1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE STALLED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. MECHANIC STATED FROZEN PLUG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

I AM WRITING YOU NOW, ONE YEAR AFTER THE FACT, BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED THERE OVER 100 MORE SHO OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH ONLY A MINUTE OR TWO WARNING, LOST ALL POWER, AND I HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (WITH MY TWO BABIES ON BOARD). I WAS LUCKILY ON A RURAL ROAD IN THE COUNTRY, IF I WERE ON A HIGHWAY, FREEWAY, OR MORE TRAVELED AREA, I KNOW I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THOSE OUT THERE WHO ARE DRIVING THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL CAR. WE HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED FORD MANY TIMES, AND THEY ARE NOT LISTENING. PLEASE HELP.*AK

MY 1996 FORD TAURUS SHO STARTED MAKING A CHATTER NOISE ON THE TOP END OF ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER IN ALBANY, NY. THE DEALER WAS ORANGE MOTORS. THEY CHARGED ME 100.00 TO DIAGNOS THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND THE COST WAS GOING TO BE $12,000.00. SINCE I WAS IN SHOCK WITH THE PRICE, I LOOKED INTO THE PROBLEM MYSELF AND FOUND A WEBSITE V8SHO.COM. THEY DESCRIBED MY EXACT FAILRURE. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AMONG ALL 1996,97,98,AND 99 SHO'S. THE ENGINE IS BUILT BY YAMAHA FOR FORD. THE PROBLEM IS THE DESIGN OF THE CAM SHAFT. THE TIMING GEAR SPROCKET IS PRESSED ONTO THE CAM AND CAN COME LOOSE AT ANY TIME. IF YOU HEAR THE AUDIBLE CHATTER FROM THE ENGINE, YOU MUST STOP DRIVING IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE GEAR WILL SLIP ON THE CAM AND THE ENGINE WILL SELF DESTRUCT BENDING VALVES AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW AN INDIVIDUAL MAINTAINS THE CAR. THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE AT ANYTIME. FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ISSUED SPECIAL SERVICE BULLITEN 15879 TO CHECK FOR THE PROBLEM. IN MY CASE THE FORD DEALER WHERE I TOOK THE SHO DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR ANY FURTHER. WHEN THIS IS CAUGHT IN THE BEGINNING STAGES YOU CAN WELD THE SPROKETS TO THE CAM. AFTER TAKING MY CAR APART MYSELF, I FOUND BOTH FRONT CAMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM. ONE MOVES LEFT AND RIGHT ON THE SPROKET AND THE OTHER IS LOOSE ON THE CAM.(READY TO SPIN COMPLETELY LOOSE AND KILL THE ENGINE. THE COST OS THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD NOT BE THE CONSUMER'S RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS A LATENT DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

MY CAR HAS BEEN AT THE FORD PLACE IN MONROEVILLE,AL AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED AS FAR AS THE TRANSMISSION AND THE POWER STEERING. *AK

THIS FAILURE IS A SAFETY HAZARD. WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AT RANDOM, THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS QUIT WORKING, AND THE SEAT BELT LIGHT COMES ON! THEY ALL APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THIS MLP/TR SWITCH. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND 4 OTHER OCCURRENCES THAT WERE REPORTED. WHEN I CALL THE LOCAL FORD SERVICE GARAGE, THE SERVICE MANAGER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS AND SOLD ME THE SENSOR SWITCH. HE WAS AWARE THAT THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING WHEN THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR. I EXPERIENCED THE POWER STEERING FAILING ON A TURN AND HAD MUCH TROUBLE CONTROLLING THE CAR. I'M WORRIED THAT MY DAUGHTER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. *AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, THERE WAS A TICKING NOISE, CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE VEHICLE AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS THE ENGINE CUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING.*JB

EXCESSIVE BRAKING & TRANSMISSION GEAR USE---BRAKES OVERHEATED CAUSING ROTOR GLAZE

VEHICLE STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, DEALER HAS ADJUSTED PCM BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, THE BRAKES CAUSE VIBRATION WHEN STOPPING.*AK *NLM

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED CONCERNING THE TRANSMISSION OF THE FORD TAURUS, 1995-1997 MODELS?*AK

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ,ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THA T VEHICLE WILL STUMBLE WHILE IN IDLE. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK