1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE I WAS GOING TO WORK OUT OF TOWN. CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REPLACE IT AND CALL A TOW TRUCK. I MISSED A DAY OF WORK . HAD TO RENT A CAR. I HIT A DITCH AND HAD 2 FLATS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. *TR

PARKING SHIFTER HITTING THE BRAKE LINE COMING FROM MASTER CYLINDER...NOTICE BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON AND KEPT PUTTING FLUID IN IT BUT THEN GOT UNDER CAR AND NOTICED FLUID LEAKING ALL OVER LINES....HAVE NO BRAKES NOW... *TR

I HAVE A1996 FORD TAURUS SHO V-8,IT JUST TURNED 80,000 MILES AND HAS HAD ALL REGULAR SERVICE AND NOW THE CAMSHAFT GEAR HAS FAILED ON THE CAMSHAFT AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE!I WORK AT A FORD DEALER AND SEE THIS ENGINE FAILURE OFTEN. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS COMMON ON THE V-8 SHO ENGINE AROUND 75,000-85,000 MILES AND SOMETIMES THERE IS A TICKING NOISE THAT IS CONSIDERED A WARNING SIGN TOO GET REPAIRS BUT THERE WAS NOT ANY WARNING FROM MY ENGINE. I HAVE DONE ALL KINDS OF RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE LAWSUITS AND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND BLOGS DEVOTED TO THIS EXACT ISSUE BUT I DON,T HAVE ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR ASSISTANCE ON THESE VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT ARE DEFINITELY DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW AND I HAVE 18 FORD TECHNICIANS THAT ARE FACTORY TRAINED TOO BACK THIS UP!I DID NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE NEW SO I CAN,T SAY IT WAS NEVER ABUSED BUT AFTER PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLING THE ENGINE SO FAR IT IS CLEAR THAT IT WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND CARED FOR (IT LOOKS BRAND NEW INSIDE)THERE IS ZERO SLUDGE AND CAMS AND FOLLOWERS ARE SPOTLESS. I WILL NEED TO PULL THE REAR HEAD AND SEND TO MACHINE SHOP FOR EXHAUST VALVE REPLACEMENT AND DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH DAMAGE MAYBE GUIDES AS WELL. I AM VERY CURIOUS AS TOO HOW MANY OF THESE ENGINE FAILURES ARE ALWAYS ONLY THE REAR HEAD EXHAUST CAMSHAFT BECAUSE SO FAR ALL I HAVE SEEN IS THE REAR EXHAUST CAMSHAFT GEAR FAILURE AND THAT IS A F- IN MY GRADE BOOK! *TR

BRAKES FAILED GRADUALLY FAST..LOST PRESSURE IN PEDAL....DURING SNOW STORM...WITH KIDS IN CAR...BRAKES GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR...NO SERVICE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT , OR BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AT ALL!!! BARELY GOT HOME THAT NIGHT,TOLD NOT TO DRIVE IT ,NOW WERE SNOWED IN SO NO ONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO SEE WHY THIS IS ... *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR HOME FROM WORK, WHEN HER TIRE EXPLODED. SHE CALLED CRYING AND VERY SHOOK UP. WHEN I ARRIVED THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR WAS ON THE GROUND. APPARENTLY THE COIL SPRING SHOT OFF THE STRUT ASSY AND PUNCTURED THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. FORTUNATELY SHE WASN'T DRIVING TOO FAST AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL INCIDENT! UPON LOOKING ON THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SITUATION, I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH FORD TAURUS AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR ONLY NEWER MODELS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. WHY IS THE SAME PROBLEM ONLY RECALLED WITH ONLY CERTAIN YEAR OF MAKES???? WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS COULD'VE HAPPENED. I EVEN CHECKED FOR RECALLS FOR THIS CAR ONLINE. IF I WAS INFORMED OF THIS RECALL, THEN I WOULD'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC TO PUT GUARDS ON THE COIL SPRINGS WITH MY OWN MONEY, BECAUSE A LIFE IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY OR A PRODUCT. PLEASE REALIZE THAT THIS COULD'VE BEEN VERY VERY BAD AND COULD HAPPENED TO ANYONE. *TR

ON 6/13/2006 I PURCHASED A SET OF FOUR NEW P205-65R-15 WYNSTAR TIRES FROM A LOCAL TIRE STORE AND HAD THEM INSTALLED. IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WITH LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 35-40 MPH, IN THE RAIN. THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE UPPER 50'S F. I PUT THE SPARE ON AND RETURNED THE TIRE TO THE RETAILER ON 9/5/06 FOR WARRANTY. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE OF THE SAME BRAND. ON 5-23-2007 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT AGAIN, BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE RETAILER FOR REPAIR, THEY TRIED TO PATCH IT, BUT IT DID NOT WORK, SO THEY PUT A TUBE IN IT. A TUBE SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY IN A NEW TIRE. IT IS COMPENSATING FOR SOME TYPE OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT. NOW ON 7-5-2007, ANOTHER TIRE IS FLAT, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TIRES. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THE PREVIOUS TIRES WERE 5 YEARS OLD, WITH 70,000 MILES AND NEVER WERE OFF OF THE RIM FOR REPAIR. I HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT IS DRIVEN TO THE SAME PLACES AS THIS VEHICLE, (DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES) AND IT DOES NOT EXPERIENCE ANY TIRE FAILURES. BOTH VEHICLES ARE PARKED IN THE SAME DRIVEWAY. THE RETAILER IS OF NO HELP, HE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THESE TIRES. THE FACTS SEEM TO TELL A DIFFERENT STORY. *AK

THE 1996 TAURUS THAT I DRIVE HAD A THUD/CLANKING NOISE UNDER THE FLOOR BOARDS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. REPLACED BRAKES, AND WHILE THE CAR WAS JACKED UP I FOUND EXTREME RUST THROUGH ON THE PASSENGER'S REAR ON THE SUBFRAME CARRIAGE AND CARRIAGE BOLT. THIS CAR WAS NO LONGER BEING DRIVEN. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 115,000 MILES ON IT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ROTTED OUT. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT ANY REPAIRS WE NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL, AND THAT THEY HAVE LETTERS FROM FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THIS WAS ONLY COVERED THROUGH THE 1995 MODEL YEAR.*AK

WHEN IN GEAR MY 1996 TAURUS'S POWER WINDOWS AND RADIO WILL NOT OPERATE. THEY WILL OPERATE IN NEUTRAL OR PARK. WHEN IN GEAR THE SEAT BELT LIGHT FLASHES ON. THE STEERING BECOMES TIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, ALMOST AS IF THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. WHEN THE IGNITION MODULE DIED, THE OTHER PROBLEMS STOPPED FOR THE MOST PART. I NOTICE OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS.

MY 96 FORD TAURUS GL HAS THE FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, RADIO GOES OUT, SEAT BELT LIGHT FLASHES AND CLICKS, INTERMITTENT WIPERS FAIL, POWER WINDOWS FAIL, FINALLY POWER STEERING LOCKS UP,AND WHEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP, CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS. IF PUT IN PARK EVERYTHING GOES BACK WORKING AS NORMAL. TOOK TO SHOP AND THEY SAY IT'S THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR AND THAT SEVERAL 96 TAURUS' THEY HAVE WORKED ON HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM....I AM WONDERING WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL PART IF THAT IS THE CASE...SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG! *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 12/19//06 WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 309, AT ABOUT 5O MPH ON A CLEAR NIGHT WITH GOOD ROAD CONDITION. THE AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO APPARENT CAUSE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. HE WAS CONFUSED FOR A MINUTE AND THEN HE PULLED VEHICLE OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM AIR BAG BUT NO FIRE. THE CONTACT DID CALL POLICE AND DOES HAVE A REPORT. THE CONTACT SAID THAT HE HAS TRIED SPEAKING WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THE MANUFACTURE, AND HAS RECEIVE NO RESOLUTION. INSURANCE COMPANY TOLD HIM THAT THIS WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER.