2002 FORD TAURUS Complaints

ON MY VEHICLE, A 2002 FORD TAURUS SES SEDAN WITH A DOHC DURATEC ENGINE, THERE ARE PLASTIC COMPONENTS THAT SECURE THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE TO THE THROTTLE BODY. OVER TIME THESE COMPONENTS WEAR OUT AND BREAK AND BECOME LODGED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO HOLD THE THROTTLE OPEN. THIS CAN HAVE CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE THREATENING CONSEQUENCES. THIS HAPPENED TO ME THIS EVENING. IF I HAD NOT QUICKLY SHIFTED THE VEHICLE?S TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL I WOULD HAVE RAMMED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. FORTUNATELY I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT CARS THAT I WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH ELECTRICAL TIES AND MAKE MY VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. FORD MOTORS HAS A DUTY TO THE PUBLIC TO IMMEDIATELY RECALL ALL VEHICLES WITH THESE PLASTIC COMPONENTS AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

A FUEL TANK MOUNTING STRAP FAILED ON MY 2002 FORD TAURUS DURING NORMAL DRIVING IN WALTON HILLS, OH. THE STRAP WAS PAINTED REGULAR STEEL AND BADLY CORRODED. THIS DEFECT APPEARS TO BE IDENTICAL TO THE AUGUST 2011 RECALL OF F150 AND F250 TRUCKS FOR POTENTIAL FUEL TANK STRAP FAILURE. THE STRAP WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ASAP AND I WILL SEE IF THE OLD STRAP CAN BE SAVED. *KB

I WAS PULLING MY WIFE'S CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE WHEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLAT TILL I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT STRUT (SPRING) HAD BROKEN. I COULD TELL THAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT (THE STEEL WAS NOT HEAT TREATED PROPERLY). I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I SPENT 40 YEARS IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY AS A QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER. I TOOK THE CAR INTO MY MECHANIC AND HAD ALL FOUR STRUTS REPLACED AT A COST OF ALMOST $800.00 THIS IS A TRUE SAFETY DEFECT BECAUSE MY WIFE TRAVELS TO WORK ON I-75 AT 70 MPH AND DRIVES 60 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY, SHE SURELY WOULD HAVE FLIPPED OVER! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND THE ENGINE RPMS INCRESED TO 4000 WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, SHUT THE ENGINE OFF FOR A MOMENT AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

ON 7/27/11 WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 FORD TAURUS WHICH HAS APPROX 41000 MILES I HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER ARRIVING AT MY HOME I DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT HAND FRONT COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE THIS COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION HAD THE BROKEN SPRING PUNCTURED THE TIRE. *KB

GAS SMELL BACK SEAT PASSENGER SIDE, NO ONE CAN SIT IN BACK SEAT OR THEY GET OVER POWERED BY GASOLINE SMELL, 2002 FORD TAURUS I KNOW OF FIVE OTHER CARS IN MY AREA (SAME YEAR AND MAKE) WITH SAME EXACT ISSUE. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS XL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MILES PER HOUR MAKING A TURN THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE, AND PUNCTURED THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000. UPDATED 10/03/11 *BF UPDATED 2/21/12 *CN UPDATED 3/27/12 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING HER TO LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING 53 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE DIAGNOSTICS STATED THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS THE SAME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE, AT TIMES, WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. SM.

ON MAY 15, 2011 I WAS USING MY 2002 FORD TAURUS TO RUN ERRANDS . AFTER DRIVING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME I BECAME AWARE OF A STRANGE ODOR, ALL OF THE GAUGES APPEARED NORMAL, AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. HOWEVER, I WAS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO GET A SECOND OPINION. FORTUNATELY, THE FACILITY THAT NORMALLY SERVICES MY VEHICLE IS LOCATED LESS THAN 2 MILES FROM MY HOME. AFTER VISUALLY INSPECTING THE VEHICLE AND CHECKING ALL FLUIDS THE MECHANIC PROCEEDED TO TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE, ATTEMPTING TO DUPLICATE THE SMELL. THE CAR ONLY TRAVELED A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION, ON A LIFT, REVEALED A BROKEN LEFT REAR COIL SPRING. THE JAGGED END OF THE SPRING WAS PROTRUDING INTO THE INNER SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE, HAVING CAUSED IT TO RAPIDLY DEFLATE. THE MECHANIC THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE SMELL I EXPERIENCED WAS MOST LIKELY THE BROKEN SPRING RUBBING ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. TO MY ASTONISHMENT I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS A FAIRLY COMMON EVENT AND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FAILURE OF THE REMAINING 3 COIL SPRINGS. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTINUED USE OF THIS VEHICLE, I AM WELL AWARE OF THE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUDDEN DEFLATION OF A TIRE AT ROAD SPEED. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY, BECAUSE I WAS ALSO TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT AT ONE TIME FORD HAD A RECALL AND A CAMPAIGN TO REMEDY SUCH A PROBLEM. TO DATE, I HAVE NOT BEEN SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS.