO UP. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO GO DOWN. PATALANO FORD EXPECTS ME TO PAY FOR THE THROTTLE SENSOR EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I AM RIDING IN AN UNSAFE CAR. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS?

AT SLOW SPEED WHEN BRAKING THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE CAUSING ACCIDENT. *SLC

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY / JERKS FORWARD WHEN PLACED IN PARK / SKIPS GEARS. *AK

TURNING CORNER AT APPX 20MPH HEARD LOUD CLONK NOISE UNABLE TO STEER VECH,RACK & PINION SNAPPED, LIFTED HOOD BELT HAD CAME OFF WHEEL WAS ON THE GROUND, FORD MECHANIC TOLD WARRANTY REP THAT IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I RAN LOW ON POWER STEERING FLUID. I DROVE A 24FT TRACTOR AND 53FT TRAILER COMBINATION FOR 6 YEARS ACROSS THE US CANADA AND MEXICO AND HAD TO DO MY OWN MAINT. AND MINOR REPAIRS TO MY TRUCK DOES THIS SOUND LIKE SOMEONE THAT JUMPS IN AND OUT OF A CAR WITHOUT CHECKING FLUID LEVELS,OR DOING PROPER MAINT ON THEIR VECH?? I ONLY HAD THE VECH FOR 38DAYS BUT ALWAYS KEEP ALL FLUID LEVELS CHECKED, BEFORE THIS HAPPENED I WOULD HEAR A LOW HUMMING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL BUT THE POWERSTEERING FLUID WAS AT THE NORMAL LEVEL.

A GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THAT THE REAR DISC BRAKES ALONG WITH THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT IT SHOULD BE. *SLC

GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY WHEN FULL, DIGITAL MILES LEFT GAUGE READ 0, THREE OF FOUR TAURUS'S WITHIN THE FLEET HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE GAS GAUGE. *MJS

SPEEDOMETER SHUT DOWN AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *AK

WITH IN LAST MONTH WHEN THE CAR WAS IN PARK OR NEUTRAL ENGINE WOULD RUN UP TO ABOUT 3000RPMS. ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO TURN IT OFF WITH THE KEY. IT HAS NOT DONE THIS IN GEAR. *AK

WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN THE SHOP 8 TIMES SENCE WE BOUGHT IT. WE'VE ONLY PUT 12000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND MY WIFE IS SCARED TO DRIVE IT! NO AFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. *AK

RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS 1998 FLEET VEHICLE WITH 70,700 MILES. TWICE IN THE PAST WEEK, APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES DRIVEN VEHICLE HAS LUNGED FORWARD DURING A STOP. BOTH TIMES IT WAS CAUSED BY THE ENGINE FAILING TO REDUCE RPMS DURING DECELERATION. AGAIN, IN BOTH CASES I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR JUST PRIOR TO APPROACHING THE STOP SIGNS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE TO BRAKE, AND ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL. I CAME TO THIS WEBSITE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS OR SIMILAR REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL AND FOUND WHAT MAY BE A RELATED PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN CARS NOT REDUCING RPM DURING DECELERATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY CAR DOES THIS ALSO. THAT WAS THE FIRST DIFFERENCE I NOTICED BETWEEN THIS VEHICLE AND THE 1999 FORD TAURUS I USED TO DRIVE AS MY FLEET CAR. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS ONLY RANDOM, I WAS RELUCTANT TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION AS THEY WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY OBSERVE THE PROBLEM. WHAT SHOULD I HAVE THEM CHECK? *AK

THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE 1998 FORD TAURUS ARE EXTREMELY INSUFFICIENT REGARDING THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF ILLUMINATION. THIS IS A RESULT OF POOR HEADLIGHT REFLECTOR DESIGN. OTHER TAURUS OWNERS I HAVE TALKED WITH EXPRESSED THE SAME GRAVE CONCERN ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS. I'VE DRIVEN A 2000 FORD FOCUS, WHICH DID NOT EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEM. MY PREVIOUS CAR, A 1996 FORD CONTOUR, HAD EXCELLENT HEADLIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ON THE TAURUS ARE EASILY "OVER DRIVEN" AT ANY SPEED OVER 35 M.P.H. AT NIGHT. THIS RESULTS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE TAURUS DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. CAN YOU INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM? I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD OFFER AN IMPROVED REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHT FOR DEALER RETROFIT TO CORRECT THIS VERY HAZARDOUS SAFETY DEFICIT.

VEHICLE HAS NO COMPRESSION BRAKING, IT FREEWHEELS ON DOWNHILL GRADES BY AS MUCH AS 25MPH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND WILL LEAD TO PREMATURE BRAKE REPLACEMENT. *AK

WE'VE TRIED TO CONTACT FORD SEVERAL TIMES, BUT ONLY RECEIVE THE STANDARD COURTESY LETTER & "THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT". IN THE MEANTIME, ANYONE IN THAT CAR IS AT RISK DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM. OUR OWN CHILDREN CAN'T RIDE IN IT! WE HAVE TO HAVE A VEHICLE TO GET TO WORK, SO WE'LL HAVE TO TRY TO GET RID OF IT, SINCE FORD REFUSES TO RESPOND. ALL WE WOULD WANT IS IT FIXED! THERE'S ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE PAINT PEELING OFF OF THE FRONT BUMPER THAT WILL COST $250.00 TO FIX! *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS HORRIBLE AND DANGEROUS. I CHANGE BRAKES EVERY 20,000 MILES OR LESS. I DRIVE HIGHWAY MILES AND SHOULD BE CHANGING AS OFTEN. ALL I GET TOLD BY THE DEALER IS THAT THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED EVERY 20K MILES. THE CAR SHAKES AND MAKES NOISES. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICE BRAKES WERE SPONGY WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN, BUT VEHICLE COUNTINED TO S TRAVEL. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN PARK MODE, AND TURNED ENGINE OFF, AND VEHICLE STILL TRAVELED. CONSUMER STATED THAT ACCLERATOR WAS STUCK. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE BRAKES FAILED AND WAS FIXED BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *YH

CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE AT A SET SPEED WHEN GOING DOWN HILL. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE WELL BEYOND PRESET SPEED. VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE 15 MPH OVER PRESET SPEED. BRAKES ROTORS WARP CONSTANTLY. ROTORS HAVE BEEN RESURFACED OR REPLACED OVER 5 TIMES. ENGINE SPEED WILL NOT DECREASE WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS NOT RELEASED. DEALER CLAIM ALL TAURUS WITH 3.0L DURATIC ENGINES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM NO TECHNICAL BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO RESOLVE ANY OF THESE ISSUES. THIS REQUIRES CONSTANT BRAKING AND CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTES TO ACCELERATED BRAKE WEAR AND POSSIBLY THE ROTORS WARPING SO OFTEN. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NONE HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. NHTSA HAS COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS IN YOUR ELECTRIC FILES REGARDING THESE SAME ISSUES, YET NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. WHY? *PH *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**751827

ENGINE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR SOMETIMES. CAR WILL HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING AND SOMETIMES THE GEAR SELECTER SAYS IT IS IN GEAR BUT CAR WILL NOT MOVE.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

AS DOCUMENTED ON V8SHO.COM SITE. MINE HASN'T FAILED BUT 59 HAVE AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT FORD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THE WAY OF REPAIRS. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK

A FRIEND OWNS A FORD TAURUS AND IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM HERS IS A 1997. NO SAFETY DEFEC T LISTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING HEATER MALFUNCTIONED AND BLEW OUT COLD AIR. WHILE CONTINUING TO DRIVE HEAT REMAINS COLD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

REAR LAP/ SHOULDER BELTS WOULD LOCK UP AND WILL NOT RELEASE. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TO BE CHECKED OUT. *AK

THERE IS SLIPPAGE ON DRIVESHAFT AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WHICH CAUSES VEHICLE TO SPEED UP. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *YH

AFTER SITTING FOR 3 DAYS THE BATTERY IS DEAD, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO 2 DEALERS, ONE DEALER REPLACED A MODULE AND IT STILL GOES DEAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE NEW. *AK

CONSUMER STATES RPM RACES UP TO 4,000 RPMS FOR NO REASON. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *TT

THE CRUSE DOSENT HOLD WHEN GOING DOWN HILL IF SAT A 60 , IT WILL INCREASE TO 75 OR MORE .ALSO THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE THAT IS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF CAR THE FASTER AND IN INCLINE IT GETS VERY VERY LOUD. AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES A LOT.ALSO FORD HAS GRINDED DOWN THE HUBS THREE TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE BRAKES ARE GOING BAD AGAIN. *AK

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, REVVING WITH HIGH IDLE WHILE PARKED. OWNER HAS REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO THE UNWANTED ACCELERATION KICKING IN WHEN BRAKING. OWNER HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 3 OCCURRENCES; AUGUST 13TH/ 15TH AND 22ND OF 2002. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

AN INTERMITTENT ACCELERATION PROBLEM---POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED

I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE YET BUT WE HAVE 121 DOCUMENTED FAILURES AT HTTP://WWW.V8SHO.COM. CAMSHAFT SPROCKET DETACHES FROM CAMSHAFT CAUSING INSTANT ENGINE FAILURE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE AS WELL. FORD WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.*AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ACCELERATOR AND THE RPM WILL RAISED UP TO MORE THEN 3 RPM WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING BUT YES IT WAS TURN ON. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED TO BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP BUT CONSUMER REFUSED TO DO IT BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE. MR

INTERMITTENLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BECOME INNOPERABLE OBSTRUCTING DRIVERS. REAR BRAKES SQUEALING AND MOANING FAILED CAUSED BY THE ROTORS. ROTOR WHICH WENT BAD CAUSING DAMAGES THE REAR BRAKES AND PADS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR. *JG *JB

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN POWER DOOR PREVENTED DOOR FROM LOCKING. *AK *NLM

THERE WERE TWO COPIES OF CONSUMERS REPORT (BOUND IN FOLDERS). RESPONDED TO REPORT OF DEFECTIVE ENGINE CAMSHAFTS IN 1998 FORD TAURUS SHO VEHICLES. SENT A VOQ TO THE CONSUMER FOR FUTURE USE. *AK *JB

THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYED ON AFTER THE MOTOR WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DISCONNECT THE LIGHTS SO THE BATTERY WON'T GO DEAD. *NLM

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED, THE TECHNICIAN HEARD A TAPING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE CAM SHAFT SPROCKET FAILED. *JB

WHEN MAKING LEFT OF RIGHT TURNS A GRINDING NOISE COULD BE HEARD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED RACK AND PINION STEERING ON 6/17/2003. *AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT ENGINE PROBLEMS. ALSO, THAT THE VEHICEL HAS PROBLEMS WITH GASKET LEAKS.MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. *AK

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS INOPERABLE, DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE RETRACTOR MECHANISMS. PART IS UNAVAILABLE. *PH

ABS WARNING LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. WHEN THIS OCCURRED EXCESSIVE FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE ECU AND HCU. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25/30 MPH VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AND SEAT BELT DIDN'T RETRACT. DRIVER SUSTAINED SLIGHT INJURIES.*AK