1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

MY FORD TAURUS HAS LESS THAT 50,000 MILES ON IT AND I TREAT IT LIKE A BABY. BROUGHT IT IN TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT SERVICED DO TO THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMING ON. THEY CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER, PERFORMED MULTI-POINT INSPECTION, CHANGED THE ENGINE COOLANT AND REPROGRAMMED THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AS PER TSB 97-8-6. I ALSO HAD THEM ROTATE THE TIRES. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR AS FAR AS RUNNING (EXCEPT THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WAS ON). AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND WENT TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WAS HAVING A HARD TIME "GRIPPING THE ROAD". CALLED FORD DEALER. TOOK IN AGAIN. THEY INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. CALLED FORD HEADQUARTERS NO HELP THERE. THIS CAR WAS ORIGINALLY A LEASED CAR AND WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED BY US IT HAD LOW MILEAGE. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER! *NLM

THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS STARTED ACTING UP A LITTLE AFTER A YEAR OF OUR VEHICLE PURCHASE. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT DOORS ARE SUPPOSE TO UNLOCK ALL FOUR DOORS WHEN AN UNLOCK MOTION IS DONE TWICE. WE TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS. AT ONE POINT, WE COULD NOT UNLOCK THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. AFTER THE WARRENTY PERIOD EXPIRED, THE DEALER SUDDENLY HAD A SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM BUT AT OUR EXPENSE. I DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT SHOULD OF BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DOORS REMAIN UNREPAIRED TO THIS DAY

WITH VEHICLE IN PARK, IT ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE CONSUMER WAS FOUND FATALLY CRUSHED BENEATH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE ROCKER PANEL AND TIRE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION INDICATOR WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. THE POLICE CONCLUDED THAT THE CONSUMER PARKED ON A PAVED DRIVEWAY ON A UPHILL INCLINE. *JB

MY 17-YEAR-OLD SON WAS DRIVING TO EDINBURG, TEXAS ON A PRETTY BUSY STREET, WHEN OUT OF THE BLUE THE ENGINE STARTED TO FAIL. HE NEARLY GOT KILLED. THANK GOD THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THE CAR CRACKED THE HEAD, AND IS IN NEED OF MAJOR REPAIR. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SINCE THE CAR WAS BOUGHT. ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE LAST INCIDENT, I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT WATER WAS A BROWN, ALMOST MUDDY COLOR AND TEXTURE. I FIGURED IT WAS JUST LEFT OVER DAMAGE FROM THE ENGINE REPAIRS IT HAD RECEIVED. AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH I FOUND THAT FORD HAD A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTICE PROGRAM FOR A "BROWN COOLANT RECALL." I NEVER GOT THE NOTICE AND MY WARRANTY EXPIRED A LONG TIME AGO. THIS IS CLEARLY A FULL OUT ''RECALL.'' I WOULD LIKE FOR THE NHTSA TO GET FORD TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED. MANY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE INTERNET HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM CURRENTLY STILL PAYING FOR THE CAR AND IT IS NOT FAIR FOR FORD TO GET AWAY WITH THIS NON-SENSE. MY SON COULD HAVE DIED ALL BECAUSE FORD DIDN''T PROPERLY NOTIFY ME. I WILL CALL FORD TOMORROW AND EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. IF THEY DON''T HELP, AND THE NHTSA DOESN''T HELP EITHER, I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SUE FORD. THIS IS TOTAL NONSENSE. I'M NOT TRYING TO STEAL THEIR MONEY, I JUST WANT FOR THEM TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN SCREW UP.

CAMSHAFTS IN THE 1996-1999 TAURUS SHO. I HAVE HAD A FAILURE LIKE MANY OTHERS, THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 250 FAILURES OF THIS TYPE, MINE WAS FAILURE NUMBER 221. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE SEIZED CAUSING THE CAR TO DART TO THE RIGHT, IF THERE WAS A VEHICLE THERE, WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED. $8500.00 IN DAMAGE, FORD WILL NOT COVER ANY OF IT, THIS IS A QUOTE FROM A FORD REP. "METAL WEARS" BUT AT THE RATE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IS ALARMING, 18 CARS SO FAR SINCE 02-01-2002. AT ABOUT $8000.00 EACH CAR IS $144,000.00 DAMAGES FEBUARY ALONE, FOR ALL 250 CARS, IT IS $2,000,000.00 IN DAMAGES (ESTIMATED). THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE CAMSHAFT, AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO.

50 MPH CRASH HIT A MAILBOX AND TWO SIX INCH LOCUST TREES. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH OF THE SENSORS WERE PUSHED INTO THE RADIATOR

GENERAL G4S 20565R15 DOTACUR442990, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE THREE REMAINING TIRES HAVE FLAT SPOTS ALL AROUND. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SELECTOR (ALSO CALLED PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH) SHORTS INTERNALLY AND CAUSES THE VARIABLY ASSISTED STEERING TO MALFUNCTION (STOP ASSISTING ENTIRELY). DATE OF INCIDENT MAY NOT BE EXACT. WHILE TURNING RIGHT AT LOW SPEED INTO AN ALLEY POWER STEERING FAILED MOMENTARILY CAUSING FRONT WHEEL TO JUMP THE OPPOSITE CURB ONTO THE SIDEWALK AND DAMAGE WHEEL COVER. TSB # 96255 MAY DESCRIBE PROBLEM, BUT I'M NOT SURE. FORD DEALERSHIP PULLED UP A REPORT ON THIS FOR ME. REPORT STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SELECTOR MAY SHORT INTERNALLY AND CAUSE THE POWER STEERING ASSIST TO BE REDUCED (ELIMINATED), POWER WINDOWS TO FAIL, AND STEREO TO TEMPORARILY FAIL. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND SPORADIC, BUT SINCE THE STEERING IS ADVERSELY AFFECTED THIS PROBLEM CONSTITUTES A CLEAR SAFETY HAZARD. I FEEL THAT I WAS LUCKY AS THERE WAS NOBODY/NOTHING TO HIT AND THAT ALL I HAD DAMAGED WAS A WHEEL COVER.

MY AUTOMOTIVE IS MAKING A NOISE FROM MY VALVETRAIN AREA THAT MY MECHANIC INDICATES IS A POTENTIAL CAMSHAFT (AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE) PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE FIXED BEFORE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE.

PREVIOUSLY TO THIS ON 1/99, RECALL 98B23 WAS COMPLETED DEALING WITH THE RUSTY, CORROSIVE COOLANT CONDITION WHICH DEVELOPS IN THE 1996 TAURUS. NOW THE COOLANT RESERVOIR HAS DEVELOPED NUMEROUS STRESS CRACKS CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO POUR OUT. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTIOIN IT APPEARS THE RADIATOR HAS ALSO DEVELOPED A LEAK.