1995 FORD TAURUS Complaints

VEHICLE ACCIDENT RESULTING IN ONE FATALITY.*MR A WITNESS STATED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE SWERVED IMMEDIATELY LEFT OF THE CENTER LANE. THE WITNESS WHO WAS DRIVING BEHIND THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, STATED ANOTHER VAN TRAVELING IN THE ONCOMING DIRECTION TRIED TO MANEUVER AROUND THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE TWO VEHICLES MET HEAD ON ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE OTHER VEHICLE RODE ON TOP OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ONTO THE ROOF. BOTH VEHICLES LANDED IN A DITCH. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND (DRIVER) WAS KILLED UPON IMPACT. TWO CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT WERE BELTED AND SUSTAINED LACERATIONS. DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID. VEHICLE WAS HEAVILY DISABLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE DRIVER HAD TO BE CUT OUT THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER DIED AS A RESULT OF BLUNT IMPACTS TO HIS TRUNK WITH MULTIPLE FRACTURED RIBS AND LACERATIONS OF LEFT LUNG, INFERIOR VENA CAVA. LIVER AND SPLEEN. (WIFE ON BEHALF ON HUSBAND) *PH

WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH ON A FLAT SURFACE AND WITH NO WARNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SPRING BROKE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE STRUTS AND TIE ROD'S. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SPRING HAD BROKEN AND THE VEHICLE HAD BECOME UN-DRIVABLE. *SCC *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE AT A STOP, SUDDENLY WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED 2 GASKETS HAD BLOWN. *AK THE BLOWN HEAD GASKETS WERE THE RESULT OF A FAILED FAN BEARING. THE CONSUMER FELT SINCE THE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT THE FAN BEARING, SHE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED ALL HER MONIES. VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVER HEAT AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED. TO KEEP FROM OVER HEATING, THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS FLUSHED AND ALL LIQUIDS WERE REPLACED. *PH *JB

DEALER HAD TO REPLACE TWICE THE HEAD GASKET. BUT PROBLEM RECURRING. WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET AGAIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE HOOD. A PASSING MOTORIST NOTICED FIRE UNDER CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND WARNED THEM. SECONDS AFTER CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND EXISTED THE VEHICLE, IT EXPLODED. CONSUMER FELT FIRE WAS RELATED TO THE ENGINE COOLING FAN AS STATED IN RECALL 01 I 011 000, BUT CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THE RECALL LETTER WAS MAILED OUT. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH AND WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES VEHICLE GOES INTO EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AT 40 MPH, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE AFTER PUMPING BRAKES. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BRAKE LINES WERE DETERIORATING AND LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. TWO MONTHS AFTER BRAKE LINE REPAIRS, CONSUMER NOTICED LEAK AGAIN.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE COOLING FAN SEIZED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. HAD RECALL 01V390000 FOR THE COOLING FAN REMEDIED IN 05/03. DEALER ADVISED THAT FAN WAS OPERATING PROPERLY AT THAT TIME, SO DID NOT REPLACE IT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MILES AN HOUR ON A FOUR LANE STATE HIGHWAY, MY 1995 FORD TAURUS 3.0 LITER GL MODEL 4 DOOR SEDAN SUDDENLY DROPPED INTO A LOWER GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACT AS IF IT HAD HIT A ROCK WALL. WHEREAS I HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND AN IMMEDIATE LOOK IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR REVEALING NO OTHER VEHICLE BEHIND US IT ONLY FRIGHTENED ME. MY WIFE THOUGH WHO WAS SEAT BELTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS VIOLENTLY THROWN FORWARD CAUSING TREMENDOUS STRESS ON HER LOWER BACK. AFTER A VISIT TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL AN MRI SHOWED A RUPTURED LOWER LUMBAR DISC THAT HAS SINCE CAUSED HER LEFT LEG TO BECOME PERMANENTLY PARALYZED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PHENOMENA WITH LOCAL MECHANICS AND USING THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER A DECADE AND CONTINUED TO USE THIS SAME TRANSMISSION IN SEVERAL OTHER MODELS. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. ANY LIGHT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SHED ON THIS BLATANT DISREGARD FOR OF THE MOTORING PUBLIC WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. SINCERELY, JAMES J. MULLEN. *JB

12/18/96: THE TARAUS I WAS DRIVING WAS HIT IN THE SIDE BY ANOTHER CAR. I WAS THROWN INTO MY SHOULDER HARNESS, WHICH FUNCTIONS MORE AS A "NECK NOOSE". WITHIN 24 HOURS, I HAD SWELLING, BURNING, PAIN IN MY NECK AND SHOULDER WHERE I HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE SHOULDER HARNESS. WHEN MY INJURY WAS ABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED, WHICH TOOK TWO YEARS (2), BEFORE THE "BLOOD FLOW" CHANGED ENOUGH TO BE DIAGNOSED ON A 3-PHASE BONE SCAN AT MAYO CLINIC, I LEARNED I HAD REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY, ALSO KNOWN AS COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME.(RSD & CRPS). BOTH ARE KNOWN TO BE THE HIGHEST ON THE MCGILL PAIN INDEX FOR "TYPES OF PAIN", AT LEVEL 42. CANCER IS 28, AND NO PAIN IS 0. WHEN I LEARNED THAT I HAD RSD AND THAT IT BEGAN AT MY NECK INJURY, I CONTACTED FORD'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT, TO ASK THAT THEY CHANGE MY SEAT BELT TO THE NEW DESIGN THEY IMPLEMENTED IN 1996 MODELS (RSD ONLY GOES INTO REMISSION, WHEN TREATABLE. FORD DIDN'T "REFUSE" TO CHANGE MY SEAT BELT, BUT MERELY "IGNORED ME". I SPOKE WITH AND FAXED CHRIS IN THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. I ASKED THE VP OF FORD, MR. SHEELE, ON 7/11/03 TO MAKE THE SAME REPAIR, WHEN I TOLD HIM OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH SERVICE, QUALITY, AND REPAIR FROM FORD. I HAVE HEARD FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT WITH NO ACTION, HOWEVER I HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM MR. SCHEELE'S OFFICE, REGARDING MY SEAT BELT PROBLEM. FORD KNEW OF A PROBLEM WITH "WHERE" THE SEAT BELTS CROSSED NECKS, WHICH IS WHY THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN IN 1996! I WISH I'D KNOWN ABOUT THIS BEFORE MY ACCIDENT, SO THAT I COULD HAVE BOUGHT A SAVER EUROPEAN CAR. NOW, I HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF PAIN FOR LIFE, CALLED RSD, WHICH TRAVELS. MY LIFE HAS BEEN ON "HOLD" SINCE 12/18/96 AND I CANNOT "PLAN" ANYTHING. I MUST CARRY MY "MEDICAL RECORDS" WITH ME ANYWHERE I GO, BECUASE OF THE NATURE OF MY TREATMENT, AND THE DRUGS INVOLVED. WWW.RSDSA.ORG TO "SEE" WHAT I LOOKED LIKE, AND HOW I HURT. 1988-1995 SEAT BELTS ARE OF THE SAME DEFECTIVE DESIGN.*AK