2000 FORD TAURUS Complaints

2000 FORD TAURUS - SWERVED TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE; DROVE OVER CURB. PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED (DRIVERS SIDE DID NOT). DEALER SAID TO CONTACT FORD (OUT OF WARRANTY) - FORD NOT WILLING TO REPAIR. CONCERN DUE TO NON-DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG AND SAFETY OF DRIVING VEHICLE IN FUTURE. *JB

REAR SPRING BROKE AND DAMAGED TIRE, CREATING A 1/4 INCH GASH ON MY RIGHT REAR TIRE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF THE FRONT SPRINGS, BUT HAVEN'T SEEN ONE FOR THE REAR SPRINGS. *NM

NOTICED WITHIN LAST 2000 MILES THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP AND JERK WHEN DRIVING UP STEEP GRADES OR SHARP TURNS, WHEN IT WOULD ATTEMPT TO DOWNSHIFT FROM 3RD TO 2ND. IT FAILED COMPLETELY LAST NIGHT WHILE DRIVING HOME, FORTUNATELY WE WERE ONLY 3 MILES FROM OUR HOME. NOW IT WILL ONLY GO 25 MPH AND HAS A BURNING ODOR. IT HAS 103K MILES AND THE AUTO TRANS WAS SERVICED (FILTER/FLUID CHANGED) EVERY 35K MILES. WE WILL GET AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER I SUSPECT A BILL FROM $1500-2200 IS IN ORDER. ALL THE NEWS I HEARD ABOUT FORD AUTOMATICS IS NOW SUBSTANTIATED....THIS IS THE LAST FORD FOR US PERIOD. *NM

2000 TAURUS DRIVERS DOOR HANDLES FAILED. *TS SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL COVERED UNDER IT'S EXTENDED WARRANTY, THE CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVER' S DOOR OPEN ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT MOISTURE GOT INTO THE LOCKS. THE DEALER SPRAYED THE LOCKS. DURING THE WINTER OF 2004 AND 2005 THE CONSUMER HAD TO HOLD THE DOOR WHILE DRIVING UNTIL THE LOCK THAWED ENOUGH TO CLOSE PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR NOT UNLOCKING. NOW ALL FOUR DOOR HANDLES ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE'S TIRES ROTATED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS NOTICED THAT BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE HOW LONG THE COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD CONSULT WITH A FORD REPRESENTATIVE AND TRY TO FIND A RESOLUTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT FRACTURED COIL SPRINGS COULD POSE A SERIOUS RISK TO SAFETY WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 11824 MILES.

WHEN STARTING CAR, INTAKE MANIFOLD EXPLODED. SMOKE POURED FROM UNDER HOOD AND GAS FUMES FILLED THE AREA. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING AROUND IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE GEARS WOULD NOT SHIFT. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 12/1/20006 - THE SHIFTER CABLE BROKE. *NM

TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE CAR JUST STOPPED ACCELERATING WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. THE TRANSMISSION HAD SIMPLY SHUT DOWN. THE TRANSMISSION HAD GIVEN US NO PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS TIME. WE BROUGHT IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP, THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST WAS $1100. THE OWNER OF THE SHOP SAYS HE GETS IN 2 TAURUS' A MONTH WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER STRIPPED OUT. HE REPLACED IT WITH A HIGHER QUALITY TORQUE CONVERTER. WE CONTACTED FORD, AND EXPLAINED THAT THE CAR ONLY HAD 56, 000 MILES ON IT AND THAT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AFTER ONLY 56,000 MILES WHEN IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND TAKEN CARE OF. FORD REFUSED TO HELP IN ANY WAY AT ALL. THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED THAT WE WERE LEFT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AFTER DARK, WITH NO WARNING THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. THEY DID NOT CARE THAT OUR SAFETY HAD BEEN COMPROMISED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT THAT FORD MADE. *NM

AT ~92,000 MILES ON MY 2000 FORD TAURUS A NOISE DEVELOPED, WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, THAT WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AS A BROKEN COIL SPRING ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION. THEY WARNED OF POSSIBLE TIRE FAILURE IF A PIECE BROKE OFF AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THEY NOTED THAT THE COST OF THIS WORK WOULD BE COVERED DUE TO THE RECALL. AT THE SAME TIME THE SERVICE PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT BOTH OF THE REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. IT SEEMED UNUSUAL THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE REAR SUSPENSION FOR A NOISE THAT WAS COMING FROM THE AREA OF THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. DEALER SERVICE PERSONNEL OFFERED THAT THE REAR SPRINGS MAY HAVE BEEN BROKEN FOR A 'LONG TIME, POSSIBLY YEARS...' . FURTHER WARNED THAT REAR TIRES COULD BE PUNCTURED BY A PIECE OF THESE SPRINGS. CLEARLY, THEY KNEW THE REAR SPRINGS WERE SUSPECT AND WERE LOOKING FOR A NON-RECALL SERVICE OPPORTUNITY. OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THESE SPRINGS WERE EITHER IMPROPERLY DESIGNED OR OF SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL OR SUBSTANDARD WORKMANSHIP. I WOULD NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE REAR SPRINGS WITHOUT SOME ASSURANCE (OVER SEEN BY THE NHTSA OFFICE) THAT THE NEW SPRINGS WERE NOT OF QUALITY SIMILAR TO THE OEM SPRINGS THAT WERE PRONE TO FAILURE. I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE SUFFERED AN ACCIDENT FROM ANY OF THE FAILURES, I DO NOT WANT TO 'PRESS MY LUCK'. I WILL HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING AND INSTALL THE GUARDS ON BOTH FRONT SUSPENSIONS. I WILL REQUEST THE FAILED SPRING. *JB

LEFT REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED TIRE WHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. *JB