1992 FORD TAURUS Complaints

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, ENGINE BLOCK MAY BE CRACKED. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE RIGHT FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE IN AN INTER-SECTIONAL CRASH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE OR THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. CRASH WAS REPORTED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. OWNER NOT SURE IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED OR TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

I WAS INFORMED BY THE FORD DEALEERSHIP THE COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE TWO HEAD-GASKET FAILURES. I REASEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET/YAHOO. I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR FORDS 90-96 3.8L ENGINE. FORD CURRENTLY HAS A PROGRAM FOR 94-96 3.8L ENGINES AND A SECRET WARRENTY FOR THE 93 3.8 L ENGINE. HOWEVER IT HAS NO PROGRAM FOR THE SAME FAILURES IN THE 1992 ENGINE. *AK

HEAD GASKETS BLOWN AND THE FRONT TIMING COVER GASKET LEAKING COOLANT. COOLANT MIXED WITH OIL REQUIRING $2429.54 DOLLARS TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO ENGINE. ACCORDING TO USA TODAY ARTICLE DATED, APRIL 27, 2000, TITLED "FORD EXTENDS WARRANTY ON SOME V-6 ENGINES" THE 3.8L ENGINES IN FORD TAURUS'S AND OTHER FORD MODELS HAVE HAD PREMATURE HEAD GASKET FAILURES ALLOWING COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE. FORD AGREED TO FIX THESE CARS WITH THE 3.8L ENGINES FROM 1995 ON BUT EARLIER TAURUS'S WITH THE SAME 3.8L ENGINE, SUCH AS MY CAR HAD PREMATURE FAILURES. THE HEAD GASKET IN MY 1992 TAURUS (3.8L) BLEW IT'S HEAD GASKET AT 87,595 MILES, WELL BEFORE THE EXPECTED 120,000 INDICATED IN THE PRESS. I EXPECT FORD MOTOR CO. TO RECALL THESE ENGINES OR REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS UNNECESSARY EXPENSE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND VEHICLE LOST STOPPING POWER. ALSO, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT, AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER STOPPING (JUST BEFORE LOSING POWER THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF). *AK.ET.

WHY DOESNT FORD COVER THESE UNDER A RECALL THE DEALER TOLD ME THESE CARS ARE DROPPING LIKE FLIES, IT'S FUNNY HOW THE DEALER SAYS ITS A BIG PROBLEM BUT FORD SAYS THEY ARE NOT HAVING A PROBLEM???????????????????? ANY HELP WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL THANK-YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED WITHIN VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED,CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT INTO ENGINE. CAR HAD MILEAGE OF 70, 053. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 3.8L ENGINE. FORD IS EXTENDING WARRANTY ON LATER YEAR MODELS, BUT PROBLEM EXISTED PRIOR TO 1994. I HAD THE SERVICE PERFORMED BY LOCAL GARAGE AND ASKED FORD FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT THEY REFUSED. NUMEROUS FINDINGS ON THE INTERNET INDICATE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY FREQUENT AFTER 65,000 MILES. *AK

IN 1999 MY CAR OVERHEATED DUE TO THE HEADGASKETS. NOW, IN APRIL OF 2000 IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. FORD IS NOT STEPPING UP TO HANDLE WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A WIDE SPREAD DEFECT IN SEVERAL OF THEIR CARS. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AND EITHER MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT HAND TURN CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE, CAUSING POOR STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

IN MARCH OF 1997, THE LEFT FRONT SPRING ON MY MOTHER MARGARETS CAR FRACTURED/FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY. AS A RESULT, THAT SIDE OF THE CAR BASICALLY COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND AND COULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT DOING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TIRE AND OTHER SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE CLOSEST AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT SPRING HAD INDEED FAILED/FRACTURED. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $426.70 IN JULY OF 1998, I (DANIEL ZEHLER - SON OF MARGARET) RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM FORD HAVING TO DO WITH A SIMILAR/IDENTICAL DEFECT ON 1993 TAURUS AND SABLE VEHICLES. IT TURNS OUT THAT I OWN A 1993 TAURUS. PER THE RECALL LETTER, THE SAFETY DEFECT IS AS FOLLOWS: "THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS ON YOUR VEHICLE CAN FRACTURE IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN HIGH-CORROSION AREAS OF NORTH AMERICA FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE FRACTURE ON THE SPRING THERE IS SOME POSSIBILITY THAT THE TIRE CAN BE DAMAGED. A FRACTURED SPRING CAN CAUSE ONE SIDE OF YOUR VEHICLE TO BE LOWER THAN THE OTHER, CAN RESULT IN CLUNKING OR RATTLING NOISE OR CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RIDE ROUGHLY." IN THE WHAT WILL FORD DO CATEGORY, THE LETTER STATES THAT FORD IS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR FRONT SPRING REPLACEMENT, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2001. IN THE WHAT SHOULD WE DO CATEGORY, THE LETTER STATES THAT "IF EITHER OF THE VEHICLE'S FRONT SPRINGS SHOULD FRACTURE DURING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD, CONTACT YOUR DEALER. AT NO COST TO YOU/US, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS." IN THE MEANTIME, SO AS TO PREVENT TIRE DAMAGE SHOULD THE SPRING FRACTURE, FORD HAS DEVELOPED A SPECIAL PLASTIC PROTECTIVE SHIELD, WHICH HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON OUR 1993 TAURUS. AS THE 1992 & 1993 TAURUS MODELS ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE RECALL ON THE 1993 TAURUS'S SHOULD ALSO APPLY TO THE 1992'S AS OUR DEFECT SEEMS TO BE IDENTICAL TO THAT WHICH FORD HAS ALREADY AGREEDEFECT ONTHE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE.