1998 Ford Taurus complaints

I WAS DISENGAGING CRUISE CONTROL WHICH WAS SET AT 62 MPH TO DEACCELERATE ON A DECLINE TO MANEUVER CURVES IN ROAD. I APPLIED BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT RESPOND. CAR ACTUALLY STARTED TO ACCELERATE RESULTING IN A CRASH AGAINST A GUARD RAIL. AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND RESULTED IN TWO INJURIES ALTHOUGH NOT SEVERE

DESIGN LOCATION OF THE STARTER IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE OIL FILTER RESULTING IN FIRE WHEN CHANGING OIL FILTER, ELECTRICAL SHORT FROM TOOL BURNED FILTER HOUSING AND IGNITED THE OIL STREAM. MJS

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BGAS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, ENGINE ACCELERATED, HIGH IDLE SPEED AND SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WOULD NOT BRING DOWN. HAD TO SHUT ENGININE DOWN. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, NO CODES. DLR SAID TO RETURN IF PROBLEM ARISES AGAIN.

SINCE MOVING TO EL PASO, TX, MY FORD TAURUS' A/C HAS BEGUN SPEWING OUT A VILE SMELL AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 30 MINUTES. WHEN I PARK AND THEN RESTART AFTER WORK, OR THE NEXT MORNING, A THICK MUSTY MOLD SPORE SMELLING CLOUD BLOWS THROUGH THE A/C VENTS FOR THE FIRST FEW MINUTES. MY WIFE REPORTS THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH HER '96 FORD TAURUS. FRIENDS WITH ALLERGIES CAN'T STAND RIDING IN THE VEHICLES. WHEN WE RETURNED TO KC, MO (PLACE OF PURCHASE) FOR A VISIT, THE SMELL SEEMED TO GO AWAY TEMPORARILY. ONE WE RETURNED TO EL PASO, THE PROBLEM CAME BACK WITHIN A WEEK. I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS A MOLD THAT IS INDIGINOUS TO THIS AREA THAT FINDS THE A/C VENTS A FURTILE BREEDING GROUND. THE SMELL HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY CASA FORD, BUT THEY FAILED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I COMPLAIN TO FORD "CUSTOMER CARE" BUT THEY DON'T CARE.

CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CONSUMER'S WIFE SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK

WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS SET IT ACCELERATES AL LEAST 15 MPH PAST THE SPEED IT WAS SET FOR. *AK

HEADREST DOES NOT COME UP HIGH ENOUGH TO PROTECT OCCUPANT IN CASE OF VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER SAYS IT'S PART OF DESIGN. *AK

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING WHILE DRIVING . VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK

NO SUMMARY

VEHICLE DOES NOT DECELERATE AFTER THE DRIVER HAS REMOVED FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL. DEALER SAYS THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING NORMALLY, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

INCONSISTENT SPEED CONTROL, VEHICLE WILL NOT DECELERATE, WILL PICK UP SPEED ON HILLS, ABSOLUTELY NO ENGINE BRAKING, REQUIRES EXCESSIVE USE OF BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT A SPECIFIC SPEED VEHICLE WILL EXCEED THAT SPEED BY 25 MILES. *AK

THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE IN PROXIMITY, CAUSING ACCIDENTAL SLIPPING ONTO PEDALS. MJS

TRUNK LID WILL NOT STAY UP WHEN OPENED. DEALER NOTIFIED,AND INFORMEDCONSUMER THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE SPOILER WAS THE CAUSE AND NOTHING ELSE WAS MENTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM... CONSUMER HAD THE TRUNK LID HIT HER IN BACK OF HEAD ON FOUR OCCASIONS. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATER OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . *AK

VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED FOUR INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION, ALSO HAS PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE CONTROL, DUE TO POSSIBLE (FUEL/THROTTLE/LINKAGES) FAILURE. MJS

GOING DOWNHILL WITH SPEED CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH, SPEED WENT UP TO 80 MPH. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CONDITION WAS STATED TO BE NORMAL. *AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO RESPOND TO ANY OF ITS FUNCTION. ALSO, BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTER FAILED; AND KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COAST INTO A TREE AND THEN FLIP OVER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

THIS PROBLEM REALLY HAMPERS MY NEED FOR SPEED. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE BACKING UP, RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES. MJS

POWER WINDOWS LOCK UP. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO GET THE APPROVED AIRBAG DISCONNECT SWITCH INSTALLED BY THE DEALERSHIP. MJS

FOLLOWING IS THE E-MAIL FROM A PERSON ASSIGNED TO THIS TAURUS: IT MIGHT BE ADVISABLE TO ALERT ALL DRIVERS OF NEWER TAURUSES TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A FUEL PUMP SHUT-OFF SWITCH LOCATED ON THE UPPER INSIDE WALL OF THE TRUNK. THIS IS INERTIA OPERATED, AND AN UNSECURED LOAD HITTING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRUNK CAN TRIP IT, SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. I HAD THIS HAPPEN YESTERDAY AS I TURNED OFF THE FREEWAY DOWN JAMES STREET. WITHOUT THE POWER BOOST ON BRAKES AND STEERING, I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR SLOWED AND INTO THE MUNI GARAGE. IF I HAD LESS STRENGTH IN MY LEGS, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION. ONCE THE SWITCH HAS BEEN ACTUATED, IT CAN BE RESET VIA A BUTTON ON ITS TOP, BUT ACCESSING THE TRUNK IN NECESSARY TO DO THIS.

THERE WAS A FIRE WITHIN THE TRUNK WHEN SLEEPING BAG CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER PUT THE FIRE OUT. HOWEVER, SMOKE CAUSED ALOT OF DAMAGE. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES "SPEED FLAIR", WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED AND BEFORE CONSUMER CAN ENGAGE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE SHOOTS FORWARD, UNABLE TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS, CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER VEHICLE WHEN THIS OCCURS. MJS

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE & SLID ON PATCH OF ICE & HIT A CURB. BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. NO INJURIES. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS DAMAGED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED IT DISENGAGED WITHOUT MANUAL OPERATION AND WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY PULLS TO THE LEFT, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THIS WAS DUE TO TORQUE. NLM

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE VEHICLE TOOK OFF IN REVERSE, CAUSING DRIVER TO SMASH INTO 3 OTHER CARS. OWNER EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM ON MARCH 26TH AND APRIL 29TH. THOSE INCIDENTS DID NOT RESULT IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

LOW SPEED BRUSH WITH RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAUSED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITH SUCH FORCE THAT RIGHT SIDE WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED. PASSENGER FRONT SEAT UNOCCUPIED.

THE VEHICLE WILL PICK UP SPEED BY ITSELF WITHOUTACCEKERATING, WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AS DRIVER WAS PUTTING VEHICLE INTO PARK RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING A WALL.

UPON TRAVELING AT 50 MPH RAN OVER A FENCE AND HIT A TREE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FENDER. DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

DURING ACCELERATION THE DRIVERS SEAT ( SPINE ) AREA MAKES NOISE. *YC

ALTHOUGH CRUISE CONTROL IS SET, THE CAR ACCELERATES WHEN GOING DOWN A HILL. ACCELERATION UP TO ADDITIONAL 15 MILES AN HOUR. DRIVER MUST BRAKE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN DESIRED SPEED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATES THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THEM, BUT THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. *AK

WE CONNECTED THE IMMERSIONBLOCK HEATER AT 9:00, MAR 2. AT ABOUT 8:30. MAR 3, WWE DISCOVERED OUR CAR HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED, THE FRONT END BEING DEMOLISHED: THE ENGINE BURNED TH ROUGH, MUCH OF THE FRONT END BEING MELTED. ROEN FORD PERSONNEL STATE THE CUASE TO BE "UNIDENTIFIED" BUT SUGGEST THE CAUSE MIGHT BE A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, PERHAPS THE BLOCK HEATER.

STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ORIGINALLY COMPLAINED OF A BRAKE CHIRP AT 3000 MILES. THE DEALER CUT THE ROTORS AND DRUMS. THE BRAKE CHIRP WENT AWAY BUT EVER SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL HAS VIBRATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEALER THEN BALANCED THE WHEELS TWICE AND HAD IT DONE TWICE AT OUTSIDE SHOPS. THE DEALER THEN REPLECED THE GENERAL TIRES WITH MICHELINS AND REPLACED THREE OF FOUR RIMS, ALL TO NO AVAIL. THE DEALER THEN CONTACTED FORD WHO SAID THE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE, BUT THEY ARE TRYING, AND HAVE CUSTOMER BE PATIENT. THAT WAS JULY 1998. SINCE THEN THEY HAVE REPLACED A SPRING IN THE STEERING SYSTEM AND CUT THE DRUMS AND ROTORS AGAIN. I STATED TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE DRUMS AND ROTORS REPLACED BECAUSE I FELT TWO CUTS ON A CAR LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WAS TOO MUCH. HE STATED FORD WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS BECAUSE THE ROTORS WERE TOO THICK AND THEY WOULD BILL THE DEALERSHIP IF THEY REPLACED THEM. SINCE I THINK THE ROTORS OR THE DRUMS ARE THE PROBLEM I THEN CALLED

CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE AT 9:00PM AND PLUGGED IN HEATER BLOCK, USING AN EXTENTION CORD DUE TO LOW TEMPARTURES TO KEEP OIL WARM OVER NIGHT. VEHICLE WAS USED AS A RENTAL CAR AT AIRPORT. CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 1998 AT DEALERSHIP-ROEN FORD-715-425-6122--660 N. MAIN ST. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR FIRE, BUT WILL GIVE CONSUMER REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. CONSUMER PLUGGED IN ENGINE BLOCK EMERSION HEATER APPROX. 9PM, 8AM THE NEXT MORNING VEHICLE'S FRONT HAD COMPLETELY MELTED, AND THE GARAGE WAS SMOKE FILLED. *AK

THE TRUNK HAS A SPOILER ON IT AND IT DOES NOT STAY UP WHEN LIFTED. THE TRUNK HAD FALLEN ON THE OWNER NUMEROUS TIMES. DEALER SAU\YS THAT IT IS NORMAL AND CANNOT BE FIXED. *AK

EXCESSIVE USE OF BRAKES REQUIRED WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS IN USE, PICKS UP SPEED WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS.

THE AUTO DOSN'T SLOW DOWN CORRECTLY. ON LEVEL HIGHWAY IT ONLY SLOWS TO 45MPH WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. MY 1992 FORD TAURUS DID NOT ACT THIS WAY. THE DEALER AND FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER SAY THIS IS NORMAL, BUT THE LOANER CAR ALSO A 1998 TAURUS DID NOT ACT THIS WAY. THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY HAZARD, WASTES GASOLINE, AND CAUSED THE BREAKS TO WEAR OUT FASTER. I WOULD BE WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE THE CAR TO YOUR DEPARTMENT IF YOU HAVE A LOCATION IN WICHITA, KS. ALSO, YOUR WEB SITE IS NICE AND USER FRENDLY. THANKS, STEVE WRIGHT

BRAKE PADS FAILED.

GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR FAILED.

SAFETY SEAT DOES NOT STAY FASTENED. MJS

NEEDS SERVICE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATING, COMPUTER CHIP MALFUNCTION. MJS

FUEL GAUGE FAILED. MJS

ABS BRAKES FAILED. YH

EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT NOT VISIBLE WHEN WHEEL IS TILTED AS (DESIGNED), THE RESULT CAR WAS DRIVEN SEVERAL MILES WITH EMERGENCY BRAKES ENGAGED. YH

ON TWO OCCASINS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM FAILURE CCAUSING GRINDING. *YC

THE DESIGN LOCATION IN WHICH A STARTER IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE OIL FILTER IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. YH