1999 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I WAS ON VACATION WHEN MY CAR LOST ACCELERATION I PULLED UP TO THE STOP SIGN WHERE MY CAR WAS SMOKING, DROVE TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC TO FIND OUT I HAD A BLOWN GASKET. MY TEMP LIGHT NEVER WENT ON AND ITS FUNCTIONING. THE MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME THIS WAS A KNOWN FORD PROBLEM. I CALLED MY OWN MECHANIC WHEN I GOT BACK HOME AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I JUST GOT DONE PAYING FOR MY CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. AFTER READING SO MANY COMPLAINT'S WHY ISN'T FORD DOING ANYTHING WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAD TO GO AND BUY AND NEW CAR WHICH I CANT AFFORD. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WASN'T A FORD I BOUGHT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED TO RETRACT THE SEAT BELT WEBBING ON 07/07/06. THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE TOOK THE MECHANISM APART, RETRACTED THE WEBBING, AND THEN THE WEBBING WOULD NOT EXTRACT AT ALL. THE OCCUPANT CAN NOT USE THE SEAT BELT AND THERE ARE NO PICTURES OR REPAIR INVOICES AVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED ON 07/25/06 TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT LOCKING MECHANISM BUT IT WAS NOT PURCHASE DUE TO THE COST.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 8/16/2006 - THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED THE AIR BAG MONITOR. *NM

PROBLEM WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE WITHIN 6 DAYS. I TOOK THE CAR TO 5 CAR MECHANICS INCLUDING THE FORD DEALERSHIP. ALL AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM IS MAJOR MECHANICAL FAILURE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. REPAIR WOULD REQUIRE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION OR OVERHAUL. NO CRASHES OR INJURIES RESULTED FROM THE FAILED TRANSMISSION. *NM

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55 MPH WHEN I HEARD A BIG BANG AND MY CAR WAS HEADED TO THE OTHER LANE OF THE ROAD. I TRIED GETTING THE CAR UNDER CONTROL, WHEN I HIT A MAIL BOX AND MY AIR BAG DEFLATED. I WAS THEN THROWN UP INTO THE AIR AND RAN STRAIGHT INTO A PILE OF HARD WOOD LOGS. THERE WERE ABOUT 40 LOGS SITTING IN THE PILE. I HIT HALF WAY UP THE PILE WHICH SENT A LOG THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE. I WAS KNOCKED OUT COLD. WHEN I AWOKE I FOUND THE AMBULANCE CREW TRYING TO REMOVE ME FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HIT SO HARD THAT IT FOLDED IT ALMOST IN HALF. THANK GOD I AM STILL ALIVE BUT I LOST ALL MY FRONT TEETH, MY COLLAR BONE WAS PULLED OUT THE SOCKET, I HAD WHIPLASH, MY BACK WAS HURT AND IS STILL BOTHERING ME TO THIS DAY. I STILL HAVE FLASHBACKS FROM THIS DAY. I MUST TO HAD A GUARDIAN ANGLE WITH ME THAT DAY BECAUSE PEOPLE STILL CANNOT BELIEVE HOW I WALKED AWAY FROM THAT ACCIDENT THAT DAY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT RECALL # 04V332000 WAS RECEIVED. AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL THE CONTACT WENT TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO PUT GUARDS ON THE SPRINGS OF THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER AFTER A FEW WEEKS THE SPRINGS FRACTURED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. AFTER THE INCIDENT THE CONTACT TOOK THE CAR TO A SERVICE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPRINGS AND THE MOUNTS OF THE SPRINGS. THE DEALER PAID FOR THE COST OF THE LABOR AND THE NEW SPRINGS BUT DID NOT PAY FOR THE MOUNTS OF THE SPRINGS. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE VEHICLE VIBRATES SO MUCH IN THE FRONT PART THE CONTACT FEELS THE VEHICLE IS USELESS.

TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT MEDIUM SPEED, AND PRESSED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AT THE CURVE. TO MY HORROR THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN ALL THE WAY WITHOUT SLOWING THE CAR AT ALL. THERE WAS NO BRAKE WARNING LIGHT. THE BRAKES CAME BACK BRIEFLY AFTER PRESSING A FEW TIMES, BUT WENT OFF AGAIN AT THE NEXT STOP LIGHT. THE CAR RAN THROUGH A RED LIGHT, BUT FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO CROSS TRAFFIC. I PULLED OVER SLOWING IT DOWN AND PUT IT INTO PARK. WE GOT THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST BRAKES REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC HAS INFORMED US THAT THE CAUSE IS AN "INTERNAL LEAK IN THE MASTER CYLINDER". *JB

4/27/2006, I HAD A VIBRATION IN MY STEERING WHEEL NOTED PRIMARILY AT LOW SPEEDS. I HAD MY BRAKES DONE AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE BUT VIBRATION WAS STILL PRESENT. WENT TO TIRE SHOP WHO EVALUATED PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE WHICH WAS SEPARATING. I HAD COOPER TOURING TIRES ON THE VEHICLE APPROX 1 1/2 YEARS OLD. I HAD THE TIRE REPLACED AND THE OTHER TIRES INSPECTED AND BALANCED. VIBRATION WAS NO LONGER PRESENT. 5/21/06 DRIVING EAST ON I-10 BEGAN FEELING A STEERING VIBRATION. I WAS NEARING TUCSON AND PLANNED TO EXIT TO THE NEAREST TIRE SHOP, VIBRATION INCREASED. I TOOK INVENTORY OF VEHICLES AROUND ME NOTING A TRUCK PULLING A BOAT AND MADE A DECISION THAT I DID NOT WANT TO BE BY THE BOAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED. I MADE LANE CHANGE AND SHORTLY AFTER TIRE MADE A BIG BANG AND I SPUN 360 DEGREES ON THE FREEWAY, SPINNING REARWARD INTO THE MEDIAN. I DID AVOID HITTING TREES, OTHER VEHICLES AND BEING STRUCK BY ON-COMING TRAFFIC. I AM A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR AND HAVE HAD SKID CAR TRAINING. THIS WAS THE MOST HORRENDOUS EVENT EVER IN MY DRIVING CAREER. VEHICLE DID SUSTAIN DAMAGE. POLICE ASSISTED IN GETTING ME OUT OF THE VEHICLE ( I USE A WHEELCHAIR AND DRIVE WITH HAND-CONTROLS) AND REMOVED THE TIRE AND PUT THE SPARE ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE NEAREST TIRE REPAIR FACILITY - THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE TIRE COMPLETELY SEPARATED AND SHREDDED - I HAVE THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE BODY HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. TODAY WHEN DISCUSSING WITH CO-WORKERS WHAT HAPPENED - I WAS INFORMED OF A RECENT COOPER TIRE DEFECT STORY AND THAT IS HOW I GOT TO THIS SITE. TIRES ARE COOPER TOURING SLE I AM NOT SURE WHAT RATING DOT U9. *NM

I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT MY CAR HAS A BAD STEERING RACK WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $750. MY CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE MECHANIC BECAUSE MY STEERING BECAME LABORED AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I WAS TOLD IT IS A HAZARD TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *NM

I HAVE A 1999 FORD TAURUS. MY CAR WAS RECALLED IN DECEMBER OF 2004 FOR THE COIL SPRINGS TO HAVE A COVER PLACED ON THEM TO PREVENT CORROSION AND BREAKAGE. I HAD THE RECALL DONE AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS STARTED NOTICING A LOUD CLUNK AND BANG FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHILE PERFORMING A TURN. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE FORD DEALER WHO PERFORMED THE RECALL AND HAD THEM CHECK THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. THEY CLAIMED THEY ARE OKAY. A YEAR HAS PASSED AND THE NOISE HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. BASED ON THE FORD DEALER TELLING ME THAT THE COIL SPRING IS OKAY, I DECIDED TO PURCHASE FOUR NEW STRUTS IN HOPES OF RECTIFYING THE LOUD CLUNK. THE NOISE IS STILL THERE EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE STRUTS. THEY COST ME $650.00. NOW I FEEL I MAY HAVE WASTED THAT MONEY. I VISITED A FORD TAURUS FORUM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE ESPECIALLY IF THE SPRING FAILS ON A HIGHWAY. *NM