2001 FORD TAURUS Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HE CALLED FORD AND TOLD THEM HE WAS HURT BECAUSE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON 8-22-05 WHEN H THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HIT A SOMETHING ON THE ROAD. HE WAS THROWN AROUND IN THE CAR A LOT. FORD HAS NOT RESPONDED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ON PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT ON 8-22- 05 THE CONTACT'S HIT A RACCOON WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON 5-22-05, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

I HAVE A 2001 FORD TAURUS WITH 110,000 MILES. THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE SPRING COIL FAILED, CAME DISLODGED FROM THE SEAT AND WAS RUBBING ON THE INSIDE WALL OF THE REAR TIRE. THIS COULD HAVE ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN PUNCTURE AND RAPID AIR LOSS IN THE TIRE POTENTIALLY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED BECAUSE THE REAR TIRE WAS LOSING AIR AND WAS BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIR. WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED THERE WAS A GROOVE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE APPROXIMATELY 1/8" DEEP AND THE SPRING COIL WAS PROTRUDING. PRIOR TO DISCOVERY, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR DROVE NORMALLY AND WAS NOT NOTICEABLY LOWER OR RIDING LOW. ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM FOR ME DID NOT RESULT IN ACCIDENT OR LOSS OF CONTROL, IT WAS VERY POSSIBLE AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS FOR OTHER CAR OWNERS. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY OFFERED NO HELP IN THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE, EVEN IN SPITE OF A VERY SIMILAR RECALL FOR THE FRONT SPRING COILS. (RECALL # 04V332000) IN THIS RECALL, THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXACT POTENTIAL FAILURE OF THE FRONT COILS. THE DEALER THAT SERVICES MY VEHICLE HAS SEEN MY CAR EVERY 3,000 MILES AND DID NOT IDENTIFY THIS ISSUE PROACTIVELY. *JB

DT: THE CALLER SAID THE REAR COIL SPRING PROTECTIVE SHIELD CORRODED AND BROKE. IT ALSO BROKE THE STRUT AND PUNCTURED THE BACK PASSENGER TIRE. DRIVER WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. CALLER SAID THERE IS A RECALL ON THE FRONT COIL SPRING BUT NOT ON THE REAR. DEALER HAS VEHICLE AND THEY ARE GOING TO FIX THE FRONT AND CALLER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REAR HERSELF. MANUFACTURER SAID TO HOLD ON TO INVOICES IN CASE THERE IS REIMBURSEMENT LATER.*AK

DT: CONSUMER OWNED A 2001 FORD TAURUS. ON 7-10-05 WHEN DRIVING AT 10 MPH THE REAR SPRING HAD RUSTED TO THE POINT OF DECAY, CAUSING THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE TO COME DOWN ON TOP OF THE TIRE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE REAR COIL SPRING. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD CONSUMER IT WAS BEYOND WARRANTY. CONSUMER KNEW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRONT SPRING COIL THIS WAS THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK *JB

WENT OUT OF TOWN FOR THE DAY, CAR STARTING MAKING NOISES. NOISES SEEM TO BE INTERMEDIATE, WE CUT OUR TRIP SHORT AND DROVE HOME. IT IS IN THE AREA OF 100 MILES HOME. WHEN WE GOT HOME I PARKED IT TILL NEXT DAY AND HAD SOMEONE LOOK AT IT. THEY SAID A BOLT EITHER FELL OUT OR BROKE AND MY HUB ASSEMPLY WAS FALLING APART. AT THAT POINT THEY ALSO TELL ME I WAS LUCKY THAT THE PULLEY DIDN'T FREEZE UP ON ME BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE LOST ALL POWER. AT 65 MPH COMING HOME WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I CALLED MY FORD DEALER AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I GET IT TO A FORD DEALER HERE AND LET THEM LOOK AT IT. I HAD IT TOWED THE NEXT DAY AND THEY VERIIFIED THE SAME INFORMATION. THEY SAID I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE A/C COMPRESSOR, CLUTCH, PULLEY AND A COIL. I DID SPEAK TO FORD AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO THINK THAT THEY SHOULD ASSIT IN ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. MY BIGGEST THING IS THAT THE CAR WAS FALLING APART WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT WAS NOT DUE FROM NEGLECT OR AN ACCIDENT. THEIR LACK OF CONCERN WAS DISTURBING. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED IT AS OF YET BUT WHEN I DO I WILL KEEP THE OLD PARTS.

DT: THE REAR SPRING CRACKED AND DAMAGED THE TIRE. THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY ON JULY 24,2005. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE FRONT SPRINGS WERE BEING RECALLED BUT NOT THE REAR SPRINGS. *JB CONSUMER ADDED LEFT REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURED IN TWO CAUSING THE BROKEN PART OF THE SPRING TO DIG INTO THE INNER SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. *TT

CONTINENTAL TIRE-P215/60R16 94T, TOURING CONTACT AS. I LOOKED FOR A DOT # BUT DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT SAID DOT. DID FIND DK67838 34255 ON THE INNER EDGE. THIS TIRE HAS LARGE KNOTS AND IS SPLITTING AND SEPARATING IN ONLY ONE PART OF THE TIME. THE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIP. ON A 2001 FORD TAURUS. ONE HAS BEEN REPLACED, BUT STILL HAS THREE ORIGINAL ONES WITH VERY GOOD TREAD. THE CAR HAS ONLY ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON IT. THE OTHER TWO TIRES HAVE NO PROBLEMS SO FAR. WE HAD NOTICE A SEVERE BUMPING ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHERE THE TIRE IS, BUT I SUPPOSE THE CAR HASN'T STOPPED IN THE RIGHT POSITION FOR US TO SEE IT UNTIL NOW. WE FOUND OTHER CONTINENTAL TIRES ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND WERE INSTALLED THE SAME YEAR. WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT SINCE WE ARE AFRAID THAT IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF WE CONTINUE DRIVING IT.*JB

DT: CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER REAR SEAT BELT LOCKED INSIDE THE RETRACTOR AND COULD NOT BE USED. THE CONSUMER STATED IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE TWISTED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SEAT BELT WILL COME OUT, BUT WILL NOT RETRACT. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED FORD, BUT THEY HAVE NOT REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER HAVE TO REPLACE THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT AT HIS EXPENSE. THE SERVICE DEALER WILL NOT LOOK AT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT CHARGING THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CALL HIM BACK IN TWO DAYS, BUT HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM. HE CONTACTED THEM ON JULY 29, 2005. *AK

DT: WHEN PLACING KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THIS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT START WHATSOEVER. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER ONCE. ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER SAID THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS A FAULTY STARTER, BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN EVEN AFTER STARTER WAS REPLACED. IN THIS PROCESS OF BACK AND FORTH TO DEALER ON 4 DIFFERENT TIMES THERE WAS SEVERAL REPAIRS OF STARTER, SENSOR, COMPUTER BOARD, AND SOME OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENT AND THESE ALL STEMMED FROM PLACING KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. DEALER SAID THIS WAS IGNITION AND STARTER RELATED. THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM. DEALER BUSINESS MANAGER HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. *AK

WHILE OPERATING MY 2001 FORD TAURUS SES, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITH NO WARNING (LOW COOLANT LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE). I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OFF THE INTERSTATE WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY UNDER NO POWER. UPON INSPECTING THE ENGINE, FOUND SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE RADIATOR OVERFLOW (PLASTIC) RESERVOIR. WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE RUNNING AGAIN AFTER ADDING COOLANT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME, BUT OVERHEATED ON THE WAY 3 TIMES. I ORDERED A NEW RESERVOIR FROM FORD FOR $103.00 AND WILL INSTALL IT MYSELF ONCE IT ARRIVES. *NM