1991 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THIS CAUSED THERMOSTAT TO BURN OUT. ALSO, HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. SMOKE WOULD BE COMING FROM TAIL PIPE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ENGINE & HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE VEHICLE CONTINUALLY STALLS DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FLAWED IGNITION MODULE (TFI). *MJS

REAR WINDOW WIPER SWITCH IF LEFT ON WHEN VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, WOULD RUN BATTERY DOWN. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR HAS TO BE SET IN A CERTAIN POSTION TO WORK. CONSUMER WAS WAITING FOR A CALL FROM DEALER.*AK

IN APRIL 1998, OUR 1991 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON'S TRANSMISSION FAILED DESPITE HAVING ONLY 61,518 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. WE INCURRED OVER $2,100 IN EXPENSES REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH WAS THEN OUT OF WARRANTY. OUR TRANSMISSION SHOP TOLD US THAT THIS CAR SUFFERED FROM A DESIGN DEFECT, IN THAT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT HAVE A SUFFICIENT COOLING SYSTEM, AND THAT IF THE TRANSMISSION BECAME HOT IT COULD FAIL UPON HAVING TO SHIFT GEARS AT SLOWER SPEEDS. THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CAR; MY WIFE HAD COMPLETED A LONG, HIGHWAY TRIP, AND THE TRANSMISSION SIMPLY FAILED AND LOCKED UP AFTER SHE EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND BEGAN STOP AND GO DRIVING. SHE WAS ACTUALLY PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. IN AUGUST 1999, I DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAD ACTUALLY SENT OUT A LETTER IN 1995 ADVISING OF AN EXTENSION OF ITS WARRANTY ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS DUE TO REPEATED FAILURES. I SENT A LETTER ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT AT THAT TIME, SINCE OUR CAR HAD BEEN ONLY 1,518 MILES OVER THE 60,000 LIMIT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, BUT I RECEIVED A REPLY FROM FORD REFUSING TO PROVIDE ANY REIMBURSEMENT WHATSOEVER. I TOOK NO ACTION AT THAT TIME, BUT RECENTLY, THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS CAR FAILED AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH ONLY 79,400 MILES (ABOUT 18,300 MILES SINCE PREVIOUS FAILURE) AND WE HAVE INCURRED ANOTHER $2,300 IN REPAIR EXPENSE, DESPITE OUR HAVING TAKEN MORE THAN ADEQUATE CARE OF THIS CAR. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY RECOURSE FOR THESE EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES, GIVEN THAT FORD APPARENTLY WAS AWARE OF A DEFECT IN ITS TRANSMISSIONS FOR THIS MODEL OF CAR, YET FAILED TO OFFER A RECALL OR REPLACEMENT AND FAILED TO REIMBURSE US ADEQUATELY IN THE PAST. THIS CAR HAS TOO FEW MILES, AND HAS BEEN CARED FOR TOO WELL, SIMPLY TO JUNK IT, BUT WITH THE ONGOING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IT HAS BECOME A CAR WE CAN NEITHER USE NOR SELL. *AK

I WAS ABOUT 75 MILES FROM HOME TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 87 @65 MPH.I HAD PASSED A SEMI. AND PULLED BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE. THE TAURUS SHUDDERED AND SHOOK AND IMMEDIATELY DROPPED TO 45 MPH. I PUT ON THE 4WAY FLASHERS AND PULLED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I CALLED AAA AND HAD TO BE FLAT-BEDDED OFF THE INTERSTATE BACK TO MY HOME. THE FORD MOTOR CO. 'S PROBLEMS WITH THE SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON IN THE AXOD-E TRANSMISSION HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED BEGINNING IN YHE 1986 MODEL YEAR. BUT THE 1991 SEEMS TO FAIL THE MOST . USUALLY IN THE 60-80K RANGE. JUST MY LUCK, I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 76K ON IT AND ONLY GOT 6000 MILES OUT OF IT. THE TRANSMISSION WILL COST BETWEEN $900-$1200 TO REPLACE. FORD DID HAVE AN ONP ADDRESSING THESE FAILURES AND DID ,IN THE PAST,REIMBURSE FOR CORRECTING THEM.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED BY LUBE TUBES PARTS WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY UNDER RECALL, CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. NLM

BLOWN HEAD ENGINE GASKET. ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW AT 150,000 MILES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING , MOSTLY IN THE SUMMER . MECHANIC HAS SERVICED VECHICLE , CHANGED STARTER, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS.*AK

CAR STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. WILL START AGAIN WHEN COOLED OFF. DANGEROUS!! CANNOT LOCATE PART ANYWHERE. HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LOCATE THE PART FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS. WHEN I CALLED A FORD DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME "YOUR SCREWED."*AK

THIS CAR DEVELOPED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE UPON SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR AT 112000 MILES. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO GET THE TRANSMISSION FIXED, IT BLEW A HEAD GASKET. THIS CAR IS A LEMON & FORD SHOULD TOTALLY RECALL IT. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FORD TAURUS VICTIMS OUT THERE. YOU SHOULD LOOK UP THE FORDTAURUSVICTIMS.COM PAGE. *AK