1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHEN VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK, AND WHEN IT WAS STARTED LATER IN THE DAY, VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE. SHIFTER CABLE BROKE, CAUSING CONSUMER NOT TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE ANY OF THE GEARS. *AK SHIFTER CABLE BRAKING IS DUE TO DESIGN FLAW AND MANY OTHER CONSUMERS HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ISSUE RECALL NOTICE BUT IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *YH

ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN ABS LIGHT IS OFF, BRAKES WORK NORMALLY. WHEN MALFUNCTION OCCURS, THE BRAKES BUZZ ON APPLICATION AND STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASES DRAMATICALLY THEN THE ABS LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE. I CALLED FORD AND THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY DEALER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.ALSO THE STEERING GEARBOX MAKES A LOUD GROAN AND VIBRATION WHEN RECOVERING FROM A RIGHT TURN. SOME RESISTANCE IS FELT ATTEMPTION TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT. THE VIBRATION IS FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. AGAIN FORD REFUSES TO ASSIST EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MULTIPLE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON BOTH OF MY COMPLAINTS IN YOUR LISTINGS.

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN RAIN STORM, INSTANTLY WHEN CONSUMER TOOK FOOT OFF GAS PEDAL AND PUT IT ON BRAKE PEDAL, ENGINE FAILED WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF BRAKES, RESULTING IN REAREND ACCIDENT. *AK

THE HEATING AND COOLING PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE HAVE PROGRESSED FROM BEING INCONVENIENT TO A PERMANENT PROBLEM. FINALLY, AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL 2000 I THOUGHT THAT POSSIBLY IF I HAD THE RADIATOR FLUSHED THAT IT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE HEATING AND A/C PROBLEMS. THE 19TH OF APRIL 2000 I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR A OIL CHANGE AND TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE COOLING SYSTEM. IN THERE NOTES UNDER "CORRECTION" IT SAID "CHECK OVER COOLING SYSTEM;BELTS;HOSES;COOLANT;ECT... THEN IN THE "COMMENT" AREA IT SAID *CK -30 OR BETTER UNLESS ADVISED* IT WAS PICKED UP AND I FELT COMPELLED TO CHECK TO SEE IF THEY HAD TOPPED OFF THE FLUIDS. (BEING A WIDOW AND A SINGLE MOTHER I DON'T KNOW WHO TO TRUST ANY MORE SO I DO MORE CHECKING THEN MAYBE OTHERS) THE COOLANT RESVOIR WAS NEAR EMPTY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK OUT. WE COMPLIED AND EVERY THING WAS FINE FOR APPROXIMATELY A WEEK OR SO. ON THE 29TH OF APRIL WE DROVE IT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES ROUNDTRIP AND ON THE WAY HOME IT STARTED TO OVERHEAT. BY THE TIME WE GOT HOME ALL THE COOLANT WAS OUT OF IT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOOK IT BACK IN MAY 2ND. THIS WAS UNDER THE SECTION "CORRECTION COMMENT": CONTACTED FORD REGARDING CONCERN; ADVISED CUSTOMER ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED; DEALER AND CO. TO ASSIST; CUST. PORTION $700. WELL I GUESS THEY THOUGHT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELIEVED THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO STAND THE WHOLE COST, BUT I FOUND OUT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE CAR CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH THE WRONG COOLANT IN IT. THE COOLANT WAS TOO ACIDIC AND HAD OVERTIME CORRODED THE INTAKE VALVES,ETC.,RESULTING IN THE NECESSITY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. NOW MIND YOU FORD HAD INSTALLED A BY-PASS KIT AND CHEMICAL FLUSH COOLING SYSTEM PER PROGRAM 07/29/99. AND YET WHEN I TALKED TO A WHISTLE BLOWER WANNABE, HE TOLD ME THEY WERE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM IN JULY OF 1998. TWO OTHER TAURUSES AT THIS DEALERSHIP HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.

DURING WARM/HOT WEATHER THE ENGINE WILL DIE WITH NO WARNING. IT HAPPENS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS TO BRAKE OR SLOW DOWN. I HAVE TRIED PUTTING PREMIUM FUEL AND INJECTOR CLEANER TO SEE IF THIS WOULD HELP THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DOESN'T. THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FREQUENT.

SOME QUESTIONS, I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT SUCH AS THE DRIVETRAIN, ETC. IN MOST CASES I SAID I DID NOT NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT, DID NOTIFY THE DEALER. MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS REGARD MANUF. DEFECTS & MAY NOT BE SAFETY-RELATED EXCEPT FOR THE 1 ABOUT THE PARK PAWL RECALL #96S51; IN THIS CASE, I HAD DONE SEARCH OF RECALLS ON MY CAR MAKE & MODEL THRU CERTAIN INTERNET WEB PAGES & FOUND THERE WERE 5-6 RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I CALLED FORD CUST. SVC. & GAVE MY VIN # TO FIND OUT WHICH ONES APPLIED TO MY CAR. I FOUND 2 OF THEM APPLIED TO MY VIN #. I SUSPECT THAT FORD IS NOT NOTIFYING ME OF THESE RECALLS. ONE RECALL--NOT SAFETY RELATED, #98B23, I FOUND OUT ABOUT FROM A SVC. MGR. @ A DEALERSHIP. WHEN I CALLED FORD CST. SVC. & TOLD THEM I HADN'T BEEN NOTIFIED, REP SAID THEY HAD SENT THE LETTER 2 WEEKS PRIOR. WHEN I ASKED FOR A COPY OF THE RECALL LTR, I GOT A BIG RUN-AROUND ABOUT HOW FMC COULD NOT SEND ME A DUPE LETTER SINCE THERE WAS STILL 1 FLOATING AROUND IN THE U.S.P.S.(EVEN THOUGH THE LTR WAS SPECIFIC TO MY VIN #). I FINALLY RAISED ENOUGH "CAIN" TO GET THEM TO SEND ME THE LTR, BUT, IT WAS 2 LATE, MY CAR WAS ALREADY EFFECTED BY THE "HEATING & COOLING" RECALL. THE NEXT RECALL, #96S51, WHICH IS SAFETY-RELATED;I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF; FORD CST. SVC. SAID THIS RECALL SVC. HAD BEEN PERFORMED AT BOOMERSHINE FORD IN DULUTH, GA ON 3/15/97. WHEN I TOLD THEM THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE SINCE I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL, CS SAID POSSIBLY I HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR ANOTHER SVC. & IT WAS DISCOVERED BY THE SERVICE TECH THAT THERE WAS AN "OPEN RECALL" & THEY PERFORMED THE SVC. @ THAT TIME. I DO NOT HAVE RECORD OF THIS NOR DOES THE DEALER. IN ORDER FOR ME TO FIND OUT IF THE SVC WAS PERFORMED, IT WOULD BE @ MY EXPENSE. FORD CS TOLD ME TO HAVE THE DEALER TO CONTACT THE REGIONAL REP FOR THEM AND HAVE THE WORK AUTHORIZED, HOWEVER, NEITHER OF THEM ARE WILLING TO GIVE ME THE NAME OF THE REG. REP. I CONTACTED BOTH FORD CS AND THE SVC. MGR. @ THE DEALER. EACH LEAVES IT UP TO THE OTHER TO

CAR STALLS AT STOP LIGHTS OR WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN ON HOT SUMMER DAYS. TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN FOURTH GEAR.

THE FORD TAURUS IS 1996 AND 1997 WAS USED AS A GUINEA PIG FOR AN EXPIRIMENTAL COOLANT THAT RUSTED OUT THE FREEZE PLUGS, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT AND MORE. MINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE THIS COOLANT. I HAVE ALREADY LOST ONE FREEZE PLUG AND COULD LOOSE OTHERS. FORD MOTOR COMPANY WANTS ME TO PAY FOR HALF OF FIXING THEIR ERROR. THEY NOW WANT TO PAY NOTHING BECAUSE I DID NOT MEET THEIR DEADLINE. MY CAR COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, LEAVING ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. PLEASE HELP

THE TEMPATURE GAUGE HAS BEEN RISING HIGH THE LAST TWO MONTHS, AND THE SEVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON FOR A FEW DAYS, GOES OFF ROR A SHORT TIME ONLY TO COME BACK ON.THE ONLY OTHER TIME THE GAUGE WENT THIS HIGH AND HIGHER IS WHEN THE WATER RESAVIOR CRACKED AND BUSTED. OUR CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME, BUT FORD CLAIMED THIS PART WAS NOT COVERED.FORD COMPANY ALSO HAD A RECALL AUGUST 1997 TO INSTALL A BYPASS COOLING KIT. WHICH WE DID HAVE INSTALLED, TWO MONTHS AFTER MY WATER SYSTEM HAD BEEN FLUSHED BECAUSE OF GOOGED AND CORRODED COOLANT. THEY DID NOT TELL US AT THAT TIME, THAT BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS SO BAD THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICAL. EVERY YEAR WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLING SYSYEM THAT SEEM TO ADD UP MORE AND MORE IN PRICE. AND WE DO KEEP UP WITH THE GENERAL MAINTAINANCE ON OUR VEHICAL

WHEN DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO A LEAK WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALSO, A PROBLEM WITH BATTERY DRAINING OUT, AND HEADLIGHTS COME OFF AND ON. CONSUMER HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK THE THERMOSTAT FAILED. *YH