1999 FORD TAURUS Complaints

MY HUSBAND AND I HAD THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS WHEN IT STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WE THEN TOOK IT TO 2 MECHANICS. JUST LOW ON FLUID, NO OTHER PROBLEMS. WE CHECKED THE FLUID BEFORE WE DROVE IT AFTER THAT. THE LEVELS WERE NEVER LOW. ONE DAY ON MY HOME, I HAD STOPPED FOR A LIGHT ON A HILL. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARD. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, THEN WAITED FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME I TRIED, THE CAR JERKED AND LUNGED FORWARD. I TOLD MY HUSBAND ABOUT IT WHEN I GOT HOME AND HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. WE CHECKED THE FLUID AGAIN, NO CHANGE. IT WILL GO INTO GEAR IF THE ENGINE IS COLD. BUT ONCE IT WARMS UP, NOTHING. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR 3 YEARS, TAKING UP SPACE AND COLLECTING DUST. THE DEALERSHIP INSISTED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE TRANSMISSION. A THIRD INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TOLD US THE TRANSMISSION WAS FRIED. IT WILL COST ROUGHLY $3,000 TO FIX IT. MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY AND I REFUSE TO PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THIS PIECE OF JUNK. I ALSO REFUSE TO MAKE ANY MORE PAYMENTS ON IT. I CAN'T SELL IT BECAUSE IT WON'T MOVE. FORD MOTOR CREDIT WILL NOT RELEASE THE TITLE UNTIL IT'S PAID FOR BUT WON'T COME AND GET IT. I CAN'T TAKE IT TO THEM. I WANT MY MONEY BACK, OR I WANT IT FIXED. THE DEALERSHIP WHO SOLD IT TO MY HUSBAND SOLD OUT TO SOMEONE ELSE AND THERE IS NO RECORD OF US EVER BRINGING IT TO THEM. NOW WHAT?

THE COIL SPRINGS FAILED ON THE CONSUMERS 1999 FORD TAURUS. *JB A RECALL WAS ISSUED IN AUG 2004 REGARDING THE COIL SPRINGS AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD SHE WOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE PARTS ARRIVED, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND THEREFORE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE WITH THE COIL SPRINGS. THE CONSUMER HAD THE REPAIRS MADE AT ANOTHER FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE CONSUMERS CLAIM BECAUSE THE REPAIRS WERE NOT MADE AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. *JB *NM

DT: ON 06/13/05 CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE GARAGE. WHEN DRIVER WAS TURNING ON THE CAR SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DRIVER TOLD HER HUSBAND, AND AS HUSBAND CAME OUT TO THE VEHICLE, HE SAW FLAMES COMING FROM CRACKS IN THE HOOD. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE GARAGE WAS ON FIRE ALONG WITH TWO OTHER GARAGES, ON LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. THERE WAS AN ARSON INVESTIGATOR, WHO REPORTED THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT OF LAKEWOOD ISSUED REPORT # 105-15803-1331-445. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATOR LOCATED OUT OF NEWHALL OWNER HAS THE PHONE NUMBER AND NAMES OF THE INVESTIGATORS. *AK

STEERING RACK IN 1999 FORD TARUS. PER THE AUTO SHOP THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TYPE OF VECHICLE, STATED THAT IT WAS JUST A POOR DESIGN

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING DOWN A COUNTRY ROAD IN A 1999 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED WITH NO WARNING AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. FORTUNATELY, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP WITH NO DAMAGE AND SAFELY EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN (USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE) TO THE DEALER WHO SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED THAT THE STEEL TUBING OF THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH, CAUSING THE FAILURE. HAVING NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A FAILURE IN THREE DECADES OF BEING INVOLVED WITH AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR IN A NORTHERN CLIMATE WITH SALTED ROADS, AND IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THIS VEHICLE SPENT ONLY A FEW YEARS IN A NORTHERN CLIMATE PRIOR TO MOVING TO A SNOW-FREE AREA, CONSUMER REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN THE FAILED BRAKE LINES AS EVIDENCE (STILL AVAILABLE). REPLACING THE BRAKE LINES COST OVER $100 IN PARTS AND SUPPLIES AND OVER $360 IN LABOR, FOR A TOTAL BILL OF $471.18. A SUBSEQUENT SEARCH OF THE NHTSA DATABASE REVEALED OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TAURUS (SEE ODI #10117988 AND #10124628) WITH NO INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY EITHER FORD OR NHTSA. EVIDENTLY INVESTIGATIONS DO NOT HAPPEN UNLESS THERE IS A FIRE, DEATH, INJURY, ETC., AND THESE COMPLAINTS INVOLVED: A TAURUS THAT HAD ALREADY EXITED A HIGHWAY; ONE IN A MCDONALD'S DRIVE-THRU; AND THIS ONE ON AN ISOLATED ROAD. IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT NO ACTION IS TAKEN ON SUCH AN OBVIOUS MATERIAL DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKING WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE NHTSA'S ATTENTION?

THE POWER STEERING ON MY CAR IS COMPLETELY SHOT. WE'VE REPLACE THE PUMP AND EXAMINED THE HOSE/LINES WITH NO SUCCESS. I'M AM ONLY ABLE TO STEER MY CAR WITH MUCH EFFORT. TURNING OR SWERVING QUICKLY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT NUMEROUS FORD TAURAUS'S HAVE SUFFERD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MANUFACTUER DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

1. NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE. 2. REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTION MECHANISMS FAIL. REPLACED 1, UNIT FAILED AGAIN. NOW NEITHER OF THE 2 UNITS WORK. UNABLE TO USE THE VEHICLE WITH MORE THAN 2 PASSENGERS. 3. 1 PART REPLACED, FAILED AGAIN WITHIN 1 YEAR.

CRUSIE CONTROL SWITCH STOPPED WORKING. DEALER SPENT AN HOUR FINDING PROBLEM WHICH HE SAID WAS CASUED BY SWITCH ON BRAKE PEDAL LOSING ADJUSTMENT.PAID $90.00 TO "ADJUST". SEVERAL MONTHS LATER SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED.

I HAVE A 1999 FORD TAURUS I HAVE THE ANTI-BREAK SYSTEM (ABS). I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 5 YEARS AND NEVER MADE ANY NOISE UNTIL THE PAST WEEK. I BROUGHT IT INTO FORD GARAGE AND THEY SAID IT IS COMMON AND DON'T WORRY. WHILE DRIVING I FEEL PULSATION AND VIBRATION WHILE BREAKING. WHEN I DO GO SPEED ABOVE 10MPH IT STOPS. IF I STOP AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND START AGAIN IT AGAIN VIBRATES AND PULSATES. IT IT SCARY BECAUSE YOU FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG. THEY TELL ME IT IS COMMON AND IN THE MANUAL. IF IT DID THIS WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR OR ANYONE THIS MODEL I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD OF SOLD A CAR. I FEEL FORD SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY ARE AWARE OF IT.

CAR: 1999 FORD TAURUS SE SEDAN A PROBLEM HAS STARTED OCCURING WITH MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS SINCE OCT 2004. THE WIPERS ARE MALFUNCTIONING, WHEREBY THEY COME ON INTERMITTENTLY EVEN WHEN THE WIPER-SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY DEALER ( DILLON FORD, 30 TOLLAND TURNPIKE, MANCHESTER,CT ) TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM EXAMINED AND FIXED. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $75.00 TO EXAMINE THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIANS REPORTED THAT THEY WERE NTO ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND FELT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE A FAILED GEM MODULE. I ORDERED A NEW GEM MODULE THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD MY GEM MODULE REPLACED. THIS COST ME ABOUT $400.00. THE REPLACEMENT DID NOT FIX MY PROBLEM AT ALL. I STILL HAVE IN MY POSSESSION MY OLD GEM MODULE; THE CAR HAS THE NEW GEM MODULE. I TOOK THE CAR AGIAN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 05/20/2005 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED, HOWEVER THE TECHNICIANS AGAIN REPORTED THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. MEANWHILE I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE MALFUNCTIONING WIPERS, AND I FEEL THIS IS NOT ONLY A HUGE IRRITANT, BUT ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD.