2002 FORD TAURUS Complaints

THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT FOR A SECOND RELATED INCIDENT. AFTER TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALER TO CHECK MY FORD TAURUS FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION 5 WEEKS EARLIER, THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED. MY SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SON CALLED ME FROM THE PARKING LOT OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL CLEARLY PANICKED THAT UPON PLACING THE CAR IN GEAR, THE GAS PEDAL WAS SUCKED TO THE FLOOR OF HIS FORD TAURUS AND ACCELERATED WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED BUT THIS ONE WAS A NEAR MISS WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLES. SURE ENOUGH, THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO FREE IT UP. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO VARSITY FORD IN ANN ARBOR, MI (INVOICE # [XXX]). THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE IS TAKEN FROM THE SERVICE ORDER; "CUSTOMER STATES GAS PEDAL STUCK WIDE OPEN, HAD TO BE TOWED IN, CHECK AND ADVISE. FOUND THROTTLE CABLE BINDING AND HOLDING THE ACCELERATOR LEVER DOWN. ORDERED THE PART AND REPLACED THE CABLE. NOTE THE OLD CABLE HAD WATER IN IT AND FROZE (THIS WAS THE SERVICE GUY'S SPECULATION), THAT'S WHY IT WAS INTERMITTENT. RECOMMENDED NOT POWER WASHING THE CABLE END (WE HAD NEVER POWER WASHED THE CAR AND WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS)." I HAVE RETAINED THE REPLACED PARTS FOR YOUR OR ANY OTHER ENTITY'S INSPECTION. TOTAL COST OF THIS REPAIR: $125.25; TOTAL COST OF THE PREVIOUS EVALUATION 5 WEEKS EARLIER: $164.01; THE COST OF PEACE OF MIND THAT YOUR CAR IS NOT GOING TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL: PRICELESS. 1. HOW DO I GET MY MONEY BACK? 2. HOW DO I KNOW THAT THEY CORRECTED THE ISSUE? THE DISCUSSIONS I AM READING ARE INDICATING A CRUISE CONTROL ISSUE. VARSITY FORD REPLACED AN ACCELERATOR CABLE. *TR

MY SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SON HAD TOLD ME PREVIOUSLY THAT THE GAS PEDAL HAD BEEN SUCKED DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR ACCELERATED WILDLY. AT FIRST, I DISMISSED IT AS THE FLOOR MAT GETTING TANGLED IN THE GAS PEDAL. BUT THEN I EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF AND IT WAS A WILD AND CRAZY EXPERIENCE TO GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE NOTICE THAT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF FROM A DEAD STOP AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN GEAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO VARSITY FORD IN ANN ARBOR, MI (INVOICE # [XXX]) AND HERE IS THE SERVICE WRITE UP LANGUAGE; "CUSTOMER STATES GAS PEDAL WILL STICK TO THE FLOOR INTERMITTENTLY, CHECK AND ADVISE. CHECKED THE EECV SYSTEM AND ROAD TEST INSPECTED THE THROTTLE AND CABLE AND FOUND ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS CONCERN, HOWEVER, RECOMMENDED SOME PM TUNE-UP WORK. REPLACED AIR FILTER AS MAINTENANCE. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT. I WILL FILL OUT ANOTHER COMPLAINT FORM FOR THE SECOND INCIDENT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

RPM RACES UP AND DOWN INTERMITTENTLY AT ALL SPEEDS SINCE 2008. AT TIMES, THE RPM WILL RACE UP TO 4K (4000 RPM) UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF. FOR THE MOST PART, RPM'S JUMP FROM 900 RPM TO 1500 RPM WHETHER COLD OR HOT EVEN WITHOUT APPLYING THE GAS PEDAL. *TR

I HAD NOTICED THAT MY ACCELERATOR WOULD GET STUCK JUST LIGHTLY PUSHING ON THE PEDAL ONCE THE CAR WARMED UP IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN BUT IT HAD HAPPENED ALL WINTER LONG. WHENEVER YOU WOULD START IT UP AND START TO DRIVE THE ACCELERATOR WOULD GET STUCK FULL THROTTLE AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, OPEN THE HOOD AND PULL BACK ON THE CABLE THAT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE. I CALLED FORD AND NOTIFIED THEM OF IT IN CASE OF A POSSIBLE RECALL AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT IS JUST A COMMON FAILURE THEN PROMPTED ME TO BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE AT A TUNE OF $350.00. I OF COURSE DID NOT BECAUSE TO ME THAT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS, MOSTLY FOREIGN AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY SUCH PROBLEMS. BUT THIS CAR IS PLAGUED WITH ISSUES. FAULTY ACCELERATORS, FAULTY BRAKES AND ROTORS WARPING FREQUENTLY FOR NO REASON, SENSORS FAILING, OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS, OIL SMELL INSIDE THE CABIN AT SITTING IDLE, CAMSHAFT SYNCHRONIZER FAILURE. FORD NEEDS TO BE CALLED ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. I LIVE ON A DISABILITY INCOME, CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY A NEW CAR YET FOR THE AMOUNT OF REPAIRS I'VE HAD TO COMPLETE ON THIS CAR I COULD HAVE BOUGHT NEAR NEW. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLY LOOK INTO THE OTHER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PARTICULAR TAURUS. FORD SOLD A SHADY PRODUCT AND IS NOT SUPPORTING IT AND MAKING THE CONSUMER PAY FOR THEIR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. *TR

MY WIFE STARTED TO ACCELERATE OUR FORD TAURUS SES ONTO A HIGHWAY BUT NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOR A CAR IN FRONT OF HER THAT WAS TURNING. SHE COULD FEEL THAT I COULDN'T SLOW DOWN. FINALLY SHE SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF SO THAT SHE COULD BRING THE CAR TO A HALT. I CAME TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND STARTED IT APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES AND THE ENGINE WOULD RACE TO ABOUT 4500 RPM. THEN ON ABOUT THE 7TH TIME, THE CAR STARTED FINE AND IDLED AT THE CORRECT SPEED. HAVE TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WORK TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD BECOME FLAT. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING WAS FRACTURED AND HAD PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER GETTING INTO HER VEHICLE AND STARTING, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRINGS ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WERE FRACTURED AND HAD PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V332000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 65,000.

HAD A FRONT SPRING BREAK A 83000 AND A REAR SPRING AT 135567 BOTH ON DRIVER SIDE TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS WAS 900 $$$. *TR

DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE AND CUT INTO TIRE DEFLATING IT. SMOKE FROM WHEEL-WELL BACKED UP TRAFFIC - LIMPED TO A SIDE STREET ON FLAT TIRE. REPLACED COIL SPRING AND TIRE. REALLY WORRIED ABOUT SERIOUS ACCIDENT SHOULD OTHER SPRING BREAK ON HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ITEM ESPECIALLY SINCE THESE ARE THE SAME COIL SPRINGS AS ON THE '01 MODEL FOR WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL. *TR

ON APPROXIMATELY 01-27-12 WE NOTICED VEHICLE WAS NOT RIDING SMOOTHLY. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO FORD AGENCY ON 02-06-12 WHERE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED ON 10-11-02. WE WERE INFORMED THAT BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $550.72 WHICH WE AGREED TO. MILEAGE ON 02-06-12 WAS 35,373. THIS CURRENT REPORT IS PRECEDED BY OUR ODI NUMBER 10260740 FILED ON 03-04-09 REPORTING FAILURE OF OUR FRONT END COIL SPRINGS REPLACED AT A COST OF $617.71. *TR