2001 FORD TAURUS Complaints

DT: THE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. IT WAS A HOT SUMMER DAY AND THE CONSUMER HAD DISREGARDED THE ODOR AT THE TIME. AFTER THE SMELL LINGERED THE CONSUMER INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE BUT DID NOT SEE ANY LEAKS, BUT DID NOTICE A SPOT ON THE DRIVEWAY WHERE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED. CONCERNED, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO THE GARAGE AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE GAS TANK TOWARDS THE TOP. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT PURCHASE AN AFTER MARKET REPLACEMENT GAS TANK CLAIMING THAT A FORD DEALERSHIP WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSULTED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED A FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED A LEAK ON THE SEAM OF THE GAS TANK. THE GAS TANK WAS REPLACED, BUT FORD WOULD NOT OFFER ANY COST ASSISTANCE OR COVER THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THIS WAS A FACTORY RELATED DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT OFFER ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS DEFECT HAD OCCURRED. THIS WAS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. *AK *MR *JB

FIRST OF ALL MY WIFE CAME OUT TO THE CAR AFTER WORK TO FIND OUT SHE HAD A DEAD BATTERY. I JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND SHE DROVE IT HOME. I THEN REPLACED THE BATTERY, THINKING IT WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS OLD AND IT MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. SHE THEN DROVE IT HOME. FIVE DAYS LATER SHE NOTICED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR WASN'T WORKING. I CHECKED THE FUSES AND THEY WERE OK. I THEN CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THE BLOWER COMPARTMENT WAS FILLED WITH WATER CAUSING THE BLOWER MOTOR TO SHORT OUT. WHEN THE BLOWER MOTOR SHORTED OUT IT ALSO CAUSED A DRAIN ON THE BATTERY, WHICH CAUSED THE DEAD BATTERY. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH IF I HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED WOULD I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN? HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE MADE CHANGES IN THE SEAL AND ALSO HAVE PUT IN A DRAIN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. NOW THAT TELLS ME IF FORD HAS MADE CHANGES TO THE BLOWER MOTOR COMPARTMENT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED FORD COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT AND GOT NOWHERE WITH THEM. ALL THEY SAID WAS THEY WERE SORRY FOR THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT IF FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IT SHOULD BE FIXED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, VEHICLE WA ST BONED. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY CORRECTLY. THE AIR BAG CAME OUT OF THE SIDE PANEL OF THE DOOR AND DID NOT COMPLETELY BLOW UP. THERE WAS ONLY ONE INJURY. THE DRIVER SUFFERED WHIPLASH FROM THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE IS A 2001 FORD TAURUS WAGON. PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE WERE TAKEN AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR DISPLAY. THE CONTACT HAS NOT CALLED FORD.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE THEY JERKED AND SQUEAKED INTERMITTENTLY. AT TIMES WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THEY ALMOST WENT TO THE FLOOR. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ONCE THE DEALER DROVE VEHICLE IT JERKED. MANUFACTURER TOOK THE CONTACT'S COMPLAINT, AND TOLD HER THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND COULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP AT THEIR EXPENSE. SHE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE FRONT OR REAR BRAKES.*AK

BROKEN REAR COIL SPRING, 2001 FORD TAURUS MAKE ME 132, I HAD TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT! JUST LAST MONTH. *NM

CAR WAS TAKEN TO MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE TIRE ROTATION. THE CAR HAD BEEN MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR SINCE WE PURCHASED IT BUT FORD DEALERS WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE/CORRECT IT. WHEN TIRES WERE ROTATED, MECHANIC NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM STRUT AND INVESTIGATED; FOUND REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURED. *NM

IN MAY OF 2005 THE REAR COIL SPRINGS OF MY 2001 FORD TAURUS BOTH BROKE AND THE LEFT COIL SPRING PUNCTURED MY TIRE CAUSING A RAPID LOSS OF AIR. THE COIL SPRINGS ON THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE BROKE IN JUNE OF 2004 (AND NOW HAVE PROTECTIVE SHIELDS DUE TO THE RECALL IN AUGUST OF 2004). ALL FOUR COIL SPRINGS ON MY VEHICLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED. MY VEHICLE IS NOW REGISTERED IN VIRGINIA BUT HAD OVER 75000 MILES PUT ON IT IN PENNSYLVANIA- I BELIEVE THAT IF MY VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REGISTERED IN PENNSYLVANIA AT THE TIME OF THE FRONT SPRING RECALL I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE RECALL. THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA WAS RELUCTANT TO PLACE THE RECALL PROTECTIVE SHIELDS ON THE FRONT OF MY TAURUS. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR A REGULAR OIL CHANGE ON MAY 10, 2005. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT THE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT AWARE THAT IT HAPPENED. HE FIGURED THAT IT HAPPENED SOMETIME BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND MAY. THERE IS AN ON GOING INVESTIGATION FOR THIS ISSUE BY THE NHTSA , PE05054. THE CONTACT KNEW THAT THERE HAS BEEN NHTSA RECALL 04V332000 FOR FRONT COIL SPRING. HE WANTED TO FIND OUT AS TO WHY THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE REAR COIL SPRINGS. *AK UPDATED 11/16/05. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 FORD TAURUS. ONE OF THE REAR SPRINGS FAILED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE BROKEN SPRING. THE BROKEN SPRING PROTRUDED INTO THE REAR TIRE, WEARING A GROOVE. THANKFULLY THE BROKEN SPRING WAS FOUND BEFORE A TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURRED. BOTH REAR SPRINGS AND REAR TIRES NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *JB

DT: 2001 FORD TAURUS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SPRING SPUN OFF ITS PERCH AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN THE AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE SPARE TIRE WAS PUT ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND A RECALL FOR THE FRONT SPRINGS AND REPLACED THEM, AS WELL AS THE PERCH AND THE TIRE. *AK