2003 Ford Taurus Fuel System Problems

THROTTLE STUCK WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL GOING INTO A TURN NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I RELEASED THE THROTTLE AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV, FORCING THE USE OF BRAKES TO GAIN CONTROL. PLACED TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND ENGINE REVVED BEFORE TURNING IGNITION SWITCH TO OFF POSITION. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP BROKE AND PREVENTED THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO NEUTRAL POSITION. *TR

THERE IS A SERIOUS GAS LEAK ON MY FORD TAURUS. THE MECHANIC LIFTED THE VEHICLE AND THE GAS WAS JUST DRIPPING OUT OF THE GAS TANK. I WAS INFORMED NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR SINCE IT IS A FIRE HAZARD.

FUEL FILTER RETAINING CLIPS (WHITE PLASTIC/NYLON) ARE NOT AVAILABLE. MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF FUEL FILTER AND INSTRUCTIONS REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF R-CLIPS/HAIRPIN CLIPS. FORD DOES NOT SELL PROPER RETAINING CLIP. THIS CAN/WILL RESULT IN A DANGEROUS MASSIVE FUEL LEAK WHEN THE PARTS SEPARATE.

I STARTED CONSTANTLY SMELLING GAS OUTSIDE THE CAR THEN IT STARTED SMELLING IN CABIN THEN I LOCATED AND REPLACED FUEL FILTER THEN REALIZED TANK APPEARED TO BE LEAKING AROUND SEAMS.

MY 2003 FORD TAURUS ACCELERATES BY ITSELF TO 35-45 MPH WITHOUT HAVING TO TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR (NOTE: THE CAR WILL ALSO ACCELERATE UPHILL WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR. ALSO, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WORKS, BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL ITSELF IS NOT ENGAGING. *TR

DRIVING DOWN LONG ROAD, GOT UP TO 40 MPH, CAR STAYED ON THAT SPEED AS IF IT WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL MODE. I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF. I EVEN SLOWED DOWN TO 30, CAR STAYED ON THIRTY. HAD FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. IT SURGES FORWARD. I READ HORROR STORIES OF OTHER YEAR TAURUS' DOING SAME THING, CAUSING CRASHES. MY 16 YR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR. EVERY OTHER CAR AROUND THIS YEARS DATE WAS RECALLED, BUT NOT THE 2003. I CHANGED MY HOSES, SO IT'S NOT THAT. THE CAR IS LITERALLY STAYING IN CRUISE CONTROL MODE EVEN WHEN IT'S OFF. WHEN I TURN MY STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT, I CAN HEAR A TICKING SOUND ONCE OR TWICE, NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS, IT'S SCARY THOUGH. BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS I WANT A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR OF TAURUS REGARDING THE CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD TAURUS SINCE NEW. AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES IT STARTED HAVING ACCELERATION WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS. NO CODES SHOWED UP. EVERY MECHANIC HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION. BASICALLY TRIAL AND ERROR, NONE OF WHICH WORKS. I HAVE HAD THE CRUISE CHECKED, CHANGED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND THE IDLE AIR VALVE. IT STILL DOES THIS AT 111,000. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY WIFE'S SAFETY SINCE IT IS HER CAR. I READ THAT FORD HAS NOT RECOGNIZED THIS AS A PROBLEM, BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR ONLINE COMPLAINTS. *TR

I PURCHASED THE CAR ON 2/11/08 AND THEN TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY BECAUSE THE DOOR PANEL BROKE OFF AND THE CAR WAS IDLING HIGH WHEN I DRIVE IT. THEY KNOCKED $1,000 OFF OF THE SALES PRICE AND TOOK OFF THE FORD WARRANTY FOR THIS EXCHANGE AND THEY WROTE OUT ANOTHER SALES CONTRACT. A MONTH LATER, THE STARTER WENT OUT AND I PAID $200.00 TO FIX IT (OUT OF MY POCKET). THEN, ON 4/7/08 WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, THE CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND I CALLED RACEWAY FORD. THE CAR DEALER WHOM SOLD ME THE CAR TOLD ME THAT HE DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN HELP ME AND IF THEY DID FIX IT, HE SAID HE WOULDN'T KNOW WHEN IT'LL BE READY BECAUSE HE'S NOT A MECHANIC (IN A VERY SARCASTIC TONE). HE TOLD ME TO JUST CALL BACK WHEN THE MANAGER ARRIVE AT 3 P.M. TODAY. I HAD TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED THE SAME DAY SO I TOOK MY CAR TO GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOP IN MORENO VALLEY AND PAID $688.00 (OUT OF MY POCKET) TO GET IT REPAIRED. AFTER MY CAR WAS REPAIRED, ON 4/7/08, I WENT TO RACEWAY FORD AND WAITED 15 MINUTES TO TALK TO THE SALES MANAGER, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN HIS OFFICE, ONLY 20FT AWAY FROM WHERE I WAS WAITING, HE SENT HIS ASSISTANT MANAGER TO COME OUT TO TALK TO ME BECAUSE THE ASSISTANT MANAGER SAID THE MANAGER WAS TOO BUSY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION AT THIS TIME. SO, I EXPLAINED ALL THE PROBLEMS I?VE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE, WHICH I PURCHASED FROM THEM. THE ASSISTANT MANAGER MADE COPIES OF MY REPAIR BILLS AND TOLD ME THAT HE PROMISE HE'LL TRY TO HELP ME AS BEST AS HE CAN AND HE'LL CALL ME BACK TOMORROW (ON 04/08/08). TODAY IS 4/10/08 AND I HAVEN?T HEARD FROM THE MANAGER OR THE ASSISTANT MANAGER IN REGARDS TO THIS DILEMMA. NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAS TRIED TO CONTACT ME. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IF THEY WOULD HAVE DID A DIAGNOSTIC ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY SOLD IT TO ME, THIS PROBLEM WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD TAURUS IT IS A FLEX FUEL VEHICLE. WE HAVE RECENTLY GOTTEN E85 GAS IN OUR AREA AND I USE IT PERIODICALLY. I HAVE BEEN HAVING "STARTING ISSUES" WITH IT; OVER THE PAST YEAR IT HAS HAD THE IACV REPLACED TWICE, THE FUEL PUMP, THE STARTER AND THE FUEL FILTER ALL REPLACED ONCE. THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED WITH IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. THE CAR EITHER WILL ACT LIKE IT DOES NOT WANT TO START (SPUTTER STARTING), OR IT WILL DIE RIGHT AFTER PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE. IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN USING THE E85 GASOLINE, BUT ALSO DOES IT WITH REGULAR GAS. FORD BASICALLY HAS TOLD ME THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY STARTING OR STALLING PROBLEMS RELATED TO ETHANOL FUEL AND HAVE GIVEN UP ON FIXING MY PROBLEM. *JB

ENGINE CONTINUALLY CUTS OUT, STALLS, FAILS TO ACCELERATE, ETC. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS DUE TO THE CAM SENSOR ASSEMBLY WHICH FORD ADMITS IS FAULTY...AND YET I AM HAVING TO PAY OVER $500 IN ORDER TO FIX THIS!! *AK

ENGINE STARTS MISFIRING AND LOSES POWER COMPLETELY AND SHUTS OFF. YOU CAN TURN IGNITION OFF AND RESTART ENGINE AND THE ENGINE RUNS GOOD FOR A FEW MINUTES. THE FUEL RAIL SENSOR CORRECTS THIS PROBLEM, BUT I'VE INSTALLED TWO SENSORS IN FOUR MONTHS. *JB

THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2003 FORD TAURUS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS THE RESULT OF A CRACKED FUEL FILLER NECK. MY REPAIR INVOICE STATES THAT "FILLER NECKS ARE USUALLY CRACKED WHEN FUEL FILL NOZZLES ARE INSERTED IMPROPERLY OR NEGIGENTLY." I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY WHERE IT IS ILLEGAL TO PUMP YOUR OWN GASOLINE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN FILLED AT THE SAME GAS STATION AT EVERY FILL-UP. THERE IS NOTHING TO SUGGEST THAT THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT DID ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY AT THE LAST FUELING OF THE VEHICLE, BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MULTIPLE FORD SERVICE ADVISORS THAT THIS DAMAGE HAD TO OCCUR AT MY LAST FILL-UP. THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT THE NOZZLE WAS FORCED INTO THE FILLER NECK, NOR WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT SUGGESTED ANY UNUSUAL FORCE OR TORQUE WAS BEING APPLIED TO THE NOZZLE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT HE HAS SEEN MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THESE PARTS AND FORD TAKES THE POSITION THAT UNLESS THE CRACK IS ALONG THE SEAM OF THE PLASTIC CASTING THAT IT IS THE RESULT OF DAMAGE, NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT REPAIRABLE UNDER WARRANTY. I FEEL THAT A COMPONENT THIS CRITICAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE FORCE OF A GASOLINE PUMP NOZZLE BEING INSERTED INTO IT, AND SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO WITHSTAND THE UPPER LIMIT OF FORCES THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO IT WITH THAT NOZZLE.*AK

GAS TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED...GAS LEAKING...TANK FULL OF HOLES.. HEAT SHIELD ALSO REPLACED. *TR

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 04V105000 REGARDING AIR FILTER PAPER WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS WERE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER.*AK

THREE AUTHORIZED FORD REPAIR FACILITIES MADE 5 ATTEMPTS TO FIX OR REPAIR AN INACCURATE FUEL GUAGE ON A 2003 TAURUS SE SEDAN WITH NO LUCK. ALL NEW PARTS WERE REPLACED FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER TO NO AVAIL. FORD MOTOR COMPANY STATES THERE IS NO CURRENT FIX, BUT THEY WERE WORKING ON ONE. THIS WAS AS OF 06/18/03.

THE FUEL LINE RUBBED ON THE BODY OF THE CAR WHICH CAUSED THE PAINT TO COME OFF. *JB THE FUEL LINE PRESSURE REGULATOR RUBBED ON THE RIGHT STRUT HOUSING AND CREATED SPARKS. *SCC *JB