2003 FORD TAURUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE PUSHED TO THEIR RESIDENCE BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TO THE STORE,CAME TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ACCELERATED AND IT SHIFTED FINE UNTIL I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING BESIDES HIGH RPMS... ALSO IT HAPPENED WITH NO SIGNS OR WARNINGS AND TRANSMISSION WASN'T SLIPPING OR ACTING UP...HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT WAS MY TORQUE CONVERTER THAT RUINED THE SPLINES THAT ENGAGE.! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE! *TR

I HAD JUST PULLED OUT FROM A STOP SIGN WHEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE RPMS SUDDENLY WENT REALLY HIGH AND THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING. I WAS IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC. I TRIED TO COAST MY CAR OFF THE ROAD BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SPEED. I WAS STUCK HALF WAY IN THE ROAD. THANKFULLY, I BROKE DOWN IN FRONT OF A GARAGE. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND A MECHANIC PUSHED CAR TO SAFETY. THE GARAGE INSPECTED MY CAR AND SAID THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED/REBUILT. I'M REALLY GLAD I WASN'T GOING FAST OR ELSE I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED! MY MOTHER HAD ASKED EARLIER IF SHE COULD USE MY CAR TO TAKE MY SICK FATHER OUT OF STATE TO A DR. APPT.(BC THE CAR'S GAS MILEAGE IS BETTER THAN HER SUV). I'M GLAD I HAD CLASS THAT DAY AND COULDN'T LET HER TAKE IT. NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED HAVING THIS SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. FORD NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! *TR

WE WERE DRIVING UPHILL ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE SPEED WENT UP AND THE VEHICLE SPEED STARTED FALLING. SOME SMOKE APPEARED IN BACK OF THE CAR. WE BARELY MADE IT OVER TO A VERY NARROW SHOULDER (AGAINST A GUARD RAIL) BEFORE WE STOPPED. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. TRAFFIC WAS VERY FAST AND HEAVY AND ONLY A FOOT OR TWO FROM THE DRIVER'S DOOR. WE WERE STUCK THERE FOR OVER AN HOUR. A MECHANIC WHO SUBSEQUENTLY LOOKED AT IT SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD BURNED OUT. REPAIRS, NOW UNDER WAY, ARE ESTIMATED AT $2200. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT FURTHER ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONE YEAR AGO BY ANOTHER MECHANIC AFTER EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,304 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

ON JANUARY 5, 2011 MY ELDEST DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR CAR IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR OUR HOME. AS SHE DROVE OVER A MANHOLE SHE HEARD A NOISE AND THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR SCRAPE THE PAVEMENT. SHE STOPPED TO INSPECT, BUT NOT NOTICING ANYTHING UNUSUAL SHE CONTINUED ON. A MILE LATER SHE GOT A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE. AFTER CALLING FOR HELP SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT. I HELPED CHANGE THE TIRE, BUT I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS RIDING LOW. WHEN I WENT TO GET A NEW TIRE I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A GREATER PROBLEM. A BROKEN SPRING! THAT IS WHAT HAD PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE NEXT DAY(S) WE GOT THE FRONT END REPAIRED AND A NEW TIRE MOUNTED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THIS PROBLEM ON EARLIER TAURUS MODELS. APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS FOR 2003 MODELS! ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE CLOSED YOUR INVESTIGATION (EA0818) PLEASE ADD THIS COMPLAINT TO YOUR FILE. *TR

AS I ACCELERATED AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN , THERE WAS A NOISE, THE CAR COASTED A SHORT DISTANCE AND STOPPED. I COULD NOT PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. I HAD NO WARNING OF THIS FAILURE, NO SLIPPAGE OR NOISES, AND HAD I BEEN IN TRAFFIC, I WOULD SURELY HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE REAR BY ANY CAR BEHIND ME. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TAURUS AND SHUDDER TO THINK HOW MANY ACCIDENTS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY SIMILAR FAILURES. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE RELIGIOUSLY FOLLOWED FORD'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SERVICE. I REALIZE THIS IS A 2003 VEHICLE, BUT WITH ONLY 52,000 MILES I DID NOT EXPECT THIS FAILURE. I RECEIVED ESTIMATES UP TO $2600 TO REPAIR, BUT WAS TOLD BY ONE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HONEST MECHANIC, THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS USUALLY THE CAUSE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN A CAR WITH LOW MILEAGE, DISMANTLING PROVED THE CONVERTER TO BE THE PROBLEM. BY REBUILDING MY TRANSMISSION I SAVED A SUBSTANTIAL SUM, BUT THIS INFORMATION IS NOT EASILY AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS; LEADING MANY TO SPEND MORE MONEY THAN NECESSARY TO REPAIR. ALTHOUGH WELL PAST ANY WARRANTY, I DO FEEL THE TRANSMISSION WAS INFERIOR. THIS REPAIR MIGHT HAVE BEEN COVERED IF I WERE A HIGH MILEAGE DRIVER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SIDE STREET WHEN THE CAR QUIT MOVING FORWARD. I COASTED TO A STOP AND TRIED REVERSE, AND IT WOULD NOT GO IN THAT DIRECTION EITHER. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I HAD A BABY IN THE CAR AND A TRUNK FULL OF GROCERIES. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED ALL THE FLUIDS. THEY WERE FULL. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CLEAR. THE MAINTENANCE BOOK SAID NOT TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID UNTIL 100,000. MY CAR HAS ONLY 73,000 MILES. THIS CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED. I PAID TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST CAR REPAIR SHOP. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND COULD NOT FIX IT. I THEN HAD TO PAY TO TOW IT TO ANOTHER SHOP THAT INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A CHARACTERISTIC PROBLEM OF A 2003 FORD TAURUS. IF THIS DEFECT IS KNOWN BY FORD'S AND THEY CHOSE TO IGNORE IT AND NOT FIX OUR CARS, I HOPE YOU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE FORD'S FIX IT WITHOUT ME HAVING TO PAY A HUGE BILL WHICH IS HARD ON A LIMITED INCOME. I SAW THIS ADDRESS ON A FACEBOOK PAGE. THE ADDRESS IS: HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/FIGHT-FOR-RECALL-OF-2003-FORD-TAURUS-TRANSMISSION-PROBLEMS/156915101017448. PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS PAGE. YOU WILL SEE THE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS HAPPEN. I JUST STUMBLED UPON THE PAGE BY ACCIDENT. I WONDER HOW MANY MORE THERE ARE OUT THERE NOT KNOWING THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF US DRIVING FORD'S DEFECTIVE CARS. PLEASE MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE. THEY DID NOT HESITATE TO TAKE CAR PAYMENTS FOR YEARS. THEY SHOULD NOT HESITATE TO FIX A CAR THAT THEY BUILT. I WAS FROM DETROIT AND ALWAYS BELIEVED IN BUYING AMERICAN, BUT MY OPINION HAS CHANGED. THAT IS A SHAME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HOPE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO HELP ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WITH THE DEFROSTER ACTIVATED WHEN SHE SMELLED AN ABNORMAL ODOR. THE CONTACT THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR WINDOW HAD BECOME DISCOLORED. THE DEFROSTER WAS TURNED OFF AND THE ODOR DIMINISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY BETWEEN 40-50 MPH AND THE TRANSMISSION JUST DROPPED. HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. NO WARNINGS, LIGHTS, WINDING, ETC. THE CAR WAS JUST IN FOR A TUNE UP AND OIL CHANGE THE WEEKEND PRIOR AND THERE WAS NOTHING DETECTED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE WITH AN AVERAGE MILEAGE UNDER 100,000 MILES. WE CALLED FORD TO EXPLAIN THAT THERE WAS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM, THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. *JS