2003 FORD TAURUS Complaints

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SPRING BROKE & PUNCTURED TIRE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE BOYS (9,5 & 6MONTHS) AND HAD DROVE HOME ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 65MPH WITH ALL MY BOYS IN THE CAR. I PARKED MY CAR AT HOME & WENT OUT LATER TO RETRIEVE SOME PAPERWORK FROM MY VEHICLE ONLY TO FIND OUT I HAD A FLAT TIRE. WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT & HOPEFULLY JUST HAVING THE TIRE REPAIRED, THAT IS WHEN WE NOTICED THAT THE SPRING HAD BROKE WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED & PUNCTURED THE TIRE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE I WAS IN SHOCK, BUT WAS THANKFUL THAT IT HAD NOT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH SHREDDING MY TIRE & POSSIBLY CAUSING A FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE SINCE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED AND HAS STILL HAD NO RECALL ! IS IT A MATTER OF A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DEATHS TO OCCUR BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE ? IT IS A BLESSING THAT THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED YET & YOU WOULD THINK THAT FORD WOULD WANT TO KEEP IN MIND THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THEIR CARS, BY HAVING A RECALL ON THE DEFECTIVE SPRINGS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS HAPPENS & I FEEL THAT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR FORD TO PLAY WITH THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THEIR VEHICLES. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS IS A GREAT FINANCIAL SET BACK FOR ME & MY 3 CHILDREN & WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE EVER BUYING A FORD VEHICLE AGAIN KNOWING THAT THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN UNFORGIVABLE. YOU CAN REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART, BUT YOU CANNOT REPLACE A LIFE......! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WAS INSPECTED BY A PERSONAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION OR THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE ROAD SHOULDER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC OR REPAIRS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 01/29/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. UPDATED 1/30/2013 *JS

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED, AT FIRST THE CAR WOULDN'T GO OUT OF PARK, AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IT FINALLY DID. AT THAT POINT IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF. I FOUND AN OLD RECALL THAT APPEARED TO MATCH THE VEHICLE (04S12) BUT THE FORD DEALER STATED MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL AND THEY WOULD NOT STATE WHETHER THE CAR HAD ALREADY HAD IT DONE OR NOT. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXIT RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH DECEMBER 14, 2012 MY 2003 FORD TAURUS BEGAN TO DECELERATE AT A FAST RATE. WHEN I PUSHED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR THERE WAS NO POWER. AS I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DROPPED IT INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN CONDITION. AFTER IDLING IN PARK AND MOVING THE GEAR INTO DRIVE AGAIN THE RPMS INCREASED, BUT THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. *TR

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 15 MILES AN HOUR, SLOWING DOWN TO PREPARE TO TURN LEFT. SUDDENLY THE CAR SPED UP UNCONTROLLABLY. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. THE CAR HAD TO BE THROWN INTO PARK TO MAKE IT STOP. WE TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. TURNING THE ENGINE BACK ON, THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING UP VERY HIGH ON ITS OWN. WE TURNED THE ENGINE BACK OFF AND TOWED THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC, AND HE FOUND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. HE DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE, AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. THIS IS IDENTICAL TO THE PROBLEM REPORTED HERE: HTTP://WWW.FOXNEWS.COM/LEISURE/2012/03/13/FEDS-EXPAND-FORD-TAURUS-STICKY-ACCELERATOR-PROBE-TO-1-MILLION-CARS/ WE WERE LUCKY THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS ON THE ROAD AND THAT WE WERE NOT DRIVING VERY FAST. IF THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY, THE RESULTS COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT. THIS NEEDS TO BE TURNED INTO A RECALL BEFORE IT CAUSES A FATAL ACCIDENT. *TR

I BOUGHT THE 2003 FORD TAURUS USED AT THE END OF 2008. I DID NOT START TO EXPERIENCE THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM UNTIL 2011. LUCKILY, I'M A WELL-TRAINED DRIVER FROM THE DAYS OF HIGH SCHOOL DRIVERS ED. CLASSES AND MY DAD TEACHING ME EVERYTHING FROM DRIVING IN DIFFERENT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BRAKES FAIL, ETC. THE OCCURRENCES HAVE GOTTEN MORE FREQUENT; I CALLED IN A COMPLAINT MONTHS AGO TO FORD BUT THE LADY I SPOKE WITH ACTED LIKE SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME. SHE STATED THAT MY CAR WAS AN OLDER MODEL AND THAT THEY WERE LOOKING INTO THINGS ABOUT A NEWER MODEL, SHE ALSO SAID IF I WERE TO FIX IT JUST KEEP THE RECEIPT. SO IN OTHER WORDS COME UP WITH THE MONEY YOURSELF OR HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE CARS RPM NEEDLE STARTS TO RISE AND IT'S ABOUT 5500 TO 6000 BEFORE I CAN GET IT TO ENGAGE. I RIDE THE BRAKES UNTIL I GET TO A RED-LIGHT AND THEN PUT IT IN PARK AND REV THE ENGINE TO GET IT BACK DOWN TO NORMAL. OTHER TIMES I'VE HAD TO POP IT IN NEUTRAL, PUSH THE ACCELERATOR UNTIL IT STARTS TO COME DOWN THEN BACK TO DRIVE. THIS IS UNNERVING, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE KIDS IN THE CAR, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR NEAR A SCHOOL AT 3:00. FORD NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT, IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME JAMMED, WITH SPEEDS REACHING 85 MPH. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND LATER TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSIS THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE STARTED BINDING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,546. UPDATED 05/23/13*LJ UPDATED 05/31/2013 *JS

AFFECTED PART: STARTER...CAR WOULD NOT START. I GOT IT JUMPED AND DROVE TO AUTOZONE TO TEST. STARTER WAS DEAD. REPLACED STARTER. AFFECTED PART: NOT SURE WHAT PART BUT I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS/DASHLIGHTS AND AIR, ALL WEAKENING AS I AM DRIVING. VEHICLES THINK I AM FLASHING MY HEADLIGHTS AT THEM. *TR

AFFECTED PART: TRANSMISSION I WAS ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING AT A LIGHT. THE CAR LUNGED AND MADE A POP SOUND THEN LOST SPEED. I COASTED TO A SHOULDER AND PLACED IT IN PARK. THEN TRIED REVERSE AND DRIVE AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. IT STARTED BUT WOULD NOT GO ANYWHERE. HAD IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR REPAIR. *TR