1997 Ford Taurus complaints

BEFORE PARKING THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL. WHILE PARKED, SMOKE CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH, THEN FLAMES WERE COMING OUT, POLICE OFFICER PULLED THE FUSES/ BATTERY AND THEN FIRE WENT OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

SHIMMY IN STEERING COLUMN DURING BRAKING INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDED REPAIR. PADS REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED AT 55000. STEERING COLUMN WOULD "GROAN" INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURNED TO RIGHT AND THEN RETURNED TO CENTER. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDING REPLACEMENT. WOULD NOT PERFORMA UNDER WARRANTY. CAR ONLY HAD 58,000 MILES (WAY TOO SOON!)

TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ROUGHLY INTO GEARS. *SLC

VEHICLES TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM

SURGE AT STEADY SPEEDS EVEN WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON ALSO WHEN SETTING AT A RED LIGHT

WHEN APPLYING THE GAS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE. THE DRIVER HAS TO KEEP FOOT ON GAS PEDAL UNTIL THE VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. IN MARCH OF 1999 VEHICLE ACTED UP AGAIN. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER, CLAIMED TRANSAXLE FAILED. TALKED TO OTHERS WHO CLAIMED THAT VEHICLE HAD A CRACKED PINION GEAR. CALLED DEALER SEVERAZL TIMES. BUT DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING EXHAUST FUMES CAME INTO THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS AND CUTS OFF CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER DUE TO TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. *AK

HEATER CORE WENT OUT, CAUSING COOLANT FLUID TO LEAK AND ODOR/ FUMES GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE PARKED. OWNER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT & BLACK SMOKE ESCAPED & THEN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED & PUT FLAMES OUT. GAVE NO INDICATION OF ORIGIN OF FIRE. INSURANCE INSPECTOR CHECKED VEHICLE & INDICATED A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK

ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM CORRODED EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN FLUSHED JUST PREVIOUSLY, CAUSING A CYLINDER HEAD/HEAD GASKET TO CRACK REQUIRING $1,600 IS REPAIRS TO THE OWNER. VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY UNDER A WARRANTY, SO OWNER IS HAVING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS THAT HE FEELS ARE THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. OWNER WAS ADVISED BY SERVICE ATTENDANT AT FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS JUST LIKE THIS WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. IF THE COOLANT SYSTEM IS NOT FLUSHED A CERTAIN WAY, WHICH THE OWNER HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING, THE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED HERE WILL OCCUR. IF IT IS BAD ENOUGH, SERVICE TECHNICIAN INFORMED OWNER THAT IT MAY RESULT IN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. *AK

PASSENGER'S SEATBELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. DEALER NEEDS TO REPLACE THE SEATBELT RETRACTOR. *AK

STEERING EXHIBITS GROAN OR SHUDDER WITH SOME LOSS OF ASSIST WHEN RECOVERING FROM A RIGHT TURN. FORD HAS ISSUED OVER 10 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS MATTER. DEALER AND FORD MOTOR CONTACTED. FORD MOTOR TOOK INFORMATION AND INDICATED THAT NO ASSISTANCE WILL BE OFFERED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. REPAIRS ESTIMATED AT $500. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER ASSIST IN RECOVERING FROM A TURN WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK

VEHICLE ACTS AS IF IN PARK, THOUGH IT SHIFTS TO ALL GEARS- CAR DOESN'T MOVE. CAR LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING IN MIDDLE OF A TURN. OUT OF WARRANTY BY 3 WEEKS, BUT IN ON MILEAGE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER UNWILLING TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY.

CONTACTED FORD SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM HAD TO HAVE MOTOR REPLACED DUNLAP FORD FROM BELLEFONTE WERE VERY RUDE. THEY DID AN UNSATISFACTORY JOB AND TOOK SEVERL WEEKS TO COMPLETE THE JOB. THEY INSTALLED A SMALLER ENGINE THAN ORIGINAL. I FEEL I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR AT LEAST A LITTLE OF THE COST OF 2500.00 . CONTACTED THE DEALER, WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, THE SALESPERSON NO LONGER WITH ANY FORD COMPANY IN THE VICINITY. IT WAS AN EXECUTIVE VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED WITH 22,000 MILES. FIRST OF ALL THEY SAID IT ONLY HAD 12000 WHEN PICKED UP CAR IT ENDED UP WITH 22,000. THE SALES PERSON THEN STATED THAT IT HAD A 3 YEAR 60,000 MILE WARRANTY FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. WHEN CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS THEY SAID NO WAY.

THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. THIS CAUSES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO STAY ON, AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT LOCK WHEN USING THE POWER LOCK BUTTON WHEN THIS OCCURS.

THE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED BY MY FATHER, RAY ZUMWALT, IN NOVEMBER 1997 AND I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM HIM JUNE 19TH ,1999. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS MAY 1999 WITH APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES ON THE CAR, TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP IN DALLAS, TEXAS. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILED 10,000 MILES LATER , ON 10/15/99 AND WAS REPLACED BY PRITCHETT FORD IN ALBANY, GA. THE CAR WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEARLERSHIP.

TIRE ON REAR SIDE OF VEHICLE WAS SPLIT, CAUSING A ROUGH RIDE. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, COMPLAINING THAT SPEEDODOMETER WAS DEFECTIVE, IT DIDN'T SHOW HOW FAST VEHICLE WAS GOING. *AK

TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN FIRST GEAR WHEN STARTING COLD, OCCASIONALLY SLIPS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS OR ACCELERATING RAPIDLY. DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM, BUT SLIPPING CONTINUES. *AK

NO SUMMARY

THIS VEHICLE QUIT ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS TOWED BACK TO OUR SHOP. THE FUEL PUMP FUSE HAD BLOWN. THE WIRES TO THE FUEL PUMP INSIDE THE FUEL TANK HAD BEEN RUBBING AGAINST A HOSE CLAMP AND HAD SHORTED TOGETHER. FORD DOES HAVE A TSB CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. THE NUMBER IS 98-25-1. IT CONCERNS ME THAT THE WIRES ARE SHORTING OUT IN THE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE ENVIRONMENT OF THE INSIDE OF A TANK FULL OF FUEL AND VAPOR. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS ONLY COVERED BY A TSB AND NOT A RECALL.

SEATBELTS DO NOT RETRACT CORRECTLY AND LOCKUP AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES. DEALER AND FORD MOTOR WERE CONTACTED AND ADVISED US THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??? THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED WITH THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (THROUGH TRAVELERS) AT ADDITIONAL COST -- SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS NOT COVERED. WE'RE SCREWED. ESTIMATE OF OVER $400 TO CORRECT BY DEALER. PRESENTLY LOOKING AT AFTERMARKET ALTERNATIVES TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE FORD COMPONENTS. NOT CERTAIN WHETHER "GENUINE" FORD PARTS WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM AS THEY MAY HAVE THE SAME NET RESULT.

ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RISE WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. ALSO, THE FUEL TANK DID NOT SHUT OFF. *AK

HAD TURNED VEHICLE OFF & PARKED IT. WENT BEHIND VEHICLE. CHILD IN VEHICLE & RELEASE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE. VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING FORWARD & DOWN A HILL. HIT A NEIGHBOR'S VEHICLE. NO KEYS IN VEHICLE AT TIME. *AK

ENGINE HAS STALLED AGAIN GOING THROUGH A SMALL PUDDLE. THIS TIME AT 2MPH. I'VE ALREADY CHECKED RECALL, CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND THEIR ARE OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU OR I CAN DO. READING REPORTS NOT GETTING ME ANYWHERE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. CAR CAN'T HANDLE ANY WATER ON ROAD AND DEALER CAN'T REMEDY. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS

WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THEIR REPAIR OF MY TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER, I AM TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR FOR THIS MYSELF. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? THEY BREAK IT, I PAY FOR IT TO BE FIXED. THIS IS FORD QUALITY IS JOB1 AT ITS BEST.

ABS PUMP FAILURE DEALER ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR $ 1,500.00. FORD REFUSED ANY FINANCIAL HELP WITH THE PROBLEM

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, HAD A MECHANIC RUN COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS, CODES P0734 & P0761 READ ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. MECHANIC TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION AND SAID IT DID NOT HAVE 4TH GEAR AND RECOMMENDED IT BE REBUILT. I HAD CONTACTED 2 FORD DEALERS BEFORE I KNEW THAT IT WAS A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THAT NOTHING WOULD BE COVERED BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 1,000 MILES. I THINK THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. I CONTACTED JASPORS THE MANUFACTURER OF TRANSMISSIONS AND IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT A CLIP OR SELONOID IS BREAKING AND THEY HAVE DONE 6 UPDATES TO THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION. A TRANSMISSION EXPERT SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE COMPELETLY REBUILT. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR UNTIL SOMETHING TRIGGERED THE ENGINE LIGHT. ONE DEALER OFFERED MY TO SELL ME THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE THEY WOULD COVER IT. I HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR WHICH IS OPERATING AS IT ALWAYS HAS AND TRYING TO DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.

ENGINE STALLS WHENEVER I HIT A WATER PUDDLE OF ANY SIZE REGUARDLESS OF SPEED. DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T FIX.

WHEN TURNED ON HIGH SPEED WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ON AN INTERMITTENT SPEED. IF TURNED ON LOW THE WIPERS DONT WORK AT ALL. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

REQUESTED DEALERSHIP TO CHECK TRANSMISSION AT TIME OF PURCHASE, FELT THAT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY, WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG.

TRANSMISSION FAILED & NOW WHEN CAR IS IN PARK AND NEUTRAL YOU CAN DRIVE IT, WHEN YOU PUT IT IN REVERSE,O DRIVE & DRIVE IT WILL NOT MOVE, AND CANNOT TAKE OUT OF GEAR, THE BAD PART IS THE CAR ONLY HAS 38185 MILES.

VEHICLE WAS IN A COLLISION CAUSING BOTH AIRBAG'S TO DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. REPLACEMENTS WERE DONE AT OWNERS EXPENSE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS GOING BACK AND FORWARD TOWARDS THE HOT SECTION, AND THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING VERY HARD WHEN DRIVIING AT ANY SPEED. *AK

STRESS CRACK ON FRONT WINDSHIELD.

LOWER BUSHINGS, SPACERS, BOLTS.

BATTERY.

VEHICLE STALLS ALMOST RESULTING IN COLLISION. HOWEVER, THE SENSOR & TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TO PREVENT FAILURE, HOWEVER CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE FAILURES. *YC

HORN WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE DEALER IS CHARGING OVER $300. *AK.ET.

THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM HEATER COIL BROKE, CAUSING A CHEMICAL ODOR INSIDE OF VEHICLE & A MIST. HAD BEEN TO DEALER AT LEAST 8 TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM & EACH TIME THE HEATER COIL WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ENGINE TO CORRECT THE HEATER COIL FROM BLOWING. *AK

ENGINE HEADS CRACKED, CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, SCORING OF ENGINE CYLINDERS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE ENGINE

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A "POPPING" NOISE (SIMILAR TO KNUCKLES BEING CRACKED) EVERYTIME A LOW SPEED TURN TO EITHER SIDE WAS MADE. SOUND SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM DIRECTLY UNDER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NOISE OCCURRED PREDOMINANTLY WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING OUT IN THE HOT SUN OR WHEN IT HAD BEEN RUNNING AND WAS HOT. WOULD NOT HAPPEN IN COOLNESS OF THE MORNING. TWO ATTEMPTS TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM BY A FORD DEALER RESULTED IN THEM HAVING NO IDEA WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. THE THIRD TIME A MECHANIC DROVE IT AND PINPOINTED THE "SUBFRAME INSULATORS". THEY ORDERED NEW ONES, INSTALLED THEM AND CHARGED ME FOR IT. NOW LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LATER, THE NOISE IS STARTING AGAIN. SAME LOCATION. I WAS TOLD TWICE BY THIS DEALERSHIP AND ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP, THAT THIS WEAR WAS NOT INDICATIVE OF BAD DRIVING HABITS OR DAMAGE AND THAT IT WAS NOT "A SAFETY ISSUE" IT IS HOWEVER, VERY ANNOYING AND UNNERVING TO HEAR THE SOUND NEARLY EVERYTIME THE CAR MAKES A SLOW SPEED 90 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT.

WIPERS AND FLUID WORK INTERMITTENTLY. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IT'S OBVIOUS WHEN IT RAINS AND WOULD CONSIDER IT A SAFETY HAZARD. PLEASE HELP!

INTERMITTENT OPERATION ON LOW AND HIGH SPEED SETTINGS- DEALER DID NOT REPAIR AFTER COMPLAINT. PROBLEM OCCURS WITH RELATIVE FREQUENCY.

FAULTY WIRING IN THE HARNESS CAUSING THE DOOR ADJAR LIGHT TO REMAIN ON WHEN TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 80 DEGREES AND MALFUNCTIONING OF THE POWER DOOR LOCKS MECHANISM. MJS

ALL OF A SUDDEN, CAR STARTED JERKING SPEED DROPPED AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE.

ALTENATOR WENT BAD AT ONLY 38,989 MILES. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY DUE TO ALTENATOR DRAINING IT.

ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY THE FUEL REGULATOR--FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE MANIFOLD. *AK *ML