1992 FORD TAURUS Complaints

AFTER STARTING FROM A STOP ENGINE STARTED MAKING NOISES AT LOW SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS NO GOOD, THAT BEARINGS WERE GONE . I NEEDED A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE AND THAT THIS WAS COMMON ON THE 3.8L ENGINE. THIS ENGINE ONLY HAD 46,404 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. *AK

1ST TIME AN $8 FRONT SEAL, ON TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 58,511 MILES,AND COST A TOTAL OF $418.47 PLUS CHARGES FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR 3 DAYS. WE WERE 245 MILES FROM HOME. 2ND TIME TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 95,509 MILES. WE WERE ABLE TO GET BACK HOME. REPAIR WAS $1272.63. IT WAS REPAIRED WITH UPGRADED PARTS. FAILED AGAIN AT 108,400 MILES. REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. PRESENT MILEAGE 131,930. SO FAR OK.*AK

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND START. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND VEHICLE JUST STOPS WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. BUT, VEHICLE WILL STARTS BACK UP. DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

I DISCOVERED THAT BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD BROKEN. THEY BOTH BROKE ON THE OUTSIDE LOWER COIL.*AK

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH HEATER, AND HEAT GAUGE WOULD GO UP AND DOWN. THOUGHT AUTOMOBILE WAS GOING TO EXPLODE. TOOK AUTOMOBILE TO SHOP, AND THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS HEAD GASKETS. *AK THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE WAS A COMMON PROBLELM WITH 3.8 ENGINE. *YH

MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE BROKEN OFF, JUST TOP TWO NOT BOTTOM TWO. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER SAID IT WAS REGULAR STRESS. *AK

TIE ROD ENDS CONTINOUSLY BREAK. CONSUMER HAS HAD TO CHANGE THEM 5 TIMES ALREADY. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER SAID IT WAS REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR.*AK

I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 1995 FROM THE DEALER. IT ONLY HAD 17K MILES ON IT AND A 1 YEAR UNLIMITED WARRANTY BUMPER TO BUMPER EXCEPT TIRES. (I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD HAD A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD AND HAD BEEN COMPLETELY RE-CHECKED BY THE FACTORY.) THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, ON MY LUNCH HOUR I DROVE ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES TO A DOCTOR APPT. 45 MINUTES LATER AS I HEADED BACK TO MY OFFICE, THE CAR STARTED ACTING FUNNY, BEING "JERKY." WITHIN ONE MILE IT GOT WORSE. NONE OF MY WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. AFTER WORK, I STARTED THE CAR AND WHITE/CLEAR SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE BACK. I DROVE 1/4 MI TO P/U MY DAUGHTER AND WE DROVE 1 1/4 MILES HOME. THE CAR DIED IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE REST IS HISTORY. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY, THERE IS SERIOUS BUCK/JERK UPON ACCELERATION FROM STANDSTILL, RESULTING IN LOSS OF ACCELERATION POWER. CLEARLY, THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION. SEVERAL TIMES, THE KAM (CONTINUOUS MEMORY) HAS BEEN CODE-SCANNED, WITH THE RESULT THAT NO FAILURE CODES WERE REVEALED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON ONLY DURING ENGINE START; NOT AFTERWARDS.*AK