1999 FORD TAURUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING SPLIT IN HALF AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSTALL NEW COIL SHIELDS UNDER THE WARRANTY FOR FREE, BUT WILL NOT REPAIR THE COIL SPRING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

THE REAR SUSPENSION COIL SPRING ON MY 1999 FORD TAURUS SEDAN RUSTED THROUGH AND FAILED. THIS CAUSED A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR, BUT DID NOT RESULT IN A CRASH OR ANY DAMAGE. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 10TH, 2008, MY FRONT WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY SHATTERED, LEAVING A HOLE IN IT'S CENTER AND "CRACKLING" THE REMAINING PART OF THE WINDOW, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SEE THROUGH IT. I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES (THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME) CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT 90 DEGREES AND SLAM HEAD FIRST INTO AN ELECTRICAL UTILITY BOX. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SPIN AROUND WHICH DROVE IT OVER AN ISLAND IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD AND INTO A ROAD SIGN AND WHILE STILL SPINNING, SMASHED INTO A UTILITY POLE NEXT TO THE UTILITY BOX. DURING THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT, I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND WAS NOT AWARE WHAT THE CAR WAS HITTING OR WHAT DIRECTION IT WAS MOVING. WHEN THE CAR HIT THE UTILITY BOX, I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH. AFTER REBOUNDING FROM THE UTILITY BOX INTO THE CENTER ISLAND AND SPINNING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I HIT THE UTILITY POLE, THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO REST. DURING THE SPINNING AND HITTING AND BOUNCING (A LIGHT WORD FOR WHAT WAS HAPPENING) THE SHOULDER HARNESS ON MY 1999 FORD TAURUS SE FAILED TO HOLD ME SECURELY AGAINST MY SEAT AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. IT HAS NOW BEEN 49 WEEKS SINCE THIS HAPPENED AND AFTER MANY COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN MYSELF AND ANTELOPE VALLEY FORD IN LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MARCH 2005 AS A PRE-OWNED VEHICLE WITH 52,000 MILES ON IT, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH FORD MOTOR CO. IN DEARBORNE, MICHIGAN, TO WHOM I SENT ALL REQUESTED DOCUMENTS AND COPIES OF LETTERS TO AV FORD RE: THE 4 TIMES I TRIED TO GET THEM TO FIX AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM CAUSING IT TO PULL RIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN BRAKING. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER "CAR WILL ALWAYS PULL TO RIGHT DUE TO FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TORQUE". I ASKED FOR MY $5,000.00 DOWN PAYMENT AND RELEASE FROM THE CONTRACT. I WAS IGNORED. FORD MOTOR CO. SAID NOT ENOUGH IMPACT FOR AIRBAGS. THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIRED. I NOW KNOW THE COMPUTER MODULE FOR AIRBAG USE WAS NEVER SET, BUT NO DASH WARNING LIGHT. *TR

HEADLIGHTS SEEM VERY DIM. WE NOTICE THE PLASTIC LENS OVER THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE YELLOWING AND PROBABLY BLOCKING THE LIGHT OUTPUT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. AT 43,400 MILES, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT THE COST OF $1,400. WITHIN A YEAR, IT HAD TO BE REBUILT A SECOND TIME AT NO CHARGE. ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT FOR THE THIRD TIME AT 53,600 MILES. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SKIPS SECOND GEAR AND THE VEHICLE JERKS OFTEN. THE CONTACT DOES NOT DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, ONLY IN TOWN. SHE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE IS AT 5,000 RPM WHEN DRIVING. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE VEHICLE ONLY ACCELERATES BETWEEN 5-10 MPH. THE VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT RETRIEVED HER VEHICLE FROM THE REPAIR SHOP ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2008. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,408.

SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF HEAD DURING ACCELERATION ON HIGHWAY ON RAMP. VAPORS CONTINUED COMING OUT OF SPARK PLUG HOLE WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WAS HINDERED BY DUST FROM THE LARGE STREET SWEEPING VEHICLES. SHE DID NOT SEE THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AND REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE CONTACT WAS NOT GIVEN AN EXPLANATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUSTAINED NUMEROUS BRUISES AND SWELLING. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. HAD ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY REPLACED. BATTERY LIGHT IS ON AND LIGHTS DIM CONSIDERABLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT RESULTING IN SOMETIMES SHUTTING DOWN COMPLETELY. HAPPENS DAY AND NIGHT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. A MECHANIC REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR; HOWEVER, THE LIGHT STILL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A MISFIRE ON THE #6 CYLINDER. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS ANTIFREEZE ENTERING THE MOTOR. THE MECHANIC ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL ISSUE WITH THE HEAD GASKET, WHICH WOULD COST BETWEEN $1,500-$2,500 TO REPAIR. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE IF THE CONTACT REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; THEREFORE, HE WOULD HAVE TO APPLY THE BRAKES INSTEAD. THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD COAST DUE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CONTACT ALSO EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM USING MORE GASOLINE THAN HE BELIEVED WAS NECESSARY. FOR ERRANDS AROUND TOWN, THE VEHICLE WOULD USE A HALF OF A TANK. THE HEADLIGHTS HAD A DINGY COLOR ON THE INSIDE. HE ATTEMPTED TO GET ANOTHER LENS CAP FOR IT, BUT COULD NOT CHANGE IT BECAUSE IT WAS PLASTIC. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER HEADLIGHT TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS CLOSE TO TEN YEARS OLD. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND SLIP INTO ANOTHER GEAR. LASTLY, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES DIMMING INTERMITTENTLY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,400.

I HAVE A 1999 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON. IN 2003 THE RLEFT REAR SEAT BELT WOULD SOMETIMES GET STUCK AND NOT RETRACT. I WOULD HAVE TO FEED THE BELT BACK INTO THE MECHANISM IN ORDER FOR THE BELT TO FINALLY WORK. AFTER DOING THIS FOR SOME TIME, I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER IN DECEMBER, 2003 AND PAID TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY REPLACED. IN 2006, I AGAIN HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELTS AND THE LEFT FRONT SEAT BELT. I AGAIN TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER IN DECEMBER 2006 AND HAD ALL THREE OF THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED. AT THE TIME I ASKED THE PERSON AT THE DEALER IF THERE WAS A RECALL OR ANYTHING ON THE SEAT BELTS SINCE THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN 3 YEARS THAT I HAD THE PROBLEM. THEY PRETTY MUCH IGNORED MY QUESTION. NOW I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON SEAT BELT MECHANISMS AND OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED BEGINNING IN 1999. WE DID NOT PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE UNTIL 2001. *TR