1999 FORD TAURUS Complaints

TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERESTATE. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ROUGHLY WHILE IN OVERDRIVE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RACE AND BOG DOWN. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS $1600.00. THIS OCCURED EVEN AFTER THE LUBE TUBE WAS REPLACED BY FORD AS PART OF A RECALL PROGRAM.

SEAT BELT BECAME UNUSABLE. TWO OTHER SEAT BELTS IN SAME CAR WERE REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY FOR SAME PROBLEM. A FOURTH SEAT BELT WORKS, BUT WITH DIFFICULTY. PAID DEALER TO REPLACE UNUSABLE SEAT BELT. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS PROBLEMS AND SOME RECALLS WITH SAME MODEL CAR BUT DIFFERENT RELEASE. *JB

WHEN YOU HIT THE HORN THE ENGINE TRIES TO CUT OUT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN THAT HAPPENS THE CAR JERKS REALLY BAD LIKE YOU SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL ONLY WORKS HALF THE TIME. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS YET. IT IS GOING INTO THE SHOP IN A WEEK. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON HIS 1999 FORD TAURUS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE RECALL WAS ON #04V332000 NHTSA, FORD# 04S17 ON THE SUSPENSION: FRONT COIL SPRING: PROTECTIVE SHIELD. THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT FORD RECOMMENDED IN THE CONSUMERS AREA ON MAY 19, 2005. THE VEHICLE DID NOT MAKE ANY NOISE UNTIL THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE. THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE ON THE FRONT WHEEL. THE DEALER PERFORMED RECALL ON 04S17. THE OWNER STARTED NOTICING THE NOISE RIGHT AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE. THE OWNER CALLED THE DEALER AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE NOISE. THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK ON JUNE 9, 2005. THE DEALER CHECKED AND SAID HE FOUND PROBLEMS IN THE FRONT SWAY BAR AND THE LINKAGES. THE DEALER SAID HE WOULD REPLACE THE SWAY BAR AND LINKS FOR $160.00. THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER CERTIFIED QUALIFIED MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SWAY BAR LINKS. THEN THE OWNER CALLED FORD AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THEM HAVING THE SWAY BAR CHECKED. FORD TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT HE COULD GO TO ANOTHER DEALER. FORD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN TOUCH WITH THE CONSUMER 10 DAYS PRIOR TO TODAY AND THEY WERE NOT. FORD TOLD THE CAR OWNER HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND ANY OTHER REPAIRS THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE CAR REPAIR WORK WAS DONE. FORD WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY ONE ELSE'S OPINION EXCEPT FOR THE FORD DEALERSHIPS WORD. THE CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE ADDRESS OF THE DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED.*JB *NM

ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, I HEARD NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT OF MY 1999 FORD TAURUS AS I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT. AS I LEFT THE PARKING LOT, THE STEERING SEEMED "STIFF" AND ON HARD TURNS THERE WAS NOISE. AS A RESULT, I TOOK MY CAR IMMEDIATELY TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THE ATTENDANT LOOKED AT THE STEERING FLUID AND FOUND IT TO BE "DIRTY" AND LOW. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY CHANGING THE FLUID TO DETERMINE IF THAT WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT COSTLY DIAGNOSTICS. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED HOME (APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES) THE STEERING ONCE AGAIN WAS NOISY AND "STIFF". SINCE I WAS TO BE OUT OF TOWN UNTIL WEDNESDAY, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24). THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND POWER STEERING FLUID PUMP WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,100. THE TAURUS HAS ONLY 48,700 MILES. AS I LOOKED AT THE DOT WEBSITE, I DISCOVERED 3 OR 4 IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON THE 1999 FORD TAURUS. ONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAD 48,000 MILES.

I NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH MY AIR AND HEAT IN MY 1999 FORD TAURUS. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THAT A FREEZE PLUG ON MY ENGINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH, AND ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR. I SPENT A LITTLE OVER $200 TO REPLACE THE FREEZE PLUG (MOSTLY LABOR CHARGES). TWO MONTHS LATER, MY AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING AGAIN, SO I CHECKED ON THE ANTIFREEZE LEVEL, AND IT WAS AGAIN EMPTY. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ANOTHER FREEZE PLUG HAD FAILED, AND HE ESTIMATED IT WOULD BE BETWEEN $250 AND $450 TO REPLACE IT. I DO HAVE THE FIRST FREEZE PLUG; THE SECOND HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED YET.

DT: CONTACT STATES HER SEAT BELTS IN 1999 FORD TAURUS KEPT RETRACTING AND JAMMING. SHE NOTICED THIS IN OCTOBER 2000. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP 7 TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALER HAS NOT TOLD HER WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED SEAT BELTS WERE VERY SHORT, AND WERE NOT PULLING OUT PROPERLY. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04S17-04M04 ON FRONT SPRINGS. THE CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR SPRINGS. THE CONSUMER SAID THE REAR SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED A HOLE IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THEDRIVEWAY WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED IT UP AND HE HEARD A LOT OF NOISE. CALLER SAID HE WAS LUCKY HE WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED. MANUFACTURER IS OFFERING NO HELP.*AK *JB

THE POWER DOOR LOCKS OCCASIONALLY UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE OR WHEN PARKED. PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL LOCK ACTUATORS FAILED AND THE DOORS COULD ONLY BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED MANUALLY. DEALER REPLACED THREE FAILED ACTUATORS ($500) AND THE DOORS BEGAN TO AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCK AGAIN.

DT: CONSUMER CALLED IN REGARD TO A RECALL 04M04 HE RECEIVED IN 08-2004 REGARDING CORRODED COIL SPRINGS, CAUSING A RUPTURED TIRE WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE REMEDY WAS TO MAKE A SHIELD AND TO NOTIFY CUSTOMERS WHEN THIS SHIELD WAS READY. ON 12-30-04, VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED. HE HAD THE COIL SPRINGS REPLACED. IN 1-05, CONSUMER RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL #04S17, EXPLAINING THE DELAY IN GETTING THESE SHIELDS PREPARED. IN 05-2005, HE RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE RECALL. FORD SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT EITHER. NEITHER WOULD REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE REPAIR WORK HE ALREADY HAD DONE. ALSO, TRANSMISSION ON WENT OUT AFTER THE COIL SPRINGS WERE REPLACED. HE FELT THAT TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN 2004. *AK