2003 FORD TAURUS Complaints

CAR ACCELERATES AND/OR MAINTAINS HIGH RPMS. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS TIMES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE BLOWER MOTOR EMITTED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RESISTER BLOWER MOTOR WAS GETTING DAMAGED WITH WATER FROM THE CROW AND UNDER THE AIR CABIN FILTER WHERE THE INSTALLATION OF THE CABIN AIR FILTER. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEED TO BE TAKEN TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE INSTALLATION REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED TWICE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SWITCH OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 05/11/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONSUMER INJURED HIS NECK. UPDATED 06/14/16.*JB

PUT VEHICLE IN SHOP VEHICLE HAD ROUGH IDLE, MISFIRING ON #2 CYLINDER. SHOP REMOVED AND REPLACED SPARK PLUG, AIR FILTER, FUEL FILTER, AND IGNITION COIL. GOT VEHICLE FROM SHOP. VEHICLE IDLE TOO HIGH-SPEEDS UP ON ITS OWN. TOOK BACK TO SHOP SHOP REMOVED AND REPLACED IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE GOT VEHICLE OUT OF SHOP. VEHICLE STILL IDLE TOO HIGH AND STILL SPEEDS UP ON ITS OWN. WHEN STOPPED AT STOP LIGHT, WHEN THE BREAKS ARE RELEASED, CAR JUMPS FORWARD. WHEN BACKING UP OUT OF GARAGE, CAR BACK-UP TOO FAST; MUST HOLD BREAKS AT ALL TIMES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTI-THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE JUMPSTARTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALARM SYSTEM FAILED; HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE DUE TO NO FAILURE CODES. THE ALTERNATOR AND STARTER WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

WHEN BACKING UP FROM BEING PARKED, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE EXPLODED AND THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE CAR DROPPED. THE CAUSE WAS A BROKEN COIL SPRING WHICH PUNCTURED MY NEW TIRE. 74K MILES. I AM UPSET THAT THE NHTSA HAS INVESTIGATED THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR 15 YEARS WITH FORD TAURUS' VINTAGE 2000 THROUGH 2005 AND CONCLUDED ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN "NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS". PREVIOUSLY I HAD THREE SPRING FAILURES ON ANOTHER (2001) TAURUS. I HAD A FRONT SPRING BREAK AND HAD BOTH FRONT SPRINGS REPLACED. ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS BROKE TWO YEARS LATER. BOTH FAILURES CAUSED TIRE FAILURES. SHORTLY BEFORE GETTING RID OF THE 2001TAURUS, I NOTICED A REAR SPRING HAD FAILED, BUT DID NOT DAMAGE THE TIRE. I DO EXPECT A FEW "SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS" TO OCCUR IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S TOO BAD SOME OF US WILL HAVE TO SACRIFICE OUR LIVES OR LIMBS FOR THE GOOD OF THE REST OF US. IF SUCH A DREADFUL THING HAPPENS, I FEEL NHTSA MAY BE EQUALLY LIABLE WITH FORD FOR WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUITS FOR NOT REQUIRING FORD TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE. IN THEIR INVESTIGATION, NHTSA ALSO MENTIONS THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS TOPIC. THAT IS BECAUSE CONSUMERS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA. I ADVISE THE NHTSA TO REQUEST THE NUMBER OF REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM FORD ALONG WITH PARTS SUPPLIERS SUCH AS ADVANCE AND AUTOZONE. I WOULD ESTIMATE MILLIONS OF SPRINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOR JUST THE 2002 AND 2003 MODEL YEARS. I'D BET MY CRAFT BEER MONEY ON IT. BTW, THE TRUE CAUSE OF FAILURE IS THAT ROAD DIRT AND SALT CAUSES THE BALL BEARINGS IN THE MOUNT TO BIND WHICH IN TURN RESTRICTS THE SPRINGS FREE MOVEMENT. THE SPRING DOES NOT RUST, THE BINDING OF THE BALL BEARINGS AGAINST THE SPRING SURFACE CAUSES THE FAILURE. POOR DESIGN CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT WAS BEING SIGNALED BY OTHER DRIVERS THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ALL THE TIME UNTIL THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC NOTIFIED THE CONTACT OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED IN 2004 FOR THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 212,000. UPDATED 05/10/16*LJ *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY FELT AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER MAY HAVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,400.

ON ABOUT 15 JAN 2016, THE DRIVER'SIDE SIDE FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE. WHEN IT BROKE IT PUNCTURED THROUGH DRIVER'SIDE SIDE FRONT TIRE. LUCKILY THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME THE COIL SPRINGS BROKE AND NO FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, JUST THE BROKEN COIL SPRING AND PUNCTUREDRIVES TIRE. FROM MY RESEARCH THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE ON EARLIER MODEL YEARS OF THE FORD TAURUS BUT NOT FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND AFTER TALKING TO FORD CUSTOMER CARE THERE ARE NO EXISTING RECALLS FOR THIS SUSPENSION ISSUE.

WE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHERE THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP,AND SLIDE ON DRY PAVEMENT,AND WET CONDITIONS . THE CAR HAD NEW BRAKES, ROTORS, TIRES, BUT STILL WOULD HAVE TROUBLE STOPPING, UNFORTUNATELY MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR TODAY,AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. I JUST REPLACED THE TIRES AGAIN A FEW MONTHS GO, THINKING THE TIRES WERE THE PROBLEM. I HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS MYSELF, AND I THINK THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR STOPPING. THANK GOD NOBODY WAS HURT, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. MY DAUGHTER WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AN HOUR, AND SHE WAS ON A CITY STREET, CONDITIONS WERE WET , BUT SHE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP.