1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON THE FRONT PANEL LIGHTS UP WHEN CAR IS TURNED ON. THE "OD" OR OVERDRIVE BLINKS WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN AT/OR ABOVE 60MPH. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WE PAYED 80 DOLLARS FOR A CHECK-UP (FORD DEALER LOCATED ON 46-12 NORTHERN BLVD,, ASTORIA QUEENS, NY). THREE HOURS LATER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR HAD A MALFUNCTION IN THE TRANSMISSION. HENCE, THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE CHANGED AND THE COST WAS $2,300 DOLLARS. THEY NEEDED TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY! I REFUSED BECAUSE THE COST SEEMED TO HIGH AND I WASN'T COMPLETELY SURE IF THIS WAS REALLY THE PROBLEM. I THEN TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC DEALING WITH TRANSMISSIONS ONLY. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LIGHT TROUBLE. THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM NOT EVEN BY USING THE COMPUTER. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER AGENCY (FRIEND OF MINE) WHO KNOWS ABOUT TRANSMISSIONS. HE SAID THAT HE HAD FIXED MANY TAURUSES BEFORE, BUT HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH A PROBLEM. FINALLY, I DECIDED CALL FORD TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY SIMPLY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, WHICH I HAD ALREADY AT FIRST. I TOOK IT BACK TO ANOTHER FORD DEALER LOCATED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF NORTHERN BLVD. THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING AS THE LAST FORD DEALER. AFTER ALL THIS CONFUSION, I DECIDED TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM. IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AND I HAVE BEEN TO FLORIDA AND BACK ALREADY TWO TIMES FROM MY HOME (NEW YORK). I USE THE CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. I AM VERY UPSET AND CONFUSED ABOUT ALL OF THIS. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AND I THINK I DESERVE AN EXPLANATION THE FORD COMPANY. I SENT IN THIS INFORMATION TO YOU PEOPLE (NHTSA) TO SEE IF YOU CAN HELP ME OUT ON THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! -CARLOS. *AK

CABLE APPEARS TO BE APPOXIMATELY TOO LONG UNDER DASH CAUSING SHARP BEND AS IT GOES THROUGH FIREWALL AND EXCESSIVE BINDING, AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF CABLE WHICH CAUSES CAR TO JUMP OUT OF GEAR. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED A SLIGHT ODOR AFTER DRIVING, THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS CHECKED AND THE CONTAINER WAS BROWN AND MUSHY SO THE FLUIDS WERE REPLACED, A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS MUSHY AND SMELLY AGAIN, A FORD REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL, BUT IT HAD EXPIRED, THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL AND IS REQUESTING THAT THE RECALL WORK BE COMPLETE, FORD WOULD NOT REPAIR OR BE RESPONSIBLE SINCE THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED. *SLC

A WIRE CONNECTED TO THE STARTER WAS RUBBING AGAINST SOME PART OF THE CAR CAUSING A SHORT, A FEW DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN SO A FUSE WAS REPLACED, THIS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES AND FINALLY THE DEALER FOUND A BREAK IN THE LINE WHICH HAD BEEN WORN BY RUBBING ON A BREAK CABLE. *SLC

MY SERVICE STATION IS ADVISING ME NOT TO DRIVE CAR BECAUSE OF CLOGGED RADIATOR. NEW THERMOSTAT DID NOT HELP.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT WHILE TRAVELING. NOTICE COOLANT COMING FROM LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE ENGINE. NOTIFIED DEALER / MANUFACTURER, AND BOTH INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING FORD TO REPAIR DUE TO FORD HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRANSMISSION DEFECT, HOWEVER FORD WILL NOT REIMBURSE DUE TO THE MODEL YEAR OF THE VEHICLE ONLY 1994 AND 1995 MODEL YEARS ARE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. *MJS

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

VEHICLE WILL STALL WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. VEHICLE WILL RESTART AFTER COOLING DOWN. *AK

WE CONTACTED MR. SAMSON (ID #3104) AND TOLD HIM THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS PREFORMING THE SAME PROMBLEMS AS THE 3.6L 95 TAURUS. WE ALSO TOLD HIM WE HAD THE CAR DIAGNOSED ABOUT 4 MONTHS BEFORE THE ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED AT A FORD DEALER AND THEY TOLD USE THAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL. WE REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. HE TOLD US ABOUT A RADIATOR FLUSH RECALL THAT WOULD HAVE SAVED OUR ENGINE BUT THE FORD DEALER KNEW NOTHING OF THIS RECALL. WE ASKED IF FORD COULD DO ANYTHING EVEN PAY HALF HE (MR. SAMSON) SAID FORD WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. WE THEN ASLED WHO WAS ABOVE HIM SO WE COULD TALK TO THEM HE ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS NO ONE ABOVE HIM.*AK