Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →
AFTER 8 MILES NEW VEHICLE NEEDED TO TURN ROTORS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3000 MORE MILES ANOTHER SET WAS NEEDED. APPROXIMATELY EVERY 3000 MILES NEW ROTORS AND CALPIERS. PUT IN NEW SYSTEMS , DEALERSHIP CAN NEVER FIX DEFECT PROPERLY. UNCONTROLABLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS DEFECT CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS NOT TIGHTENED CAUSING SYSTEM TO SHORT OUT.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
WINDSHIELD SEAL FAILED RESULTING IN AIR LEAK.
FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS/PADS AND ROTORS MALFUNCTIONED. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE IDLING ROUGH AND BACKFIRING. DEALER REPLACED COMPUTER/COIL AND SPARK PLUGS AND CRANCASE SENSOR. DID NOT SOLVEPROBLEM. *AK
REAR BUMPER FAILED.
DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN DUE TO LATCH PROBLEM. YH
WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN AT ANY RATE OF SPEED THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE ALL POWER STEERING ABILITY WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION MODULE WHICH MAY HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
FRONT LEFT STRUT FAILED. MJS
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH WATER IN ROAD DUE TO RAIN OR FIRE HYDRANT BEING FLUSHED, VEHICLE MOMENTARILY LOSES PARTIAL POWERAND BELT BEGINS TO SQUEAL. *AK
DOOR HANDLE FAILED.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
ENGINE STALLS.
WHEN IT RAINS THE WATER FROM THE RAIN SHUTS DOWN ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL POWER STEERING. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER CAN NOT FIX. THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS WHEN IT RAINS AND THE WATER HITS THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND GOING OVER SOME WATER IN THE ROAD WHICH HIT THE POWER STEERING BELT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER STEERING CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS FAILED.
STEERING COLUMN FAILURE.
VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH DEER AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEFLATE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, DRIVER WAS INJURED (PARALYZED RIGHT SIDE).
TRANSMISSION LEAKS FLUID.
WINDSHIELD SEAL FAILED, CAUSING WIND NOISE.
DEALER SAID TOOL TO REPAIR RECALL PART COULD NOT BE LOCATED, CUSTOMER WILL BE LOCATED WHEN TO BRING VEHICLE IN.
REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. ALSO VEHICLE VIBRATES UPON APLYING BRAKES. *AK
RACK AND PINION FAILED DUE TO OIL LEAK.
WHENEVER DRIVING VEHICLE, RADIATOR COOLING (ANTI-FREEZE) WOULD OVERFLOW ONTO THE FAN SERPENTINE BELT DUE TO SLICKNESS OF COOLANT, WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF STEERING. MOVED TO SIDE OF ROAD TO LET COOLANT DRY ON FAN BELT & THEN WOULD PROCEED. *AK
DOOR LATCH FAILED.
PARKING BRAKE FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
THIRD STOP LIGHT CRACKED.
WHEN DRIVING OVER A PUDDLE, THE ALTERNATOR BELT GETS WET, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE STEERING POWER, AND THE VEHICLE STALLS. *AK *NLM
BATTERY FAILED.
EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILED.
RIGHT REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTING BOLT SNAPPED. *AK
AFTER MAKING A STOP THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE UNLESS THE GEAR SHIFT WAS MOVED AROUND. VEHICLE IS AT DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED. *AK
SCREECHING NOISE IN ENGINE. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE MAKE A HIGH PITCH WHISTLE SOUND.
THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN AT 25 MPH. DEALER REPLACED A CHIP IN TRANSMISSION. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
DRIVING ABOUT 35MPH WHEN POWER STEERING TIGHTENED UP SUDDENLY & WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE ;LOST STEERING CONTROL, TOOK TO DEALER TO LOCATE PROBLEM. SO FAR COULD NOT. *AK
DOOR HINGE ON CONSOLE BROKEN AND AIR CONDITIONER MAKE LOUD HUMMING NOISE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. STEERING LOCKS UP AND CAUSE CANNOT BE DETERMINED.
DRIVER CAN'T SEE THROUGH REAR WINDOW BECAUSE OF DEFROSTER AND SHAPE OF WINDOW. DEALER CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE DESIGN. *AK
STEERING IS STIFF MAKES NOISE WHEN TURNING.
VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES WHEN COMING OFF THE INTERSTATE, TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKES, THEY WOUDN'T WORK. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM JUST SHUT DOWN. *AK
THE STEERING BELT IS NOT PROTECTED WELL, AND WHEN DRIVING THROUGH WATER THE BELT GETS WET AND ALL STEERING POWER IS LOST. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO FIX PROBLEM AT THIS TIME BECAUSE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM MANUFACTURER. EXPECTING PART NEXT QUARTER. *AK
THE PARK PAWL IS BROKEN ON THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WILL ROLL FORWARD WHEN IN PARK. THERE IS A RECALL ON THE PART BUT HIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND THERE WAS A FIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH VEHICLE STALLS; ALSO, STALLS WHILE TURNING. DEALERSHIP NOTES POSSIBLE ENGINE VALVE COVER FAILURE. OWNER NOTES THAT WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED VEHICLE STILL WANTS TO DIE OUT. *AK
ANTI-FREEZE FUMES ENTER PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHEN HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER IS ON.
WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND ALL POWER STEERING IS LOST. *AK
HOOD LATCH: ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE HOOD ANT THE ENTIRE LATCH CAME OFF IN DRIVER'S HAND. *AK
THE POWER STEERING GEAR FAILED, CAUSING THE STEERING TO BIND ON RIGHT TURNS.
THE OWNER GOT INTO THE CAR AND STARTED IT UP AND PLAYED WITH THE RADIO WHEN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A VEHICLE COLLISION.
EVERYTIME THE CAR IS WASHED OR IT RAINS THE LOCKS LOCK UP UNTIL THE CAR DRIES. DEALER TRIED TO FIX IT AND FAILED. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Taurus → · Every Taurus year → · How the figures are calculated →