1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

MY CAR BROKE DOWN 10/21/2000. I LOST ALL POWER ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD SON. I TOOK MY CAR TO 3 FORD DEALERSHIPS AND NONE OF THE MECHANICS COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. FINALLY I FOUND AN INDEPENDENT MACHINE SHOP WHO WAS COMPETENT ENOUGH TO NOT ONLY DIAGNOSE AND FIX MY CAR PROPERLY, BUT THEY HAD TO PIECE MY ENGINE (INCLUDING THE AXLES) TOGETHER AFTER A FORD DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PUT MY CAR BACK TOGETHER. I HAD NO VEHICLE FOR 7 MONTHS AND HAD TO PAY $3171 FOR THE REPAIRS NOT TO MENTION 4 TOW TRUCKS. SHORTLY AFTER HAVING MY CAR FIXED I NOTICED IT WOULD IDLE HIGH WHEN SITTING AT STOP SIGNS OR LIGHTS. EVENTUALLY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED IT IS EITHER THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR OR THROTTLE BODY. REGARDING THE CAM SPROCKET FAILURE, I KNOW OF AT LEAST 69 PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TAURUS SHO MODELS. FORD REFUSES TO HELP FIX ITS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND HOPEFULLY NO ONE WILL HAVE TO DIE FROM THIS SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN. THANK YOU. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE HEAD ON, CAUGHT ON FIRE, CAUSING INJURIES. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *YD

FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AND BECOME TANGLED IN RECOIL MECHANISM SUCH THAT THE SEAT BELTS CANNOT BE USED. *AKY

CAR STALLL WITHOUT WARNING, DEALER CANNOT FIND PROBLEM, MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT. OTHER TAURUS OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. FORD IS NOT INTERESTED.

WHILE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, VEHICLE STALLED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER, TIMING CHAIN BROKE DESTROYING THE CAMSHAFT, 8 VALVES, UPPER GASKET, HEAD BOLTS AND CAUSING THE CAM SPROKET TO FAIL. *TT

WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON, FOLLOWED BY SHAKING AND VIBRATION. ALSO INTERMITTENT STALLING WOULD OCCUR WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR APPLYING ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP POSITION, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER SHOP, AND HAD SOME SEVERE REPAIRS DONE, PROBLEM CONCERNING ENGINE IS STILL OCCURRING, ALSO REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED, THE COOLANT OVERFLOW BOTTLE CONTAINED A LEAK. *SLC

SECOND CAMSHAFT FAILURE WITHIN ONE YEAR. REPAIRING DEALER WAS REQUESTED TO CHECK VALVE TAP IN SEPTEMBER. ORIGINAL CHAMSHAFT REPAIR WAS DONE HOWEVER CAR CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE ENGINE PRESSURE AND TIMING PROBLEMS. REQUESTED SERVICE DEALER TO CHECK VALVE TAP IN SEPTEMBER 2001. DEALER REFUSED TO DO SERVICE, EXPLAINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ABOVE THEIR HEADS. COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES TO FORD CONCERNING REPAIR AND DEALER'S RESPONSE. DEALER NOW BELIEVES CAR NEEDS NEW ENGINE. INITIAL REPAIR WAS $3000 AND TOOK TWO MONTHS. FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE FAILURE OF THE CAMSHAFT SPROCKETS FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. HOWEVER, NO ACTION HAS BEEN INITIATED TO REPAIR ALL PROBLEMS AT ONE TIME ONLY TO HANDLE EACH CAMSHAFT AFTER FAILURE RESULTING IN LARGE REPAIR BILL.

WHEN PURCHASED, THIS CAR WAS SERVICED, INCLUDING A COOLING SYSTEM INSPECTION. I ALSO NOTIFIED FORD BY TELEPHONE THAT I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR, PROVIDING THE VIN. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE CAR AT THAT TIME. THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS CHECKED 4 MONTHS AGO, AND WAS FINE AT THAT TIME. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, THE CAR OVERHEATED, SPEWING COOLANT WHEN THE HOOD WAS LIFTED. I DID NOT, AT ANY TIME ATTEMPT REMOVAL OF THE COOLANT CAP; THE COOLANT WAS SPEWING FROM BENEATH THE CLOSED CAP. MY MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY CONTAMINATED WITH RUST AND SLUDGE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT FORD HAD A RECALL ON THE SITUATION. WHEN I CALLED FORD, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL WAS OVER, THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER COVER THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT THE RECALL WAS OVER IN 1999. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THIS RECALL. FORD DID PROVIDE ME WITH A TSB NUMBER- 972416. BUT, TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A MANUFACTURER CAN DECIDE TO REPAIR A SERIOUS DEFECT FOR ONLY A LIMITED TIME, AND ONLY IF THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINS DURING THAT TIME? I WAS STRANDED IN A VERY BAD PART OF ATLANTA BY THIS INCIDENT, AND COOLANT WAS SPEWED ALL OVER ME. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, IN MY VIEW, NOT THE 'CUSTOMER SATISFACTION' ISSUE FORD TERMED IT ON THE TELEPHONE WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM TODAY. THIS SITUATION WAS PRODUCED BY A DESIGN DEFECT THAT FORD CLEARLY HAS KNOWLEDGE OF AS EVIDENCED BY THE TSB. FORD HAS ALSO PRODUCED A RETROFIT PART TO CORRECT THE SITUATION- F7DZ8522AA (COOLANT RECOVERY KIT). WHY IS FORD NOT BEING REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS SITUATION ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES?*AK

THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND AFTER AVOIDING TRAFFIC AND COASTING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS THAT THE SPLINES ON THE CAMSHAFT GEAR OF THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT ON THE REAR CYLINDER HEAD ARE STRIPPED AND THE SPLINES ON THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT ARE IN POOR CONDITION. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR $4500 - $5000. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 68K MILES ON IT.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED MANUFACTURER'S RECALL NOTICE IN 1999 ABOUT ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. CONSUMER HAD REPAIRS DONE WHICH REPLACED RESERVOIR AND HEATER COIL. SINCE THEN, PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO . ALSO, CONTACTED FORD, AND FORD STATED WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND NOTHING THEY COULD DO. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK