2003 FORD TAURUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS SES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. AFTER TRYING TO RESTART IT TO NO AVAIL, IT WAS UNDRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE TRANS AXLE HAD POSSIBLY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 113,000. UPDATED 08/05/11*LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED HEAD LIGHT LENSES TURNED YELLOW, NOT ALLOWING MUCH LIGHT TO RADIATE OUT OF THEM AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. UPDATED 09/14/11. *JB UPDATED 01/30/12. *JB

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING A 2003 FORD TAURUS ON JULY 7, 2011. THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING. THE ENGINE WAS WORKING, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS TORN UP AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACE OR REBUILT. THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS INDICATIONS OF THE CAR HAVING TRANSMISSION TROUBLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT OTHER 2003 FORD TAURUS VEHICLES HAVE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS FAILURE HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. AS IT WAS, SHE ALMOST HAD A WRECK, BECAUSE THE CAR WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN SUDDENLY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO NOT HAVE ANY POWER TO THE WHEELS TO MOVE. SHE WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED BY A CAR BEHIND HER DUE TO THIS PRODUCT FAILURE. FORD NEEDS TO RECTIFY THIS DEFECT. I AM HAVING TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY IS INHERENT TO THIS MODEL. I WOULD LIKE FOR FORD TO REIMBURSE MY EXPENSES. *TR

2003 FORD TAURUS, UNIT 1 WAS EASTBOUND ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE WHEN THE TREAD CAME OFF OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE AND DAMAGED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0208-89)*JB

I HEARD FROM AN ACQUAINTANCE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ISSUES POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE REGARDING THE FAILURE OF COIL SPRINGS ON THE FORD TAURUS. I TOO EXPERIENCED THE COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF MY 2003 TAURUS WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC DUE TO COIL SPRING FAILURE. WITH THE INITIAL JOLT AND SUBSEQUENT DRAGGING OF THE CAR TO BRING IT TO A SAFE AREA TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I HAD HIT A PERSON OR LARGE OBJECT. WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY CAR I FOUND THE THE FRONT END OF THE CAR SITTING ON TOP OF MY TIRE. MY MECHANIC ACTUALLY TOOK PICTURES OF THE CAR AS HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT HAD OCCURRED. I HAD TO REPLACE THE STRUTS, SPRINGS, SWAY BAR LINKS, LOWER BALL JOINT AND AXLE SHAFT. ALL OF THIS AT 61K MILES!! FOR A COST OF $1300.00. IN CLOSING, MY 2003 FORD TAURUS HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN 2 SERIOUS MALFUNCTIONS POSTED TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE WHICH COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF OR FELLOW MOTORISTS IF I WAS NOT ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY AND CONTROL THE CAR WITH A COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT END OR COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WITH THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE (REF #FBN24-10467). BOTH OF THESE ISSUES OCCURRED WITHIN 4 MONTHS (5K MILES) OF EACH OTHER (66K - 71K) AND COST IN EXCESS OF $4,000.0 TO REPAIR. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COIL SPRING COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE NHTSA AND THE OPEN INVESTIGATION (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA08018) , I WOULD THINK EITHER FORD OR THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ISSUE A NOTIFICATION OF THESE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THIS CAR (AND THE OTHER YEAR/MODELS LISTED IN NHSTA ACTION # EA08018)) AND THE STEPS TO REMEDIATE THOSE ISSUES BEFORE THE ISSUE CAUSES SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

I WAS LOOKING ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE WITH REGARD TO ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT WITH THE 2003 TAURUS (FRONT END COLLAPSE) WHEN I CAME ACROSS THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE. DRIVING IN HIGHWAY PASSING LANE, THE CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE MOMENTUM. SPEEDOMETER RAPIDLY BEGAN TO DROP WHILE RPM'S WENT BALLISTIC, THEN DROPPED. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I QUICKLY REALIZED THE CAR WAS COMING TO A STOP THAT I COULD NOT CONTROL REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO PULL OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO MAKE IT INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE, WHERE IT CAME TO A COMPLETE HALT AND COULD NOT BE MOVED. NOT ONLY DID I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY 2003 TAURUS AT 71K MILES, WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ON OUR 2001 FORD F-150 AT 110K MILES & 2005 FORD FOCUS AT 80K MILES, AT A COST OF $8300.00. ALL OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PURCHASED NEW AND DRIVEN BY THE SAME DRIVER. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, I WOULD THINK EITHER FORD OR THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND PERFORM AN IN DEPTH INVESTIGATION WHY SO MANY FORD TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAILING AND ISSUE A NOTIFICATION OF THESE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THIS CAR AND THE STEPS TO REMEDIATE THOSE ISSUES BEFORE THE ISSUE CAUSES SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY FREEWAY HEADING TO WORK AT 70 MPH MY CAR JUST STOPPED ACCELERATING... IT SCARED ME SO BAD I ALMOST SIDESWIPED A CAR NEXT TO ME JUST IN REACTION TO GET OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE THERE WAS A SEMI BEHIND ME. MY CRUISE HAD TRIED TO KEEP UP WITH THE 70 MPH I SET IT AT BUT IT COULDN'T SO THE RPMS WENT SKY HIGH AND MY GAS PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY FREEWAY WHILE SPEEDING CARS WERE FLYING BY ME, SO I ALSO COULD HAVE GOTTEN SIDESWIPED THERE, I'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES ON TV WITH PARKED CARS ON THE SIDE OF A FREEWAY. IM NOT GOING TO HAVE A CAR FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION IS FIXED. AND HOW IM GOING TO GET THE MONEY FOR IT I HAVE NO CLUE. I CANT GET TO WORK I DON'T MAKE MONEY TO GET IT FIXED. FORD SHOULD RECALL BECAUSE ITS HAPPENED TO SO MANY PEOPLE AND ITS NOT OUR FAULT, ITS THEIRS FOR BUILDING A FAULTY CAR. MY CAR BARELY HAS 87,000 MILES ON IT, A CARS TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT GO OUT AT 87,000 MILES. MY OLD CAR HAD 180,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE LIKE THAT. I MAY BE GOING TO A NEW CAR COMPANY NEXT CAR IF FORD DOESN'T FIX THIS ISSUE. IM LUCKY I HAD QUICK REACTION TIME AND I KNEW HOW TO HANDLE THE CAR OR I WOULD BE DONE FOR, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD WONT ADMIT THAT. *TR

WITHOUT WARNING MY 2003 FORD TAURUS WON'T RUN IN ANY GEAR, TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD TO WALK IN 105 WEATHER WITH 5 KIDS IN ORDER TO GET HELP FOR A TOW. THIS WAS ON A BUSY FOUR LANE ROAD WHERE I HAD TO NARROWLY AVOID BEING REAR ENDED GOING 50 MILES AN HOUR. IS SOMEONE WAITING FOR A DEATH TO OCCUR TO REQUIRE FORD TO RECALL THIS FAULTY PRODUCT? *TR

MY 2003 FORD TAURUS BROKE DOWN ON THE ROAD-UPON INVESTIGATING IT, THE FRONT SPRINGS BROKE AND GREASE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE FRONT PART OF THE CAR. I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED, SO IT WAS TOWED TO MY HOME GARAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THERE WAS A FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER INPUT SHAFT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. UPDATED 07/20/11*LJ UPDATED 02/27/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 112,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 09/09/11