1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE REVVED BUT THERE WAS NO FOWARD MOVEMENT, VEHICLE SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE.*JB

I LOVE MY CAR BUT IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER GOING WRONG WITH IT AND HAVING TO WORK ON A VEHICLE AND MAKE PAYMENTS IS AGERVATING AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND THE FORD COMPANY WILL NOT ADMIT PROBLEMS OR HELP. *AK

I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE ON VARIOUS WEBSITES (WWW.V8SHO.COM). THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESREAD PROBLEM, AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT AT THIS TIME. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL OF THESE SHAFTS. I AM PRETTY SURE THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE RESULTS IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. *AK

CAMSHAFT FAILURE. THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN ON THESE CARS. I HAVE SPOKE TO MANY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. FORD IS DOING NOTHING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THIS PROBLEM. WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO GET A RECALL OR REIMBURSMENT?

A NOISE SOUNDS LIKE A LARGE HUMMING SOUND, THAT GETS LOUDER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT CERTAIN HIGH SPEEDS, COULD BE THE AIR BAG INSTALLATION APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE OR PUT IN WRONG.

THE PUMP SHAFT STARTED TO WEAR VERY BADLY CAUSING PIECES OF METAL TO BE THROWN OUT THE TRANSMISSION, AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK WHILE BEING DRIVEN. NLM

THE 1996 FORD TAURUS SHOS ARE A 3.4L 4 CAM V8. ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE V8, THE EXHAST CAMSHAFT BROKE. THE DEALER REPORTING THE DAMAGE TO ME SAID THAT THIS CAMSHFT IS DRIVEN AS A SLAVE CAMSHFT TO THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT WHICH IS DRIVEN OFF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN OTHER CASES THAT THE DAMAGE COULD BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE CYLINDER BANK. THEY ARE IDENTICAL IN DESIGN, MEANING ONE CAMSHAFT IS DRIVEN OFF OF A SLAVE CHAIN FROM THE OTHER CAMSHAFT, WHICH IS IN TURN DRIVEN OFF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT APPEARS THAT THE CAMSHAFTS IN THESE V8 SHOS ARE AN ACHILLES HEEL. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTED FAILURES. PLEASE SEE INFORMATION IN WWW.V8SHO.COM OR WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSHAFTSPROCKETFAILURE.HTM, AND WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSPROCKETAUTOPSY.HTM, AND WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSPROCKET2.HTM AS WELL AS YOUR OWN DATABASE. I CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE AT 1-800-392-3673 TO REPORT THIS DAMAGE. FORD IS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY PART OF THE DAMAGE AT THIS TIME. I BELIEVE THAT 105,348 MILES IS VERY EARLY IN A CAR'S LIFE FOR SUCH A FAILURE. I HAVE LOOKED THROUGH THE NTSA'S RECORDS AND I SEE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND THESE FAILURES. WOULD YOU PLEASE REVIEW YOUR RECORDS AND ENCOURAGE FORD TO REPAIR THE FAILURES OR REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR REPAIR COSTS. ALSO, IT APPEARS FORD DEALERS ARE REPLACING CAMSHAFTS WITH REPLACEMENT UNITS THAT HAVE THE SAME DESIGN FLAW IN THEM! THEREFORE, IS A CUSTOMER EVER FREE FROM THE FEAR THAT THE CAMSHAFTS COULD BREAK AGAIN TO THE TUME OF $2,000 TO $12,000 DAMAGE AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED? THE ESTIMATE FOR MY VEHICLE'S REPAIRS IS $5,500 OR GREATER (MORE INSPECTION IS BEING DONE AT THIS TIME AT CRESTWOOD FORD) NOT INCLUDING SALES TAXES! I HOLD FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE NOT THE DEALERS. PERSONALLY, IF FORD PROVIDED THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE AND SHARED SOME OF THE LABOR, I BELIEVE MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WOULD ACCEPT THOSE TERMS. THANK YOU. *AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATES FASTER THAN THE DESIRED SPEED. RPMS REV UP TO 2 1/2 -3 IN PARK. SENSORS WERE REPLACED, AND SET A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND IDLED DOWN VEHICLE. PROBLEM HAS COME BACK.

FREEZE PLUG MALFUNCTIONED ON12/28/99; HAD RECALL ON05/13/99 #98B2, ONLY 7 MONTH AFTER THE RECALL 41234MILES FREEZE PLUG REPLASE 51231MILES TANK YOU. *AK

TWO WEEKS AGO THE RIGHT REAR METAL BRAKE LINE BUSTED BECAUSE OF IT RUSTING THROUGH.THE LINE WAS REPLACED AND A SECOND METALIC LINE BUSTED BECAUSE OF THE SAME REASON. THIS LINE IS A MAIN LINE WHICH RUNS FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE REAR OF THE CAR . A THIRD LINE IS ALSO READY TO RUST THROUGH THAT LINE ALSO RUNS FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE REAR OF THE CAR.THE CAR HAS NO OTHER RUST JUST THE THREE BRAKE LINES .THEY ARE ONLY RUSTED IN A CERTAIN AREA NOT THE WHOLE LENGTH , AROUND TWO TO THREE FOOT FROM THE REAR. WHEN THE LINES BUSTED THERE WAS HARDLY ANY BRAKES JUST 1 FRONT BRAKE WORKED THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED THE CAR IS A 96 WITH 109000 MILES AND NO OTHER RUST