1993 Ford Taurus complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ALTERNATOR, AND THINKS PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. *AK *MJS

ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RISE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE ENGINE MOUNTS CRACKED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING A HEAVY RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS JUST STOPPED OPERATING. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

DRIVING ON CROWDED HIGHWAY IN 3RD LANE UPHILL WITH WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN IN CAR WHEN ENGINE HAD SUDDEN ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AND WHITE SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT EXHAUST. HAD TO GO THROUGH 2 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC TO MAKE IT TO BREAKDOWN LANE. ENGINE QUIT IN 1ST LANE WITH ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY. THEN HAD TO WAIT ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY FOR TOWTRUCK. EXTREMELY HEAVY WHITE SMOKE ALSO BLINDED CARS BEHIND US AND MADE IT TOUGH FOR THEM TO SEE. I FEEL HEAD GASKET SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 100K MILES MINIMUM AND SHOULD NOT FAIL SO CATASTROPHICALLY. UNDERSTAND THIS IS VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND FORD HAS A SECRET OWNER REPAIR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR CARS UNDER 5 YEARS/60K MILES. HEAD GASKET DEFINITALY SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 60K MILES. I ALSO FEEL THIS HIDDEN WARRANTY SHOULD BE EXTENDED AND THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT IN THIS ENGINE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION GEARS STARTED TO SLIP, AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF ACCELERATION. TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ONE EVENING IN A DOWNPOUR WHEN MY WINSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING SUDDENLY. THEY QUIT WHEN I WAS DRIVING THROUGH AUBURN, IN. ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A WAL-MART STORE AND BUY SOME RAIN-X. I DROVE INTO A SERVICE STATION WITH AN AWNING SO THAT I COULD DRY MY WINSHIELD AND APPLY THE RAIN-X. THE RAIN-X WORKED AS ADVERTISED. THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME SAFELY. MY WIPERS HAVE NOT WORKED SINCE.

WHEN ACTIVATING THE TURN SIGNALS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY BECOME INOPERABLE. *AK

WHEN TAPPING THE TURN SIGNAL HEADLIGHTS COME ON. ALSO THEHEAD LIGHTS COME ON WHEN THE SWITCH IS TURNED OFF. WIRING HAS OVERHEATED. MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED, AND PROBLEM NO LONGER EXISTS. *AK

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITHOUT MAINTENANCE RECORD BECAUSE IT WAS GOTTEN FROM AN AUCTION PER CARL AUTO SALES

THE HEAD GASKET HAS AN INTERNAL LEAK WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. COMMON PROBLEM PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. MJS

I DO NOT FEEL THAT EITHER OF THESE THINGS SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN CARS WITH OVER 100,000 MILES AND DID NOT SPEND THIS KIND OF MONEY AND TIME.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY FUNCTION ON LOW SPEED, AND IF THE TURN SIGNAL IS USED WHILE WIPERS ARE ON, THE WIPERS WILL STOP RUNNING. DEALER REPLACED MULTI FUNCTIONING SWITCH. *AK

NO SUMMARY

NO SUMMARY

WHILE USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THEM OFF, VEHICLE MUST BE TURNED OFF FRIST. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE IS EXCESSIVE SHAKING. DEAREL REPLACED MOTOR MOUNTS. BUT RROBLEM EXISTS AGAIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE WIPERS, THEY AGAIN WORK. *AK

WINDSHIELD WASHER:FLUID RESERVOIR MALFUNCTIONED, WATER NO LONGER COMES OUT FOR CLEANING WINDOWS. *AK

WHILE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ACTIVATED AND THE TURN SIGNAL IS IN USE, THE WIPERS SHORT CIRCUIT WHICH CAN POSSIBLE CAUSE VISUAL DIFFICULTY AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED WIPER SYSTEM, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE. TOOK VEHICLE TO HAVE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED. MECHANIC CHECKED VEHICLE & NOTICED THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. *AK

THIS APPARENT DEFECT CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD FOR MYSELF AND FAMILY, AS IT RENDERED THE AUTOMOBILE UNMOVEABLE DURING A RAINSTORM AND LEFT US STRANDED. I HAVE ALREADY HAD THE REPAIR MADE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE REPAIR BILL WAS $385.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FUNCTION, BUT THE SWITCH IS MALFUNCTIONING. IT SOMETIMES WORKS AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T AND THE WIPERS WILL SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY ONCE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THEM ON. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHILE I AM DRIVING AS VISIBILITY BEC

I JUST READ ON CNN.COM THAT 1993 FORD TAURUS'S WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR BEING PRONE TO INTERMITTENT WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE HAD EXACTLY THAT PROBLEM WITH OUR 1993 TAURUS. SO YOU CAN ADD OUR CASE TO YOUR TABULATION. THANK YOU.

VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE NOISE AFTER RECALL REPAIR (98V094000 / 98I002000). HOWEVER, THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF FAILURE PRIOR TO THE SAME RECALL REPAIRS. DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. *YC

MOTOR MOUNTS BUSTED WHILE PUTTING ON THE VEHICLE.WHEN DRIVING THE CAR THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE CAR WAS DRIVING OFF BALANCE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING ON GRAVEL ROAD, A HEAVY ACCUMULATION OF DUST WOULD ENTER VEHICLE WITH WINDOWS UP. WOULD GET INTO THE VENTILATION & ON EVERYTHING INSIDE. DEALER CAN NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE, CAUSING POOR DRIVER VISIBILITY, CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

SERPETINE BELT BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WAS DRIVING 65MPH WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED FOR NO REASON. HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 TIMES. BEEN TO DEALER & PLACED ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. INFORMED COMPUTER CHIP OR FUEL PUMP AT FAULT & HAD MALFUNCTIONED. QUOTED PRICE FOR FUEL PUMP. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE'S GEAR IS PUT INTO DRIVE THE VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD AS IF THE REAR END IS LIFTING UP. DLR HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD OPERATE WHILE IN A OFF MODE POSITION. WIPER / WASHER WOULD COME ON AT WILL. DEALER NOTIFED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY ARE AWARE, BUT NO CORRECTION TO THE PROBLEM CAN BE MADE AT THIS TIME. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT. *AK

I PREVIOUSLY REPORTED HEADLIGHT FAILURE DUE TO A SWITCH PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A RECALL, ID NUMBER: 98V009000, BUT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE, MANUFACTURED IN AUGUST 1992. THAT RECALL INVOLVES A CIRCUIT BREAKER. I THINK THIS RECALL ON THE CIRUCIT BREAKER IS MASKING ANOTHER PROBLEM, PROBABLY WITH THE SWITCH ITSELF. THE RECALL DESCRIBES THE LIGHTS "GOING OUT FOR BRIEF INTERVALS." I SEE THREE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS DESCRIPTION AND THE PROBLEMS I, AND OTHERS, HAVE EXPERIENCED. FIRST, THE INTERVALS ARE NOT NECESSARILY BRIEF. SECOND, THE LIGHTS MAY ALSO COME ON OR STAY ON WHEN THE SWITCH IS IN THE "OFF" POSITION. THIRD, WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THEY ARE MUCH TOO DIM. A REVIEW OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR THE 1993 TAURUS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE SHOWED MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. SO MANY, THAT I HAD NEITHER THE TIME NOR THE NEED TO REVIEW THEM ALL. I REVIEWED ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE COMPLAINTS AND FOUND 20 RELATING TO THE HEADLIGHTS. A FEW REFERRED TO THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OR A FAILURE TO HONOR THE RECALL. MANY REFERRED TO THE HEADLIGHTS GOING ON AND OFF, WHICH MAY BE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, OR IT MAY BE THE SWITCH OR SOME OTHER PROBLEM. SOME REFER SPECIFICALLY TO THE SWITCH, PROBABLY BECAUSE A MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM OR BECAUSE JIGGLING THE SWITCH CAN TEMPORARILY "FIX" THE PROBLEM, OR BOTH--AS IN MY CASE. AT LEAST TWO COMPLAINTS, NUMBER 507203 AND 510254, COMPLAIN OF POOR VISIBILITY. THAT IS, NOT LIGHTS OUT, BUT LIGHTS DIM. ONE COMPLAINT, NUMBER 53127, COMPLAINS THAT TH

WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, IT BACK FIRED / IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. AFTER DIAGNOSTICS WAS DONE, ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS FOUND TO BE BLOWN. ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS BEING REPLACED. *AK

NO SUMMARY

NO SUMMARY

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER DUE TO OVERHEATING. TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD BE INDICATING HOT (OVERHEATING). MECHANIC RULED OUT HEAD GASKETS, BUT DID REPAIR SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. FINALLY IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED DURING THIS TIME. DEALER / MANUFACTURER INDICATED OWNER SHOULD PAY. OWNER FELT MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY SINCE IT HAPPENED WHEN SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ACTIVE. *AK *YC

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE DIES OUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALSO VEHICLE JERKS. *AK *YC

WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

AT A SPEED OF 25-65 MPH THE CAR BEGINS TO JUMP AND JERK WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE GEAR ONCE SETTLED INTO GEARS THE PROBLEM STOPS.DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE BELT PARKWAY IN SLOW SPEEDS, TRANSMISSION ACTED NORMAL. AS I INCREASED SPEED, I FELT MY OVERDRIVE GEAR DROP OFF. DIAGNOSIS-FAILED DIFFERENTIAL GEAR(AND NEW TRANNY). BOUGHT CAR WITH BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY REPLACED. 5 MONTHS LATER--STILL WAITING. TOLD IT IS ON BACKORDER, YET IT IS THE MOTOR MOUNT!!

HEAD GASKET, RADIATOR AND INTAKE GASKET FAILED CAUSING LEAKING, COMPLETE VALVE JOB COMPLETED ALSO. MJS

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY

THE MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE IS TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. DEALER HAS REPLACED THEM TWICE. *YC WHEN THE MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE IN JULY, THE MOTOR FLEW UP AND BENT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD AND CRACKED THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT FORD FIX THE AIR CONDITIONER. *SLC

INITIAL FAILURE OF MOTOR MOUNT WAS IN THE FALL OF 1998 . THE MOUNT FAILED AGAIN IN JULY OF 1999. THE SAME PART HAS FAILED AGAIN AS OF AUGUST 18,1999. THIS IS 3 FAILURES OF THE MOTOR MOUNTS IN 10 MONTHS. THE MECHANICS WHO HAVE DONE THE REPAIR WORK HAVE STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WIITH THIS MODEL OF FORD TAURUS YEAR 1993. IF THE PROBLEM IS UNCORRECTED THE MECHANICS WHO WORKED ON THE VEHICLE STATED ENGINE COULD DROP AND SEVERE THE STEERING OF THE CAR. THIS FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED IN THE FIRST PLACE LET ALONE 3 TIMES!!!!! THIS COMPLAINT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE NHTSA AS IT IS VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR AND CAN BE A MAJOR HAZZARD IN THE OPERATION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER.

VEHICLE STALLED AT TRAFFIC SPEED OF 65 MPH. HAVE HAD 3 OTHER INCIDENTS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THREE DEALERS THUS FAR AND NO ONE WILL FIX THE CAR. I TOLD THE DEALERS THAT THE CAR ONLY STALLS AFTER TRAVELING APPROX 75 TO 100 MILES. NO DEALER HAS BEEN WILLING TO DRIVE THE CAR LONG ENOUGH TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CALLED FORD MOTOR CO. TWICE TO COMPLAIN AND GOT NO HELP SO FAR. DEALERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE DONE DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT CHARGED ME ANYTHING. DEALERS HAVE KEPT MY CAR ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 4 DAYS AND DONE NO REPAIRS WHATSOEVER. EVERY TIME A DEALER HAS HAD MY CAR, I HAVE HAD TO INITIATE ALL CALLS TO INQUIRE ON THE STATUS OF THE CAR. I GOT ONE CALL IN 4 DAYS FROM CLONNINGER FORD HERE IN SALISBURY. EVEN ON THE LAST DAY THEY HAD THE CAR, THEY DID NOT CALL AND TELL ME WHAT THE STATUS OF REPAIR WAS. (WHICH WAS NONE). I HAVE STRESSED HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO HAVE THE CAR STALL IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. WHEN I CALLED GERRY WOOD WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, I SPOKE TO MS. WOOD WITH MY COMPLAINTS. HER ANSWER TO ME? "THAT'S WHY PEOPLE STRIVE TO BUY NEW CARS RATHER THAN USED ONES." I POINTED OUT TO HER THAT THE CAR I BOUGHT ONLY HAD 42,000 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE AND THAT I HAD ALSO BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO COVER ANY NEEDED REPAIRS. HOWEVER, MY WARRANTY IS NO GOOD IF THE DEALERS WILL NOT TEST OR REPAIR THE CAR. SHE DID NOT SEEM TO CARE AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A RISK EVERYONE TOOK

SPEED CONTROL WILL DISENGAGE ON IT'S OWN OR WILL NOT ENGAGE AT ALL, AT ANY NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED. WINDSHIELD WIPER, INTERMITTENT CONTROL FAILS TO WORK AT MOST SETTINGS AND WILL USUALLY ONLY WORK AT HIGHEST INTERMITTENT SETTING. SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT WORK ON ANY SETTING, INCLUDING LOW SPEED OR HIGH SPEED. IF YOU CYCLE IT OFF AND ON, OR WIGGLE THE LEVEL, IT MAY RESUME WORKING, BUT ONLY AT HIGHEST INTERMITTENT SETTING, OR THE LOW AND HIGH SETTINGS. FAILURES OCCURS MUST OFTEN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED, OR THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER/DIMMER SWITCH IS OPERATED. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN OR SNOW, AND WHEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. TO SAY THE LEAST, MY WIFE HAS SCREAMED MORE THAN ONE TIME.

SINCE OCTOBER 1995 MY TAURUS HAS IRREGULAR FUNCTION OF THE FUEL AND/OR IGNITION SYSTEMS WHICH CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY, USUALLY DURING HOT WEATHER. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE JUST STOPS. OF COURSE, I LOSE THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS STALLING, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO A "VAPOR LOCK" PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS AT SLOW SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC. ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, IDLING THROUGH A PARKING LOT, AND SLOWING DOWN TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT HAVE ALL BROUGHT ON THIS UNSAFE SITUATION MANY TIMES. 100+ EPISODES IS A VERY LOW ESTIMATE OF THE TIMES MY CAR HAS BEEN DISABLED IN TRAFFIC UNTIL I CAN CHANGE GEARS TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE AND EXAMINED AT RIVERSIDE FORD AND PARKER AUTOMOTIVE IN MACON, GEORGIA WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT IN THESE MONTHS: OCTOBER 1995, JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST 1996, JULY 1997, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST AND OCTOBER 1998, JULY AND AUGUST 1999. DO YOU SEE THE HOT WEATHER PATTERN? WE HAVE REPLACED THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR ASSEMBLY, THE MLP SENSOR, THE AIR METER AND THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TUNED UP TWICE AND HAD THE FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED. I USE ONLY 89 OCTANE OR PREMIUM FROM A VARIETY OF GASOLINE VENDORS. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD FAILURES OF THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. I CHECKED EVERY ITEM OF THE ALLDATA DISC AND ASKED MY MECHANICS TO EVALUATE EACH POSSIBILITY. ON THE LAST VISIT TO RIVERSIDE FORD IN JULY 1999, WHEN I

STARTER FAILED. MJS

THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN CAUSING FAILURE. THE STATE INSPECTOR NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN THE BRAKES WERE TESTED. ENGINE WAS HITTING AGAINST THE INSIDE OF VEHICLE. HAD NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR AS PART OF A RECALL ON THE REAR MOTOR MOUNTS. *ML