1996 FORD TAURUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A TOW BOOTH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LURCHED AT HIGH SPEED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL, AND PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. IT WAS CALLED SUDDEN TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF CLUTCH PLATES WHICH CAUSED THE PARK PIN PLATE NOT TO STAY IN POSITION. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER THAT THE PIN DID NOT STAY ENGAGED IN THE PARK POSITION. HE WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE HE LIVED IN CANADA HE NEVER RECEIVED THR RECALL NOTICE. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN CANADA. THE CONSUMER SPENT ABOUT $5000-6000 IN REPAIRS ON SOMETHING THAT WAS RECALLED AND NO ONE WANTED TO HELP HIM BECAUSE OF WHERE HE LIVED. *AK *SC *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CUT OFF WHEN SHE MADE A STOP. SHE ALSO STATED THAT SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO RE-START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND WAS TOLD THAT EVENTUALLY THE FUEL INJECTORS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY CONDITIONS BATTERY INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED ON, AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN PLACE. CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO APPLY BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP, AND SIT FOR A FEW SECONDS WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THAT STEERING WHEEL WOULD UNLOCK. *AK THIS PROBLEM OCCURS MOST TIMES WHEN IT RAINS AND THE VEHICLE GOES THROUGH WATER. *NM

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED BRAKE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD ALOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS FAILED. *AK

THE SCRATCHES ON THE FRONT HEADLIGHT LENS WERE CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER'S VIEW. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

I BOUGHT A USED 1996 FORD TAURUS FROM A LOCAL FORD DEALER, BROCKPORT FORD, IN 1998. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IN JULY OF 2000, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED A HIGH TEMPERATURE. I PULLED OVER TO FIND THE CAR LEAKING COOLANT. I TOOK THE CAR TO VISION FORD AND THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE'S FREEZE PLUGS AS A COST OF $452. RECENTLY I HAD THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, ONLY THIS TIME IT THE REPAIRS COST ME $907. I QUESTIONED TWO FAILURES OF THIS TYPE ON A RELATIVELY NEW CAR AND LOCATED NUMEROUS WEBSITES DEVOTED TO THIS SAME PROBLEM IN 1996 FORD TAURUS VEHICLES. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED NUMEROUS THERMOSTATS AND NOW MY HEATER CORE IS GOING. THIS IS ALL DUE TO A MANUFACTURING/ ENGINEERING DEFECT, WHICH CAUSES THE ANTIFREEZE TO TURN ACIDIC AND ATTACK THE ENGINE PARTS. THERE WAS A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WARRANTY EXTENSION" ISSUED BY FORD FOR THIS KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT IT EXPIRED IN AUGUST OF 1999. AS THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WHICH I FEEL IS A SAFETY CONCERN, I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE MADE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THERE SHOULD BE A MANDATED RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE. ALSO, WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, THE FORD DEALER SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE DEFECT AND SHOULD HAVE APPLIED THE REPAIR KIT AS SHOULD THE DEALER WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR BOTH REPAIRS. A DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE AWARE OF COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THEIR MODELS AND SHOULD COMMUNICATE THIS WITH THE OWNERS. *LA

VEHICLE TIRES WERE DRY ROTTED.*MR THE TIRES ONLY HAD 30000 MILES ON THEM. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE TIRES. *JB THE CONSUMER HAD NEW STRUTS INSTALLED ALONG WITH HAVING THE TIRES ROTATED. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE TIRES WERE DRY ROTTED. *SC *JB

WHILE PARKED FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE. AS A RESULT, THE TIRE WAS PUNCTURED. *AK BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE REPLACED. THE UPPER BRACKET ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM