1997 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN THE DOWNWARD POSITION. CONSUMER PRESSED AGAIN, HOPING THE PEDAL WOULD DISENGAGE ITSELF BUT TO NO AVAIL. *JG *JB

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON, THEN TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION UNDER SERVICE PLAN.

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1997 FORD TAURUS V8 SHO IN 2000. WE HAD MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES PERFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER, 2002. (THE TOTAL MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES). IN LATE DECEMBER, 2002, THE CAR STARTED TICKING VERY LOUDLY SO WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ON JANUARY 3, 2003, WHO WASN'T SURE WHY THE CAR WAS TICKING BUT HE PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE AND FLUSHED THE ENGINE. ON SUNDAY EVENING, JANUARY 5, 2003, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. IT LOCKED UP AS IF IT WERE OUT OF GAS AND I HAD TO MANUALLY STEER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ONCE THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO A CAM SPROCKET FAILURE. IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE MANY OF THESE FAILURES ON 1996-1999 FORD TAURUS SHO'S. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINES BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT IN A ROAD ACCIDENT.

I HAVE A 1997 FORD TAURUS SHO, I STARTED HEARING A TAPING IN MY ENGINE, I ASKED A MACHANIC FRIEND ABOUT IT, HE TOLD ME THAT HE READ ABOUT THE CAM SHAFT IN THE SHO'S FROM 1996 - 1999 GOING BAD, I TOOK MY SHO TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY DETERMIND IT WAS THE CAMSHAFT HAD GONE BAD. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THERE IS A WRITE UP ABOUT THE ISSUE.I TALKED TO FORD MOTOR CO CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HADN'T HAD ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRENT A RECALL, THAT I SHOULD SAVE MY RECIEPTS AND IF THEY HAVE A RECALL THEY WOULD REFUND MY MONEY. IF IT IS A KNOWN FAULT IN THE ENGINE WHY HASN'T FORD CHECKED INTO IT? I LIKED MY FORD SHO, AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT FOR A LONG TIME.

CAM SENSORS ARE BEING REPLACED IN THE 1997 FORD TAURUS MODELS; SINCE THEY ARE RELATED TO THE THE FIRING OF THE ENGINE IT WILL CAUSE THE EMISSIONS TO INCREASE AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE COVERED UNDER THE 8YR/84000 MILE LAW. DT

MY CAR HAD A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE AT 48500 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT I HAD MULIPLE CAM FAILURES CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THIS ISSUE IS VERY SERIOUS DUE TO THE SUDDEN NATURE OF THE FAILURE AND THE OTHER COMPONANTS THAT NO LONGER FUNCTION PROPERLY ONCE THE ENGINE IS DEAD. DT

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 45MPH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN, CAUSING TO PULL THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE ROAD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

THE CONSUMER INTERIOR LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD AND WILL NOT GO OFF THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

IDLE SPEED WILL INCREASE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED HIGH IDLE/ACCELERATION RATE (IDLE SPEED INCREASES FROM 600-800 RPM TO 1500-2000 RPM) THAT MAKES STOPPING DIFFICULT. IN ADDITION, WITH THIS HIGH IDLE THE CAR WILL MAKE A SUDDEN SURGE WHEN BRAKE IS RELEASED. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER OVER 18 TIMES, DEALER AND FORD ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM, HAVE CHANGED NUMEROUS PARTS BUT WERE NEVER ABLE TO FIND ACTUAL CAUSE. FORD REFUSES TO MAKE REPLACEMENT AND/OR REPURCHASE OFFER OTHER THAN WHAT DEALER WILL OFFER AS MINIMAL "TRADE-IN" VALUE IF I PURCHASE A NEW FORD. DT

WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE ON IT'S FRONT SIDE YET NONE OF VEHICLES AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *TS *NLM