2003 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I OWN A 2003 FORD TAURUS AND WAS DRIVING ON A NORMAL COMMUTE, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE THE TRANSMISSION JUST QUIT. I THEN HAD TO COAST THROUGH RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ACROSS 4 LANES AND SIT IN THE EMERGENCY LANE FOR AN HOUR FOR RESCUE. THERE WAS NO WARNING NO SIGNS JUST QUIT WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO AFRAID OF BEING IN AN ACCIDENT AS THAT DAY. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN THAT I HAVE LEARNED FORD IS AWARE OF AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX OR ATTEMPTED A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION COMPONENTS THAT FAIL. IT COST NEARLY $2000 TO REPAIR, ON A CAR THAT ONLY HAS A BLUE BOOK VALUE OF $3500 CLEARLY THIS IS A TERRIBLE WAIST JUST TO GET THE CAR MOVING AGAIN. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT A LARGE COMPANY LIKE FORD CAN ALLOW SUCH PROBLEMS TO OCCUR IN THERE CARS, AT LEAST COMPANIES LIKE TOYOTA FIX THE PROBLEMS THEY FIND. *TR

2ND BROKEN COIL , 1ST PASSENGER REAR, NOW FRONT DRIVER SPRINGS. ON EACH OCCURRENCE FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED TIRE - SIMILAR TO COMPLAINT EA08-018. 2003 FORD TAURUS - 102,864 MILES. DATE OF LATEST OCCURRENCE. JANUARY 2011. *TR

TOYO VERSADO LX FOR 2003 FORD TAURUS. I BOUGHT THESE TIRES AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE I HAD THEM INSTALLED. THE SHAKE STARTED OFF SLIGHT, AND OVER TIME HAS PROGRESSED TO DANGEROUS LEVELS WHERE I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO 5 DIFFERENT FRONT END SHOPS SEARCHING FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THE FOURTH FINALLY PIN POINTED THE TIRES. I WENT BACK TO WHERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES, AND NEITHER THE SHOP OR TOYO WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE SAFETY PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THE SHAKE IS NOW SO EXTENSIVE I CAN NOT DRIVE THE CAR DUE TO FEAR OF DAMAGING THE STEERING OR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN IN, A ROAD FORCE BALANCE IS PERFORMED, BUT DOES NOT COMPLETELY REMEDY THE PROBLEM. EVEN THE SO CALL FRONT END "EXPERT" SAID IT WAS THE TIRES. THE CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL I SAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY NEW TIRES. *TR

WHEN MY CAR IS PARKED IN THE RAIN, WATER WILL LEAK INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. ON APPROXIMATELY FEBRUARY 1, 2011, IT SHORTED OUT THE BLOWER MOTOR THAT COOLS/HEATS THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AFTER SITTING IN THE RAIN AT THE AIRPORT PARKING LOT. SINCE THEN, I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL INSTANCES OF WATER IN THE PASSENGER FLOORBOARD. I HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME WATER LEAK IN 2006, BUT THE SHORT OF THE BLOWER DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL THIS YEAR.

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MARCH 2009 AND HAD WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH IT. ON NOVEMBER 5, 2009 MY HUSBAND AND I LEFT FOR THE STORE. WE HAD NOT EVEN GOTTEN 1 MILE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RESPONDING WHEN YOU PRESSED ON THE GAS. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO LOUD NOISES AND THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING FINE. WHEN WE STOPPED TO INSPECT WHAT HAPPENED WE FOUND THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. WHEN YOU SHIFTED OUT OF PARK--NOTHING, LITERALLY NOTHING HAPPENED. WE FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND FORKED OVER THE $1000 TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION PUT IN. PROBLEM SOLVED--OR SO WE THOUGHT. EARLIER THIS WEEK (MARCH 22, 2011) MY HUSBAND LEFT FOR WORK AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SAME AS LAST TIME- NO WARNING AND THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING FINE. WE ARE AT OUR WITS END WITH THIS CAR AND ALTHOUGH I LOVE IT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP PUTTING TRANSMISSIONS IN IT EVERY FEW MONTHS. *TR

APRIL 5, 2008 STARTED OFF LIKE ANY OTHER SATURDAY,CLEANING MY HOUSE THEN GOING SHOPPING AT MY LOCAL GROCERY, BUT THIS DAY WAS DIFFERENT. WHEN I GOT IN MY 2003 FORD TAURUS TO GO SHOPPING, I TURNED THE KEY TO START MY CAR AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TRIED AGAIN BY PUTTING MY CAR IN REVERSE. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CAR WOULD NOT BUDGE. NO PROBLEMS WERE INDICATED BEFORE THAT DAY. I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO ASK THEM ABOUT A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM, BUT THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO BRING MY CAR TO THEIR SHOP. I SAID 'HOW CAN I BRING MY CAR TO YOUR SHOP WHEN I CAN'T DRIVE IT ANYWHERE SINCE IT WON'T GO IN REVERSE'? THE PERSON ON THE PHONE TOLD ME I COULD HAVE IT TOWED TO THEIR LOCATION AND WHEN I ASKED HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, THE GUY TOLD ME $3500. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW SHOCKED I WAS TO HEAR THIS COST! IN THE MEANTIME A NEIGHBOR CAME TO MY HOUSE AND SUGGESTED I CALL ONE OF MY TOWN'S TRANSMISSION SHOPS. I DID AND WAS TOLD THE COST TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION WOULD BE ABOUT $1500. I WAS ALSO ASKED HOW MANY MILES I HAD ON MY CAR AND I TOLD HIM 35,000. HE WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR A TRANSMISSION WAS OUT W/ONLY 35,000 MILES ON MY CAR. LATER THAT DAY MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN MY CAR. FOR ONE WEEK SOMEONE HAD TO TAKE ME TO WORK AND BACK HOME AND AT THE END OF THE WEEK I PAID $1500 AND GOT MY CAR BACK HOME. DURING THAT WEEK I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED OTHER 2003 FORD TAURUS OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM I HAD W/MY CAR. SEEMS FORD SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED ON MY 2003 FORD TAURUS (MILEAGE WAS 73,200) 8 AM THE MORNING OF MARCH 8, 2011 AT A FORD DEALERSHIP. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS FINISHED W/MY CAR, I DROVE TO WORK, LESS THAN 5 MILES AWAY. I PARKED MY CAR AT MY OFFICE AND IT SAT IN THE PARKING LOT UNTIL 5 PM THAT DAY WHEN I DROVE MY CAR HOME. THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 8, 2011 WE HAD A THUNDERSTORM PASS OVER W/1-2 INCHES OF RAIN. WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR TO DRIVE HOME I NOTICED A SPOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR MAT BUT DIDN'T CHECK IT UNTIL I ARRIVED HOME. WHEN I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND REMOVED THE FLOOR MAT, I COULD SEE THE CARPET WAS SOAKING WET. I IMMEDIATELY USED SEVERAL TOWELS TO SOAK UP THE WATER. THE MORNING OF MARCH 9, 2011, I DROVE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD THE OIL CHANGE. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO LOOK AT MY CAR, SHOWING HIM THE DAMP PASSENGER SIDE CARPET. I ASKED HIM IF SOMEONE BUMPED SOMETHING UNDER MY HOOD WHEN THEY CHANGED MY OIL THE DAY BEFORE. I ASKED HIM IF THEY KNOCKED SOMETHING LOOSE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE LEAK ON THE FLOOR. HE SAID 'NO' BUT ASKED ME TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING MORNING MARCH 10, 2011. I DID RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY LOOKED AT MY CAR AND TOLD ME I HAD A COWL LEAK AND IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $400 TO FIX. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED BUT I'VE NOTICED FROM READING ABOUT OTHER 2003 FORD TAURUS OWNERS, THEY'VE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM.. IS THERE NOT SOME WAY FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS? *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD TAURUS SES WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION JUST STOPPED. PARK AND NEUTRAL ONLY. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC WHEN IT HAPPENED. OVER THE LAST YEAR A COUPLE MINOR SLIPS, BUT THIS TIME TOTAL FAILURE. HAVING IT TOWED TO A DEALER MONDAY. *TR

PULLED OUT OF GARAGE AND HEARD A LOUD POP. FRONT STRUT BROKE PUNCTURING TIRE ON DRIVERS SIDE. WE JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 3 WKS AGO IT HAS A LITTLE OVER 90K ON IT. VEHICLE IS IN GOOD SHAPE OTHER WISE. PREVIOUS OWNER HAD ALREADY REPLACED PASSENGER SIDE STRUT A FEW WEEKS BEFORE WE PURCHASED IT. VERY DISAPPOINTING. WAS HOPING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PART. AND JUDGING BY THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SUSPENSION ISSUES, THERE CERTAINLY SHOULD BE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED SIMUTANEOUSLY. THE LIGHT WOULD REMAIN OFF FOR APPROXIMATLEY FIVE TO TEN SECONDS BEFORE RE-ILLUMINATING. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.