1999 FORD TAURUS Complaints

ON APRIL 23, 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 HOURS ON INTERSTATE 59 SOUTH IN RURAL ALABAMA MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED A TIRE MALFUNCTION IN MY FORD TAURUS. THE TIRES TREAD TOTALLY DISINTEGRATED CAUSING EXTENSIVE BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE (APPROX. $1800). MY OWN PERSONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT SITE AND TIRE ALONG WITH THE STATEMENTS OF THE WRECKER DRIVER AND BODY SHOP REPRESENTATIVE SHOW THAT THE TIRE WAS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. THE DAMAGE TO THE TIRE IS EERILY SIMILAR TO THE DEFECTIVE SUV TIRES RECALLED BY FIRESTONE A FEW YEARS AGO. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING THE TIRE MANUFACTURER TO INFORM THEM OF THIS PROBLEM AND TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TOWING AND REPAIRS. TIRE INFORMATION: LEMANS TOURING P205/65R15 M+S DOT HYUR LT4 DO5L

WHILE GOING THROUGH A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AT RUSH HOUR, MY 1999 FORD TAURUS JUST STOPPED. IT WILL ONLY OPERATE IN REVERSE. THE CAR HAS JUST UNDER 50,000 ORIGINAL MILES. THERE HAS TO BE SOME DEFECT FOR A VEHICLE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH SUCH REASONABLE MILES.

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL CAMPAIGN# 04V332000 CONCERNING THE COIL SPRINGS WHICH WAS MANDATED BY LOCATION. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED AND REFUSED TO DO THR REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO STATED THAT CONSUMER 'S VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AND REPAIRS SHOULD BE MADE. *AK *SC *JB

RECALL 04V332000 FOR THE COIL SPRING WAS ISSUED. CONSUMER STATED THAT DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PART, AND HAS BEEN WAITING SINCE AUGUST OF 2004. *AK FORD TOLD CONSUMER PART TO CORRECT PROBLEM WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AUGUST 2005. *BF *NM

WHEN DRIVING MY CAR,THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON PERIODICALLY WITHOUT BEING TURNED ON.THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD WITH OR WITHOUT HAVING MADE A TURN. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 40 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST YEAR.MY FORD DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MAKE THE PROBLEM HAPPEN,THEREFORE,THEY CAN'T FIX IT.THIS SAME PROBLEM IS OCCURRING WITH A 2ND 1999 TAURUS THAT I OWN AND MY SON DRIVES.PRETTY STRANGE COINCIDENCE,WOULDN'T YOU SAY?MY FEAR IS THAT WHEN I NEED THE WIPERS TO WORK SOMEDAY THEY WILL FAIL COMPLETELY AND NOT GO ON AT ALL.

RECALL 04S17 PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO FIX CAR.WAS TOLD IN AUGUST 2004 THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER 2004, IN JANYARY 2005 GOT POST CARD SAYING PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MARCH 2005 IT'S NOW MAY 2005 AND HAS NOT HEARD FROM MANUFACTURER ON PARTS. *AK

CONTACT STATES: DROVE CAR 1/2 MILE USING HEADLIGHTS BY THE TIME SHE ENTERED THE DRIVEWAY A BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF FRONT DRIVER SIDE HOOD ABOVE THE HEADLIGHTS. SMELLED BETWEEN TAR AND GLUE SMELL. IT SMELLS EVEN WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT IN USE DROVE LESS THAN 1/2 MILE. FORD DEALERSHIP DID SAY IT SOUNDED ELECTRICAL.

EXPERIENCED A CAMSHAFT RELATED ENGINE FAILURE AT 70 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE OF A MAJOR INTERSTATE. VEHICLE HAD TO TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION TO CROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND NO POWER ASSIST WAS AVAILABLE TO BRAKES OR STEERING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN OPERATING FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES OF CITY DRIVING AND 1 HOUR OF HIGHWAY SPEEDS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER SHOWED ME THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE EXACT SAME CONDITION REPORTED ON WWW.V8SHO.COM. THERE OVER 530 DOCUMENTED CASES OF CAMSHAFT TO SPROCKET SPLEEN FAILURES WHERE THE PISTONS THEN IMPACT STATIONARY VALVES AND DESTROY THE MOTOR. THE DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER RECOMMENDED I CONTACT FORD ENGINEERING TO ADVISE THEM OF THE FAILURE SINCE IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A MAINTENANCE OR WEAR RELATED ISSUE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A JUNK YARD MOTOR AT A COST OF OVER $6000 SINCE THE PISTONS AND VALVES HAD DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO SERVICE BULLETINS, CONTACT FROM THE MANUFACTURER OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE NO NEW FACTORY ENGINES AVAILABLE AND 3RD PARTY MOTORS WERE TWICE THE BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE CAR.*AK PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE SCOPE OF THIS PROBLEM AND REQUIRE THE MANUFACTURER TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS ENGINEERING FLAW. THIS FAILURE IS A CATASTROPHIC ONE THAT DESTROYS AN ENGINE AND IS CERTAINLY SOLVABLE IF ADDRESSED EARLY ENOUGH. MY FAMILY WAS MOST FORTUNATE THAT THIS PROBLEM DID NOT CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL IN AUG 2004 REGARDING FRONT COIL SPRINGS #04V332000 (MFG RECALL #04217). THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT WAS INFORMED NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER SHE WOULD RECEIVE LETTER INDICATING WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. AS OF 4/22/05 NO LETTER REGARDING PARTS AVAILABLE. THE LETTER INDICATED REPAIRS MUST BE DONE BY JULY OR THE OWNER IS LIABLE FOR REPAIRS. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILED! FORD SEEMS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WANTS TO DO NOTHING!*AK