2004 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I WAS DRIVING AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ITSELF. I BRAKE, THAT DIDN'T HELP MUCH. IT STOPPED THE CAR, BUT DID NOT STOP THE ENGINE FROM ABNORMALLY REVVING ITSELF UP. I PUSHED THE GAS AND IT WAS OKAY, BUT STILL AT A HIGHER RPM THAN NORMAL. AGAIN, 5 MINS LATER, WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC IT REVVED UP AGAIN. IT WAS AT ABOUT 2500 RPM, COMING FROM A DEAD STOP. I FREAKED OUT AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK THINKING THAT WOULD HELP. WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK, IT REVVED ITSELF TO ABOUT 4000RPM. I TURNED IT OFF. I TURNED IT BACK ON A SHORT WHILE LATER AND DROVE TO A PARKING LOT AND KEPT IT PARKED. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH SHE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT IT AND OBSERVED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WIRES WERE BURNT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE CIRCUIT WIRES ON THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ALSO BURNT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. RK

VEHICLE ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AND GETS STUCK. UNABLE TO STOP CAR, HAVE TO SLAM ON BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE AND LIFTING THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY FOOT DOES NOT STOP THE PROBLEM. HAD IAC MOTOR REPLACED, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, AND EGR VALVE REPLACED BUT NONE OF THAT HELPED THE PROBLEM. CAR SEEMS TO BE STUCK IN CRUISE CONTROL OR SOMETHING AND I AM UNABLE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. *TR

I WAS TRYING TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT. THE ENGINE RPM SUDDENLY INCREASED AND WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE THE RPM KEPT INCREASING. I SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK AND THE RPM STILL KEPT INCREASING. I FINALLY PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL WHILE IN PARK AND THE RPM WENT DOWN. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER WHEN I ACCELERATED AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A LIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THROTTLE SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS OFF TRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THE THROTTLE IN MY 2004 FORD TAURUS SES WILL STICK AND I HAVE TO TAP THE GAS A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE IT UNSTICK, AND ALSO WHEN I TURN ON CRUISE CONTROL, ON THE DASH IT LIGHTS UP, BUT CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T ENGAGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO DISENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WHEN IT STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE SHOULDER, A CORRECTION WAS MADE TO BRING IT BACK BUT IT THEN DRIFTED TO THE LEFT LANE. A CORRECTION WAS MADE TO BRING IT RIGHT AND WHEN IT LINED UP AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT. AT THAT POINT THE CAR CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AND WENT OFF THE ROAD. THE DRIVER LATER STATED THAT SHE DID NOT LOSE CONTROL BUT HAD NO CONTROL. WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING EMPTIED OF PERSONAL EFFECTS SINCE IT WAS TOTALED IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE FRONT WHEELS BUT WOULD JUST SPIN. THE POLICE REFUSED TO DO A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW WITH THE DRIVER AND WOULD NOT DOCUMENT THE CONDITION OF THE CAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT SAYING THAT THEY COULD NOT PROVE IF THE STEERING FAILED AND CAUSED THE ACCIDENT OR WAS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *TR

FAULTY GEM OR SMART JUNCTION BOX CAUSING ALL DOOR LOCKS AND TRUNK LID TO NOT PROPERLY WORK.ON OCCASION THE TRUNK WILL OPEN BY ITS SELF WHILE DRIVING. I CANNOT LOCK THE DOORS AND THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING AND AFTER THE CAR IS SHUT OFF. THIS HAS DRAINED MY BATTERY. DRIVING AT NIGHT IS VERY DISTRACTING WITH DOME LIGHT ON. I CANNOT TURN IT OFF AND WHEN I TOUCH THE COVER OF THE DOME LIGHT IT FEELS VERY HOT. I CANNOT TELL WHAT THE MILEAGE IS BECAUSE DASH FLASHES ALL DOORS AND TRUNK IS AJAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID A SCAN AND FOLLOWED SOME TYPE OF FORD TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND FOUND THE CARS SMART JUNCTION BOX OR GEM MODULE WAS THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD IT CANNOT BE FIXED BECAUSE THE PART IS DISCONTINUED, OBSOLETE AND NOT MADE ANY MORE AND NO AFTERMARKET PART EXISTS. I INQUIRED ABOUT A PART POSSIBLY FROM ANOTHER CAR OF THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL. I WAS TOLD THAT WOULD NOT WORK BECAUSE THE SPECIFIC PART IN QUESTION WAS PROGRAMMED FOR MY CAR AND ITS COMPUTER. I TELEPHONED ANOTHER FORD DEALER AND SPOKE TO THE PARTS DEPT. I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I WAS TOLD BY BOTH DEALERS THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM OTHER THAN PULLING THE INTERIOR BULB OUT. THIS BY FAR DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. ANY INFORMATION OR GUIDANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. OWNER OF A 2004 FORD TAURUS SE MODEL. *TR

TO START DECELERATING ON A MULTIPLE-LANE FREEWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, I REMOVED MY FOOT COMPLETELY FROM THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN, THE CAR BEGAN TO GRADUALLY SPEED UP EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE SPEED ROSE FROM 45 TO 48 TO 52 MPH WITHOUT MY TOUCHING THE PEDAL. I THEN BRAKED, AND THE CAR SLOWED, ONLY TO RESUME SPEEDING UP WHEN I LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. AFTER I BRAKED AGAIN, HARDER, THE CAR SLOWED AND THE GHOST ACCELERATION PROBLEM WENT AWAY. HOWEVER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE 50-MILE FREEWAY TRIP. THE PEDAL SEEMED TO BE MECHANICALLY STICKING. THE PROBLEM DID NOT SEEM TO BE ELECTRONIC, ALTHOUGH I COULD NOT BE SURE. AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ON LOCAL ROADS. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM BY NOW AND WAS READY AT ANY TIME TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL IF NECESSARY. I DID SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL ONCE TO AVOID A POTENTIAL COLLISION WHEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. WHILE THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL, I TRIED TAPPING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO SEE IF THAT WOULD UNSTICK IT. INSTEAD, THE RPMS MERELY INCREASED TO A HIGHER LEVEL, STICKING AGAIN AT THE HIGHER RATE. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR HOME, MOSTLY ON THE FREEWAY, WITHOUT ANY SERIOUS MISHAPS. I PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL OF THE MUCH-REPORTED ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES. HOWEVER, I CAN NOW SAY FROM EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN YOUR CAR HOLDS ITS SPEED OR SPEEDS UP AFTER YOU LIFT YOUR FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, IT'S A STRANGE AND UNSETTLING EXPERIENCE. I CAN EASILY IMAGINE SOME DRIVERS PANICKING. WE WERE LUCKY THAT I WAS DRIVING, AND NOT MY WIFE OR KIDS, WHO HAVE MUCH LESS DRIVING EXPERIENCE. AT HOME, I DISCOVERED ONLINE THAT FORD HAS RECALLED MANY 2000-2003 TAURUSES FOR STICKING-ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S A PROBLEM FOR OUR 2004 TAURUS AS WELL. *TR