1995 FORD TAURUS Complaints

SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE JUMPED AROUND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE SPEED. FIRST OCCURRANCE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 19000 MILES, SPEEDOMETER REPLACED AT 21215 MILES; PROBLEM RECURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 33000 MILES, DEALER LUBED SPEEDOMETER CABLE; PROBLEM RECURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES, SPEEDOMETER REPLACED AT 51252 MILES; PROBLEM RECURRED AT AT 69,650 MILES, SCHEDULED TO HAVE SPEEDOMETER REPLACED AGAIN MAKING THIS THE FOURTH SPEEDOMETER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. *AK

THE ORIGINAL SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED (UNDER WARRANTY) AT APPROXIMATELY 27,000 MILES BECAUSE IT BECAME ERRATIC OVER 40 MPH. ERRACTIC MEANS THAT ONCE I GET ABOVE 40 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE CONSTANTLY BOUNCES BETWEEN 35 MPH AND 85 MPH AND MAKES VARIOUS HIGH-PITCHED OR "GROWLING-TYPE" NOISES. IT VARY RARELY WOULD STEADY ITSELF AT ONE RATE. EASTGATE FORD REPLACED THE SPEEDOMETER WITH THE FIRST PROBLEM. WITH THE REPLACEMENT SPEEDOMETER, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME ERRATIC BEHAVIOR AFTER ONLY 10,000 - 15,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT REPLACED IT BECAUSE I WAS PROVIDED A QUOTE OF $450 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. WHEN SEARCHING THE WEB AND THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT STATES THAT THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH LUBRICANT PLACED IN THE SPEEDOMETER CABLE DURING MANUFACTURE. THE ONLY WAY TO "REPAIR" THIS PROBLEM IS TO REPLACE THE UNIT. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELING ON CITY ROADS OR HIGHWAYS ONCE I GET ABOVE 40 MPH. I HAVE TO DRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME RATE OF SPEED AS THE OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME AND HOPE THAT THEY ARE DRIVING AT/AROUND THE SPEED LIMIT. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT I AM WEARING OUT THE PLASTIC NEEDLE AND ANY ASSOCIATED BEARINGS BECAUSE OF THE NOISES THAT ARE GENERATED. IF THE BEARINGS WEAR OUT, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TELL MY RATE OF SPEED AT ANY TIME, INCLUDING SCHOOL ZONES! AN INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT MY STEP-MOTHER HAS A 1993 FORD ESCORT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND'S CO-WORKER ALSO HAS A FORD VEHICLE WITH THE EXACT SAME SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS. IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET FORD TO RECALL THESE SPEEDOMETERS? THIS IS MY THIRD FORD VEHICLE AND WILL NOW BE MY LAST BECAUSE THIS IS SO ANNOYING. PLEASE ADVISE IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO ASSIST YOU ANY FURTHER. *AK

WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN APPLYING THE GAS, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN IT JUMPS FORWARD. DEALER SAID NEW TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE PUT INTO VEHICLE. *AK

I HAVE HAD 3 SPEEDOMETERS FAIL WITHIN 60,000 MILES OVER A 2 YEAR TIME PERIOD. THE NEEDLE ON THE SPEEDOMETER STICKS OR BOUNCES BACK AND FORTH, THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 32,000 MILES AND I BELIEVE IT WAS FEBRUARY OF 1998. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRENTY AT THAT TIME. THE SECOND TIME IT FAILED WAS AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES IN SEPT. OF 1998. BECAUSE MY DAILY COMMUTE IS SO LONG, I WAS WELL OVER THE 12,000 MILE WARRENTY ON THE REPLACEMENT PART, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD ONLY BEEN 6 MONTHS. I DID NOT HAVE THE PART REPLACED UNTIL JANUARY OR FEBRUARY BECAUSE OF THE COST. AT THE TIME I HAD THE SPEEDOMETER REPLACED I WAS AT 60,000 MILES. AT THAT TIME I PLEADED WITH FORD TO EXTEND THE MILAGE LIMIT ON THE PART BECAUSE I JUST KNEW THE THING WOULDN'T LAST A YEAR. THEY REFUSED, OF COURSE, AND INSIST THEY HAVE HAD NO REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. NONE OF THE DEALERSHIPS I HAVE DEALTH WITH ON THIS ARE WILLING TO HELP EITHER. AS EXPECTED, I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER IN NOVEMBER OF 1999, ABOUT 7 MONTHS AFTER THE LAST REPLACEMENT. BECAUSE THE CAR WAS AT 81,000 MILES I COULDN'T GET ANYONE TO EVEN DISCUSS IT WITH ME. I HAVE SINCE FOUND INFORMATION - VIA THE WEB - THAT SUGGESTS THERE HAS BEEN AS SERVICE BULLUTIN ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM. *AK

SPEEDOMETER FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS. 1ST FAILURE COMMENCED AT 59,000 MILES OF WEAR; AND 2ND FAILURE OCCURRED AT 77,000 MILES. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST IS PICKED UP BY CONSUMER. *AK

UPON LEAVING A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT CAR HESITATES A FEW SECONDS THEN "JERKS" BACK AND ONLY THEN PROCEEDS, THUS CAUSING NEAR ACCIDENTS

CONTACTED MR.JAC NASSER BY CERTIFIED MAIL AND WAS SUSEQUENTLY CONTACTED BY A MR.LANCE TANG WHO STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD.THERE IS A FORD SERVICE BULLETIN 97-12 WHICH ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM AND ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER REFUSES TO DO ANY FURTHER REPAIRS ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS WHICH CAUSES THE SPEEDOMETER TO FLUCTUATE WILDLY AT SPEEDS IN THE VICINITY OF 40 - 50 MPH. THIS IS A RIDICULOUS CLAIM AS THEIR CONTENTION IS THAT IT IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURS. THIS IS NOT FIXING A PROBLEM IT IS ONLY A BAND AID TO GET THE VEHICLE PAST THE WARRANTY MILEAGE. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS COVERED BY FMVSS101. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK

HAD A HEAD BOLT HEATER INSTALLED AND OIL CHANGED 3 DAYS PRIOR TO FIRE. NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO USE HEATER. CAR WAS WARMING UP WHEN FIRE OCCURED. ANY IDEAS ON POSSIBLE CAUSES? *AK

BETWEEN 55-65MPH THE SPEEDOMETER BECAME ERRATICALLY AND DID NOT READ PROPER SPEED. *AK

SPEEDOMETER BOUNCES BETWEEN 50 AND 85 MILES PER HR.SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED AT 16000 MI. ON WARRANTY ,AND WENT BAD AGAIN AT 38000 MI. FORD REFUSES TO REPLACE AGAIN. *AK