2001 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 FORD TAURUS SES TODAY AT CITY SPEEDS (30 MPH) I HEARD A VERY LOUD METALLIC CLANKING SOUND. I DROVE STRAIGHT HOME AND WE PUT THE CAR ON THE LIFT TO INSPECT. WE FOUND THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE RUST/CORROSION. WE LIVE IN ILLINOIS & CALLED FORD TO SEE ABOUT THE RECALL (04V332-4235) AND HOW TO GO ABOUT REPAIRING THIS. THE AGENT CHECKED OUR VIN AND TOLD US THAT OUR CAR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THIS RECALL DESPITE HAVING BEEN PRODUCED IN THE CHICAGO MANUFACTURING PLANT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PLANTS INVOLVED IN THE RECALL. OUR TIRE WAS VERY CLOSE TO BEING SHREDDED BY THE BROKEN SPRING AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE OUR CAR SHOULD BE A PART OF THIS RECALL AND STATED TO THE FORD AGENT THAT I WAS DISSATISFIED BY THE APPARENT RUNAROUND I WAS RECEIVING. I REQUESTED A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO BE MADE, AND HE STATED HE WOULD PLACE MY COMPLAINT IN THEIR DATABASE. IF HE ACTUALLY DID, I HAVE NO IDEA. ALL CARS PRODUCED IN THE TIME FRAME AT THE CHICAGO PLANT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT AGAIN DUE TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

DURING MULTIPOINT INSPECTION DEALER FOUND REAR SPRINGS BROKEN TOTAL COST OF REPAIR $572.58 . YOUR DATA BASE SHOWS THIS HAS BEEN A DEFECTIVE PART ISSUE AND NO RECALL. LOCAL DEALER NOT AWARE OF REAR SPRING ISSUE. *TR

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE THROTTLE CABLE (OR SPEED CONTROL CABLE) GOT STUCK AND MY CAR ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. LUCKILY, BOTH TIMES I WAS FAIRLY CLOSE TO HOME AND MADE IT WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I FOUND WHERE THE CABLE WAS GETTING HUNG UP. I SPRAYED IT WITH WD-40, BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT DO THE TRICK AS IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. I'VE READ WHERE OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND, GIVEN THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AM SHOCKED THAT THE NHTSA HASN'T TAKEN ACTION. *TR

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE TO COME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SURGE AT FULL THROTTLE. IN THE ELEVEN YEARS I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE THIS IS THE FOURTH INSTANCE OF THE VEHICLE SURGING. TO RECOVER FROM THIS CONDITION IT WAS NECESSARY TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF, PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ATTEMPT TO RESTART. IT TOOK THREE ATTEMPTS AT RESTARTING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS IN FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION WHICH MUST BE ADDRESSED BY NHTSA. *TR

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN THE FULL OPEN POSITION AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SIDE STREET. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT BY THE TIME THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF THE TRANSMISSION HAD TOTALLY FRIED AND ALL THE FLUIDS CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE. *TR

2001 FORD TAURUS DOOR LOCK NOT LATCHING DURING WINTER WEATHER. VERY SERIOUS AND SCARY SAFETY ISSUE, VERY MUCH SO WHEN THEIR IS ICE AND SNOW ON THE ROADS. ATTENDING WORK AND APPOINTMENTS IS MANDATORY. HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT WHILE DRIVING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AFTER MINIMAL RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. THE NEWS & MEDIA MUST BE ALERTED AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AT A STEADY SPEED, THE CAR BEGAN TO SPEED UP RAPIDLY, REACHING NEAR 55 MPH WITHIN SECONDS. THE ENGINE STAYED AROUND 4,000 RPM AND USING THE BRAKES ONLY SLOWED THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT STOP IT. TO AVOID A CRASH, THE ONLY OPTION I HAD WAS TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN IN TO A PARKING LOT. ONCE IN NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE'S RPM REMAINED CLOSE TO 4,000. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF, I INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR TO FIND THAT THE FLIMSY PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE IN THE PROPER POSITION WAS BROKEN IN SEVERAL PLACES, LEAVING THE CABLE FREE TO GET CAUGHT ON WHAT IS LEFT OF THE PLASTIC PIECE EXTREMELY EASILY. SINCE THAT INCIDENT, THE EXACT SAME SITUATION HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. DUE TO THE PLASTIC PIECE BEING BROKEN, THE CABLE DOES NOT SIT INSIDE THE PLASTIC PIECE AS INTENDED, WHICH HAS CAUSED THE RPM TO STAY HIGHER THAN NORMAL AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE CAR IS IN GEAR. WHILE DRIVING, REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BEGIN DECELERATING BEFORE A STOP HAS NO EFFECT, AS IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES. SLOWING THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE DONE BY USING THE BRAKES. THIS SITUATION CAME VERY SUDDENLY WITH ABSOLUTELY NO PRIOR SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF ANY PROBLEM. THE RAPID, UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION POSES A SEVERE SAFETY THREAT TO DRIVER AND ANYBODY AROUND THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOT ANY TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME, AND THERE WAS A PARKING LOT NEARBY TO EXIT THE ROAD. IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE IN MODERATE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC, A CRASH WOULD BE VERY LIKELY. THIS ISSUE IS UNPREDICTABLE AND HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 70 MPH AND AT ROAD SPEEDS OF 35 MPH. I HAVE SINCE DECIDED TO PARK MY CAR AND NOT OPERATE IT UNTIL I CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS HIGHLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN ITS CURRENT STATE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BROKEN FINGER AND A BRUISED KNEE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

I PULLED OUT OF A GAS STATION. CAME UP TO A STOP LIGHT. AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR THEN NOTICED THE CAR WAS INCREASING IN SPEED WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. CAME UP TO ANOTHER STOP LIGHT AND COULD BARELY GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. *TR

TRAVELING AT 45MPH SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE, RPM'S JUMPED YET NO RESPONSE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I CAN SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR AND THE VEHICLE ACTS AS IF IT IS IN NEUTRAL. *TR