1995 FORD TAURUS Complaints

THIS AFTERNOON I WAS IN MY 1995 FORD TAURUS WAGON IN HEAVY HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WHEN THE ACCELERATOR LOCKED AND THE THE CAR SPED DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT DANGEROUS SPEEDS. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT SLOW THE CAR I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER SWITCHING INTO NEUTRAL. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. LAST NOVEMBER WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM.

SPEEDOMETER FAILED TWICE IN FOUR YEARS. THE NEEDLE SWINGS WILDLY BACK AND FORTH, ESPECIALLY AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 45 MPH. THE ORIGINAL UNIT FAILED AT 35,000 MILES (26 MONTHS). A NEW UNIT WAS INSTALLED IN JANUARY, 1998 (43,000 MILES). IT TOO FAILED APPROXIMATELY 24 MONTHS LATER. NOW I NEED A THIRD SPEEDOMETER. THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY IS FOR TWELVE MONTHS. FORD TELLS ME THAT THE SPEEDO UNIT CANNOT BE REPAIRED. IT MUST BE REPLACED WITH A BRAND NEW UNIT AT A COST OF NEARLY $700 ($500 FOR THE PART, $126 FOR LABOR, PLUS 6% STATE SALES TAX). I CANNOT SPEND $700 KNOWING THAT THIS PART WILL LIKELY FAIL IN TWO YEARS. FORD SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL, OR PROVIDE A LIFETIME WARRANTY. SPEEDOMETERS SHOULD NOT BREAK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. BY NOT KNOWING THE SPEED AT WHICH I AM TRAVELING, I AM PUTTING MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS AT RISK. IN ADDITION, THIS IS A DRIVER DISTRACTION BECAUSE THE DRIVER IS CONSTANTLY PREOCCUPIED WITH TRYING TO DETERMINE HIS SPEED. THIS ALSO PUTS LIVES AT RISK SIMILAR TO TALKING ON CELL PHONES AND PLAYING WITH THE RADIO. THIS IS IN NO WAY AN ISSUE WITH MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY ALWAYS PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICE. THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *AK

THIS FORD TAURUS WAS PURCHASED FROM FATHER-IN-LAW, TOM JOHRE, NOW DECEASED - FROM HIS ESTATE. THE SPEEDOMETER SYSTEM HAD FAILED PRIOR TO PURCHASE. HOW CAN FORD SAY THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, WHEN EACH TIME I ATTEMPT TO UTILIZE THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE WAVERING SPEEDOMETER WILL CAUSE THE CRUISE TO SET AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS? THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. WE KNOW OF OTHER TAURUS CAR OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM - ONE, DON ACKERMAN OF EDMONTON, HAD TO HAVE HIS SPEEDOMETER CHANGED THREE TIMES WHILE STILL ON WARRANTY. THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE; IT IS A MATTER OF DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING, AND WARRANTS A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST FORD.*AK

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. WAS REBUILT - TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS CRUMBLING. *AK

SPRING PUCTURED TIRE, NO GUARD. BOTH SPRINGS BROKE,ONE SNAPPED.FORD DEALER AND TIRE SHOPS AWARE OF "DEFECTIVE FORD SPRINGS". THIS PROBLEM WILL CAUSE A FATALITY IF FAILURE OCCURS WHILE MOVING. NO GUARDS ARE IN PLACE TO DEFLECT SPRING FROM PUNTURING TIRE. I WAS PARKED WHEN IT BROKE, AND IT PUT A 6 INCH GASH IN THE TOP OF THE TIRE. (RIGHT SPRING BROKE). WHEN EXAMINED, LEFT SPRING WAS BROKEN, BUT HAD NOT SNAPPED YET. FRIENDS HAVE FORDS WITH LESS THAN 50000 MILES WITH BROKEN SPRINGS. REPLACMENTS HARD TO GET BECAUSE OF DEMAND. *AK

THE SHORT BLOCK WAS REPLACED 2/23/98 , UNDER RECALL FOR GASKET PROBLEM THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM . MILEAGE 30577 . ON APP. 4/7/00 A COMPLETE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALED . THIS INSTALLATION COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM AS THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINOUSLY LOOSE WATER FROM THE COOLINGN SYSTEM. THE DEALER HAS TRIDE MANY THINGS TO FIX THE PROBLEM SOME OF THEM FROM REPAIR BULLETINS AND OTHERS SUGGESETED BY REP. . I HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN THE SHOP MANY TIMES BOTH DOCUMENTED AND SOME NOT DOCUMENTED. THE FINAL ANSWER I RECEIVED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND FORD COULD NOT SOPPORT FUTHER ASSISTANCE. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT ONCE A CAR WAS OUT OF WARENTY FORD WAS NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR TRYING TO FIX AN EXTENDE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NOT FIXED IT DURING THE WARENTY PERIOD. THEY SAID THIS WAS A PROBLEM PECULAR TO THIS VEHICLE AND THERFORE THEY HAD DID ALL THEY COULD. BY THE WAY THE COMPLETE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARENTY AND SUPOSUDLY HAD A 12 THOUSAND MILE WARENTY. I FEEL I AM STUCK WITH A BAD SITUATION. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.7*AK

CONSUMER STATES AS SHE WAS ENTERING PARKING LOT ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK RESULTING IN VEHICLE CRASHING INTO A BRICK WALL CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE TOTALED, THERE IS A RECALL REGARDING THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL, 97V025. *JB

POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. BRAKES MAKE A NOISE LIKE GRINDING METAL AGAINST METAL.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, GAS PEDAL JUST FELL TO FLOOR. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, NO REACTION, ENGINE KEPT GOING. AT 90 MPH CONSUMER PULLED KEY OUT OF IGNITION TO STOP VEHICLE. VEHICLE AT DEALER, WHO COULD NOT FIND CAUSE. CONSUMER AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE. *AK *JB