1997 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I AM SENDING A COPY OF A LETTER I SENT TO VARIOUS NEWS STATIONS AND AGENCIES. IT?S IN REGARD TO A PROBLEM THAT AROSE CONCERNING MY FORD CAR. I PURCHASED A 1997 FORD TAURUS IN MARCH 1997 FROM SPRINGFIELD FORD IN DELAWARE COUNTY. THE CAR CAME WITH A 3-YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. IN MARCH OF 2000 I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THREE MORE YEARS AT THE COST OF $1,000. IN JULY 2000, WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE OVERHAULED. IF I "DIDN'T" PURCHASE THE WARRANTY IT WOULD HAVE COST ME IN EXCESS OF $2,000. WELL, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY RAN OUT ON 3-31-03. ON 5-21-03 THE TRANSMISSION WENT AGAIN. IT IS GOING TO COST $2,800 TO REPLACE. THE CAR IS SIX YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THEN 50,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL CERTIFIED MECHANICS THAT ALL AGREE THAT THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPEN. EITHER FORD CO. HAS A BAD TRANSMISSION FOR THIS TYPE TAURUS OR THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD H.Q. THEY HADN?T HEARD OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. AND SPRINGFIELD FORD SAID THERE?S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, EVEN AFTER I MENTIONED WE HAVE BOUGHT THREE CARS IN SIX YEARS FROM THEM, IT REALLY DIDN'T MATTER. IN CONCLUSION, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I HAVE FIVE KIDS AT HOME AND REALLY DON?T HAVE $2,800 LYING AROUND. IF THIS IS THE WAY ONE OF AMERICA?S BIGGEST CORPORATIONS STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, WELL NOW I KNOW WHY PEOPLE ARE BUYING IMPORTED CARS AND FROM NOW ON MYSELF AND MY FAMILY WILL BE ONE OF THEM. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, ANY HELP OR FEEDBACK YOU COULD GIVE ME A CALL WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. SINCERELY, [XXX] PHONE # HOME- [XXX]\T# WORK- [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

F YOU CAN REFERENCE THE "CAR TALK" ARTICLE FROM JULY 2002 IT EXPLAINS MY PROBLEMS TO A "T". NUMEROUS MECHANICS REPLIED TO THE ARTICLE AND "CAR TALK" RELAYED THAT INFO TO ME. MY TAURUS WAS 5 YEARS OLD WHEN THE PROBLEMS STARTED. MY DRIVER'S SIDE BACK WINDOW STARTED CUTTING OUT AT TIMES. THEN MY RADIO STARTED CUTTING OUT ONLY WHEN TURNING RIGHT. THEN WHEN IN REVERSE AND SO ON TILL IT DIDN'T WORK. MY WIPERS ALSO HAD PROBLEMS AT TIMES. ALL THESE WERE MINER TILL MY POWER STEERING STARTED CUTTING OUT. THAT IS THE TIME I SAW THIS ARTICLE AND GOT THE INFO THAT THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM. FORD REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING OR ADMIT THAT THERE WAS A TREND. I GOT THE SENSOR REPLACED BY ONE MECHANIC WHO STATED HE HAD MANY FORD CARS ON WHICH HE REPLACED THE SENSORS, ALL THE SAME YEARS- 97-98S. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT REPLACE THE CONNECTOR PIECE AND THE PROBLEMS RETURNED. I THEN PAID THE BIG BUCKS AND HAD A DEALER REPLACE THE PIECE. THEY, OF COURSE, SAID THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM AND WANTED TO DO ALL THIS TESTING. I SHOWED THEM ALL THE DOCUMENTATION ON WHAT I FOUND AND WHAT "CAR TALK" SENT ME. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE GETTING IT REPLACED. I AM INCENSED THAT FORD WOULD NOT RECALL A PIECE THAT ALLOWS YOUR POWER STEERING TO GO OUT. IF A RECALL OCCURS, I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF IT. I AM OUT 300$.

RIGHT REAR WINDOW WON'T ALWAYS CLOSE AFTER OPENING. TRANSMISSION SLIPS DURING LOW SPEED STARTS THROUGH INTERSECTION OR PARKING LOT. FEELS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. THEN WHEN TRANSMISSION ENGAGES, IT SUDDENLY LURCHES CHIRPPING THE TIRES.

TRANSMISSION GOING OUT AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE, SERPENTINE BELT FAILURE,CAM SENSOR & FALSE DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT, & MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SWITCH IN STEERING COLUMN

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF...TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED AND REPAIRED AND IS NOW NEEDING REPAIR AGAIN...TIRES FROM NORMAL WEAR...BRAKES FROM NORMAL WEAR...

LTR FM M.L. MOODY (TX) RE DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN IN A 1997 FORD TAURUS, REQUESTS A DEFECT INVESTIGATION . *MR THE RED LIGHT HAD COME ON THE DASH WHICH HAD INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE OWNER OF THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THE STEERING LOCKED UP FOUR TIMES. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE MECHANICAL ERROR. *SCC *JB

DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN IN A 1997 FORD TAURUS. REQUEST A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. *PH PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE RED LIGHT HAD COME ON THE DASH WHICH INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FOUR INCIDENTS OF STEERING LOCK UP. *SCC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DIDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY. IT WOULD SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL AND MAKE LOUD NOISE. *AK THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED LEAVING HER IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION. BY JIGGLING THE SHIFT LEVER, SHE WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE THEN INTO DRIVE. THIS HAD BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 1991-1998 MODELS. FORD WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *SCC *JB

THE VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP WIRES ARCHED WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. *PH

THE DASHBOARD IS SEPARATING IN LAYERS FROM THE FRAME OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE IS TSB 00203 CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, THE CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON AND STAYING ON. *AK