1997 FORD TAURUS Complaints

EVERY TIME I PUT IT IN REVERSE, MY RADIO GOES OUT, MY PL, PS, AND PW STOP WORKING. IF I DRIVE LONGER THAN 5 - 10 MILES, THE LIGHTS AND ALL ELECTRICAL START BLINKING AND THE PS GOES ON AND OFF. I ALMOST HIT A CAR ALONG SIDE OF ME THE 1ST TIME IT HAPPENED, I ONLY DROVE IT OUT OF TOWN ONE TIME AFTER THAT, NOW I DON'T DRIVE IT OUT OF TOWN AT ALL. EVEN IN TOWN IF I'M DRIVING ALL OVER, IT DOES IT. I TRIED TALKING TO FORD CORP. AND THEY BLEW ME OFF, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS. HELP!! *TR

MY CAR HAS A ELECTRICAL PROB OR SOMETHING IT MAKES MY STEERING HARD AND WON'T LET WINDOWS ROLL DOWN AND MAKES ALL LIGHTS IN FLASH. HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO SEVERAL GARAGES AND THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S WRONG. BUT DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSES IT. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. I NEED HELP FIGURING OUT WHAT THIS IS SO I CAN GET IT FIXED!!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL AND NOTICED GASOLINE ON THE GROUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THREE FAILURES WERE PRESENT: THE FUEL TANK, A COOLANT LEAK, AND BRAKE LINE CORROSION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE FORD TO REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, BUT THEY REFUSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,900. UPDATED 04/02/08. *LJ

CAM SPROCKET FAILURE. THIS LEAD TO THE ENGINE STOPPING AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. *TR

DRIVING AT 30MPH WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD RATTLE/CLANKING NOISE. A FEW SECONDS LATER A PIECE OF LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND FELL OFF MY CAR. I WAS <1 MILE FROM HOME SO I PICKED UP THE PIECE AND RETURNED SAFELY. I DID NOTICE THE BRAKES WERE GOING OUT. ONCE I RETURNED I FOUND MY BRAKE FLUID LINE WAS SEVERED BY THE COIL SPRING. I HAVE NOT FIXED THE CAR YET. IT IS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY UNUSABLE. *TR

VEHICLE MAKES POPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. SOUNDS AS THOUGH THE NOISE IS GENERATED FROM TIE RODS OR RACK N PINION PROBLEM, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED ON VEHICLE. *TR

1997 FORD TAURUS WITH ANTI FREEZE LEAK. CONSUMER STATES SHE HAD THE COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED AND THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. DEALER TOLD HER SHE NEEDED THE ENGINE REPAIRED AND IT WOULD COST $300 OR $400 DOLLARS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HER, IT WAS OVERHEATING. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER A CAMPAIGN HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR ENGINE CORROSION. *JB

POWER STEERING INTERMITTENT FAILURE; FIRST BEGAN WHEN PLACING SHIFT LEVER INTO REVERSE GEAR, THEN LATER OCCURRED ALSO IN FORWARD DRIVE GEARS. SUSPECT ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC PROBLEM SINCE RADIO SPEAKERS ALSO GO SILENT AND POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THIS OCCURS. ALL OTHER FUSES WORKING PROPERLY. DEALER IS NOT YET CONTACTED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT THE TIME WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE FRONT OF MY CAR. I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A PARKING LOT SO I WASN'T GOING VERY FAST I STOPPED AND LOOKED AT MY CAR AND NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF MY CAR WAS ALMOST SITTING ON THE FRONT TIRE I WAS GLAD THAT I WASN'T ON THE INTERSTATE AT THE TIME. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN WITH ANY OF MY OTHER CARS .I WOULD THINK THE SPRINGS ARE STRONGER THAN THAT. THANK GOD I WASN'T GOING FAST.......*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THEN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. A MILE LATER, THE ENGINE STALLED, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE CONTACT NOTICED LIQUID DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THEN, THE VEHICLE WOULD START, BUT NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE SPROCKET THAT HOLDS THE TIMING CHAIN CAME LOOSE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.