Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 041601 | 11/14/2005 | 05228 | 10018745 | Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt | 01/12/2006 |
| 18614 | 05/01/2005 | 10017916 | Surge, idle roll, rough idle only when the engine cooling fans are operating. *tt | 12/07/2005 | |
| 5255 | 12/01/1998 | 615372 | Some vehicles may exhibit contaminated / corroded coolant, high or fluctuating temp gauge, coolant odor, coolant overflow, blown or leaking hoses, blown head gasket, failed engine, and or lack of heat. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 4621 | 08/01/1998 | 615159 | Some vehicles may exhibit contaminated / corroded coolant, high or fluctuating temp gauge, coolant odor, coolant overflow, blown or leaking hoses, blown head gasket, failed engine, lack of heat. *tt | 01/02/2001 | |
| 5048 | 11/01/1998 | 613143 | Repeat message regarding contaminated / corroded coolant, high or fluctuating temp gauge; coolant odor, coolant overflow, blown or leaking hoses, blown head gasket, failed engine, lack of heat. *tt | 06/19/2000 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 01116 | 06/11/2001 | 622646 | Some vehicles may exhibit cooling system conditions such contaminated / corroded coolant; leaking / discolored coolant overflow bottles; vibration from engine; leaking heater core; coolant overflow; high temperature gauge readings, etc. | 10/22/2001 | |
| 98-4724 | 09/01/1998 | 607136 | Contaminated/corroded coolant, high or fluctuating temperature gauge. *ak | 11/02/2000 | |
| 98B23 | 08/17/1998 | 609563 | The owner notification program 98b23 contained incorrect labor allowance and coolant part number information | 04/04/2000 | |
| 98B27 | 08/01/1998 | 609564 | Coolant by-pass kit replacement on certain taurus vehicles. engines previously repaired with 98b18 service by-pass kit. | 04/04/2000 | |
| 98B23S1 | 01/01/1999 | 604845 | Installation of cooling system by-pass kit. *tt | 05/17/1999 | |
| 980305 | 04/01/1998 | 602158 | Vehicles experiencing coolant odor, coolant overflow, high or fluctuating temp gauge readings, blown or leaking hoses, blown head gasket, failed engine, and lack of heat. *yc | 09/23/1998 | |
| 98B18 | 04/01/1998 | 601219 | Owner notification program 98b18- cooling system by-pass kit installation. *ak | 07/08/1998 | |
| BC0252970201 | 01/02/1997 | 51085 | Uneven idle rpm, stall, rough running, surge, and/or spark knock when the cooling fans come on at a idle. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 031404 | 08/23/2004 | 04161 | 10011162 | Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. to include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04. | 01/06/2005 |
| 02221 | 11/11/2002 | 10008304 | Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj | 07/27/2004 | |
| 03141 | 07/21/2003 | 10003741 | In vehicle loctite service procedure for camshaft tube and gear. *tt | 10/29/2003 | |
| 870197 | 10/22/2002 | 10000592 | Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt | 03/25/2003 | |
| 15879 | 05/01/2002 | 637741 | Some sho vehicles may exhibit a ticking noise originating from the valve cover area. *tt | 12/04/2002 | |
| 01124 | 06/25/2001 | 622665 | On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt | 10/22/2001 | |
| 9811481 | 04/01/1998 | 613390 | Some vehicles equipped with 3.0l 4-valve engines may exhibit a customer concern of a moan noise at idle. *tt | 07/10/2000 | |
| 984984 | 11/01/1998 | 613024 | Some vehicles equipped with 3.0l 2-valve engines may exhibit a spark knock concern on acceleration. *tt | 06/16/2000 | |
| 98B26 | 08/01/1998 | 609565 | Cooling system by-pass kit installation on certain taurus vehicles equipped with 3.0l vulcan methanol engines. gasoline or ethanol engines are covered by owner notification program 98b23.*ak | 04/04/2000 | |
| 13180 | 09/01/1999 | 6090538 | Information regarding camshaft position (cmp) sensor alignment tool chart. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 6997 | 09/01/1999 | 6090310 | Some service manuals may list the incorrect camshaft position sensor alignment tool for vehicles with various engine sizes. *tt | 03/14/2000 | |
| 5518 | 03/01/1999 | 605190 | Information on servicing oil pan gasket leaks. *tt | 06/03/1999 | |
| 982514 | 12/21/1998 | 603652 | Concerns with the timing arrows/flags on the back of the camshaft sprocket (s) are mis-marked by as much as 30 degrees rotation. *yc | 03/01/1999 | |
| 982523 | 04/01/1998 | 603548 | Some engine valves may exhibit a customer concern of a moan noise at idle. *ak | 02/24/1999 | |
| 9874 | 04/13/1998 | 601343 | A new silicone gasket and sealant. *yc | 07/24/1998 | |
| 97090297181 | 09/02/1997 | 54067 | Some vehicles during wet weather conditions and/or when driving through puddles and /or the crankshaft pulley may be damaged. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| 9772 | 03/31/1997 | 51909 | Hesitation- on acceleration- vehicles with 3.0l 4-valve engine. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| BC1030097020 | 02/01/1997 | 51753 | Whistle or squeal noise in the engine compartment on 1997 vehicles built before 11/1/96 with the 2-valve engine. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| 97610 | 03/17/1997 | 51990 | Blower motor- chirping or squeaking from blower motor at low speeds. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| 9765 | 03/17/1997 | 51984 | Hesitation- on acceleration- vehicles with 3.0l 4-valve engine. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| BC1010297020 | 01/02/1997 | 51163 | Engines are equipped with a unique crankshaft pulley assembly which threads into the crankshaft damper using a left-handed thread. heating the crankshaft pulley will damage the rubber components. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| BC0180970201 | 01/02/1997 | 51048 | The crankshaft damper bolt, found underneath the pulley has a standard right and left hand thread. to avoid damage to plastic, avoid using heat. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 01246 | 12/10/2001 | 630515 | Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| 0214 | 01/21/2002 | 630001 | Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt | 04/11/2002 | |
| 01205 | 10/15/2001 | 627927 | Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt | 02/26/2002 | |
| 0147 | 03/05/2001 | 619424 | Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5w-20 motor oil. *tt | 05/30/2001 | |
| 14584 | 01/01/2001 | 617878 | Subject regarding flex fuel vechicle oil and fuel recommendations. *jb | 04/02/2001 | |
| 4636 | 08/01/1998 | 615174 | Diagnosing hard start / long crank condition. *tt | 01/03/2001 | |
| 4630 | 08/01/1998 | 615166 | Subject regarding general stalling concerns. *tt | 01/02/2001 | |
| 98-4803 | 09/01/1998 | 607211 | Some 1996-1998 taurus/sable vehicles with 3.0l 4-v engine may exhibit a concern of moan noise at idle. | 12/21/2000 | |
| 98-4735 | 09/01/1998 | 607149 | Hard start/long crank. | 11/02/2000 | |
| 11530 | 04/01/1998 | 613794 | When diagnosing crank / no start on certain vehicles equipped with passive anti-theft (pats) check the customers key ring for any magnetic objects like the mobile speedpass key which may affect the signal transmission between the pats key a | 08/03/2000 | |
| 8583 | 04/01/2000 | 613689 | Some vehicles may exhibit dtc p1518 and / or p1519, related to intake manifold runner control (imrc). *mr | 07/27/2000 | |
| 985065 | 11/01/1998 | 613201 | Repeat message regarding hard start / long crank condition. *tt | 06/19/2000 | |
| 12174 | 11/01/1998 | 613224 | Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start/long crank, cold start stall, cold rough idle concern. *mjs | 06/19/2000 | |
| 12079 | 11/01/1998 | 613057 | Vehicles may exhibit a buzz or rattle condition on a cold start or during a low rpm stead speed. *mjs | 06/16/2000 | |
| 99183 | 09/06/1999 | 6090051 | Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure. *tt | 03/06/2000 | |
| 99816 | 05/03/1999 | 606420 | Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt | 08/19/1999 | |
| 982112 | 11/01/1998 | 603675 | Some vehicles experience a hard start/long crank time condition. *yc | 03/01/1999 | |
| BC3205970214 | 02/14/1997 | 51805 | Concern of water ingestion in engine. *tw | 07/17/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| BC2224970501 | 05/01/1997 | 52768 | Vehicles may experience a knock or wop noise in the passenger compartment. *tw | 09/12/1997 | |
| BC1029897020 | 02/01/1997 | 51748 | Knock or wop noise from the engine compartment near the front of the engine. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 02183 | 09/16/2002 | 10008592 | Exhaust system y-pipe crack at the noise vibration harness bracket. *mj | 08/09/2004 | |
| 14856 | 04/01/2001 | 619333 | Some vehicles equpped with 3.0l 2v vulcan or 4v duratec engine may exhibit an exhaust rust-thru, weld fatigue condition between the two toeboard catalysts where a tie-in bracket is welded to the formed inlet pipe of the rear bank toeboard c | 05/23/2001 | |
| 982010 | 10/12/1998 | 603695 | Experiencing a buzzing or rattling noise from the exhaust system. *yc | 03/02/1999 | |
| 9864 | 03/30/1998 | 601312 | Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt | 07/21/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 981512 | 08/03/1998 | 609551 | A direct replacement part for the evaporative emission canister and bracket assembly. ak | 04/03/2000 | |
| 982310 | 11/23/1998 | 603724 | Mass air flow (maf)- sensor contamination- service tip. *ak | 03/03/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||||
| 985083 | 11/01/1998 | 613211 | Some vehicles (3.0l 4 valve only) may exhibit a catalytic converter buzz or rattle condition on a cold start or during a low rpm steady speed. *tt | 06/19/2000 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||||
| 15390 | 11/01/2001 | 630408 | Some vehicles may exhibit a check engine light and/or egr diagnostic trouble codes 332, p0401, p1407 (lackof egr flow). *tt | 04/17/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/02/2010 | 180000 | 1 | |
| I have a 97 ford taurus gl. the engine caught on fire and the burned rapidly. my family just made it out of the car. i managed to get it away from the house. the house suffered some heat damage. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 97000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford taurus. while driving 25 mph, the engine caught fire. the contact pulled over and exited the burning vehicle. the fire department was able to contain the fire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, but they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. there was no sign of lost oil or other fluids. the engine was replaced. the insurance company's investigation concluded that the cause of the failure was due to human error. the contact recently became aware of ford recall number 05s28 and she feels that this could be the cause of her engine fire. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was 97,000. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 1997 ford taurus with anti freeze leak. consumer states she had the cooling system flushed and they replaced the thermostat. dealer told her she needed the engine repaired and it would cost $300 or $400 dollars. *kb the consumer stated when the vehicle was returned to her, it was overheating. the dealer informed the consumer a campaign had been issued for engine corrosion. *jb | |||
| 08/23/2004 | 124851 | 1 | 07/31/1999 |
| When consumer was exiting the freeway engine check light came on and vehicle stopped. then, smoke started to come from under the hood, and vehicle started to make a noise. from that point on each time vehicle cut off, restarted, and moved a bit. afterwards, vehicle cut off and consumer restarted it until he got home. then, had it towed to a private mechanic, who told him that the sprocket came loose. mechanic attempted to repair the vehicle, but could not because the labor and parts would cost about $6000.00 - $8000.00. consumer told mechanic not to bother because he could not afford it. he had the vehicle towed back to his home. *ak the cam shaft was broken, 2 cylinders went bad, the transmission was affected, the vehicle would stall possibly due to the coil packs and the struts went bad. *sc | |||
| 06/23/2004 | 80000 | 1 | 04/05/2002 |
| 1997 ford taurus. car began rough idling at cold start. after warming up would run fine. took to mechanic twice. they did not know problem said it was safe to drive. car only had 80,000 miles on it at the time. car eventually started losing anti-freeze (not leaking, just turning up low every couple of days), exhaust fumes heavy, white smoke from exhaust, gas mileage terrible. i took to my uncle, a mechanic in another city and he knew what it was immediately. as i suspected, head gasket. will cost $800-1000 to repair. this is my second ford. other was a 1995 ford escort. after two transmissions and a cracked engine it died two years ago for good. i'm a sigle mom and this is only transportation. cannot afford a new car yet. but it will not be a ford when i can. ford has changed and is not the same as it used to be. ford does not care about the consumer. *ak | |||
| 03/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| Bought 97 taurus with 53,000 miles in 03-2001 at a dodge dealership, with extended warranty [chrysler 24/24]. took in for oil leak 3,000 miles after purchase. oil pan gasket repair work was said to be done. approx. 8,000 miles after that, i took car in again for oil leak and possible coolant leak. again gasket repairs were suppossedly done; no report or repair on suspected coolant leak. approximately 9,000 miles after that, car breaks down on fwy; will not crank/turn over. had car towed to same dealership; reported findings were: no coolant in radiator, coolant in oil basket, no compression. extended warranty expired 2 months prior to break down. they say the previous complaints aren't related to present problem. i feel the repair work each time i took the car in for service was incomplete, overlooked, or mis diagnosed. | |||
| 11/15/2002 | 0 | ||
| Transmission going out at such a low mileage, serpentine belt failure,cam sensor & false distributor shaft, & multi-functional switch in steering column | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 63941 | ||
| Service engine light will not turn off...transmission has been replaced and repaired and is now needing repair again...tires from normal wear...brakes from normal wear... | |||
| 02/02/2004 | 108000 | 1 | 11/19/2002 |
| While driving 15 mph consumer heard a noise coming from the engine compartment. consumer took vehicle to an independent shop ,who could not find the cause of the problem. consumer checked the vehicle, and determined that the motor mount bolts sheared off. *ak *la | |||
| 06/18/1997 | 54275 | 1 | 06/06/1997 |
| Premature engine and component failure due to faulty head gaskets. engine and transmission failed at less than 55,000 miles. | |||
| 02/01/2003 | |||
| The vehicle shut down due to a hole inside of plug of the engine compartment causing fuel to leak. please fill in additional information. dealer is aware of the problem. ph | |||
| 01/15/2003 | |||
| Vehicle jerks heavily and the engine light comes on. dealer has been notified. ph | |||
| 10/08/2001 | 0 | ||
| While traveling at about 65 mph vehicle made a funny noise, and temperature gauge went above high. consumer pulled over, and had vehicle towed. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| While traveling temperature gauge ran high ,vehicle overheated. gauge was replaced. week later vehicle overheated again. please provide further informaton. *ak | |||
| 09/14/1999 | |||
| Temperature gauge is going back and forward towards the hot section, and the vehicle is shifting very hard when driviing at any speed. *ak | |||
| 01/28/1998 | |||
| Vehicle never heats up. the temperature gauge never registers hot on the car. also, engine head gaskets blew out withouty prior indication or warning. incident occurred three times. dealer notified and aware of the problem. car with dealer and no information on diagnosis. right front grinding noise and steering gear was replaced. freeze plug lost. provide further information. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 03/14/2010 | 74000 | ||
| The plastic overflow bottle from the raditor keeps failing .i have replaced it 3 times in the past 4 years,was told at parts store they sell about 5 a month between the ford taurus and mercury sable,it is getting costley and ford has no answer. | |||
| 03/07/2008 | 123100 | 3 | 04/09/1999 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford taurus. the contact noticed a strong gasoline smell and noticed gasoline on the ground under the vehicle. the mechanic stated that three failures were present: the fuel tank, a coolant leak, and brake line corrosion. there were no warning indicators prior to the failures. the vehicle was repaired. the contact would like ford to reimburse him for the cost of the repairs, but they refused. the failure mileage was 123,100 and current mileage was 123,900. updated 04/02/08. *lj | |||
| 10/24/1998 | 25229 | 7 | 05/11/1998 |
| Vehicle has a major problem with cooling and heating system.*mr five months after purchase the heater became defective. at this time the vehicle was under warranty for consumer absorbed not cost. the failure occurred six times over the past years. the episode became more unsafe and extremely inconvenient. on july 26,2003 the defective radiator sprung a leak. consumer stated ford should recall the vehicle and should be given another vehicle at a big discount price in 1999. *ph *nlm | |||
| 07/14/2003 | 128500 | 1 | 02/01/1999 |
| 1997 ford taurus - 3.0l v6 ohv type u tensioner puller seized up while driving on highway - result: serpentine belt sheared off the tension pulley assembly. pulley and belt needed to be replaced, engine overheated due to water pump not running because no belt was operating the pump due to the tensioner pulley seizing. mechanics stated that they have to replace this item on the 3.0 l v6 engine and subsequent damage to other items within the engine compartment on 4 to 5 cars per week. (the brake shop - centerville, in). *ak | |||
| 03/20/2003 | 1 | ||
| The engine coolant reservoir over flowed. *nlm | |||
| 08/10/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2097 | |
| We were driving on the freeway when the car began to lose power. we were close to an off ramp, and exited. at that time, the temperature gauge started to climb, and the engine stopped. we had the car towed to a garage near our home. an engine core plug had failed, the resultant lose caused the engine to overheat, and damage the head gasket. we had to replace the engine for $3900. i have contacted ford motor company, but they state that there is no recall for this engine problem, so i am sueing them in small claims court. dt | |||
| 09/14/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2098 | |
| Driving down freeway, car overheated, then stalled, then wouldnt start. the engine was blown, head gasket blown and there was water in the oil. have extended warranty thru universal and they are not honoring warranty. was never informed on the cooling recall. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| The coolant is leaking from underneath the vehicle. the engine has rusted and the water pump is warped. the dealership is aware of the problem.*jb | |||
| 05/01/2002 | |||
| The car slams into 1st gear from 2nd when slowing down, also when you put the car in reverse from the parked position, and sometimes from park to drive. the coolant resevior looks as though someone filled it with mud. | |||
| 07/19/2002 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| Engine coolant turned brown and supposedly corrosive due to so-called poorly designed cooling system. this caused my timing cover to begin leaking and my head gasket and engine to fail while on our family vaction in seattle. i have noticed numberous other complaints regarding this problem in your files and was wondering if there is any recourse that can be taken. i am looking at a bill of approximately $4,0000 to replace the engine. please suggest any action that i can take to recover all or part of this cost from the manufacturer. | |||
| 05/15/2001 | |||
| Coolant is leaking onto motor. dealer has inspected and repaired vehicle; however, problem has reoccurred. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 02/18/2002 | 1 | 07/14/1997 | |
| While traveling on highway and without prior warning vehicle was leaking anti freeze from underneath the hood. dealership was aware of problem.*ak dealer found freeze plug had rusted out, dealer stated that this condition was a defect, manufacturer denies any claim. *tt | |||
| 01/24/2001 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 06/01/2001 | ||
| Ford provided a no-charge service program, number 98b23 to owners of 1996 and 1997 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with a 3.0l engine. the purpose was to check the cooleng system and install a coolant by-pass kit. this program was eligible through february 28, 1999, regardless of mileage. only first owners were contacted. my daughter as 2nd owner was not. she gave me the car in june,2001 and neither one of us had an inkling of the coolant problem. my car engine blew with no warning. we are lucky to survive the incident. ford doesn't want to hear about the incident. all they can say it's out of warranty. this is a potentially dangerous problem with this vehicle. i think it should be investigated. the public should be aware of the design flaw so they could take care of it before it causes a serious accident. i would like to be contacted to hear from you if anything can be done about this.thanks. *ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2001 | |
| We were driving on a busy freeway when the engine failed and completely stopped . we had no prior knowledge that the car had a cooling system problem. my daughter gave me the car so i would have a safe vehicle to drive. she owned it for the 3 years prior. bought when it was a year old. was never notified of a recall or adjustment for the cooling system by a kit provided by the ford company.the ford co. has an extended warranty to 100000 miles on their ford taurus 3.8 engine but not this 3.0l although the same problem exists, blown head gaskets, cracked heads, etc. would appreciate some help. this at least my 4th form i filled out trying to get an answer from you. can i expect one or am i just blowing in the wind? lillian c. carson. *ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 1 | ||
| No summary listed for abover vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/08/2001 | 0 | ||
| While traveling at about 65 mph vehicle made a funny noise, and temperature gauge went above high. consumer pulled over, and had vehicle towed. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 08/30/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Check engine went on and engine stopped accelerating, reservoir emptied, dealer says out of warranty. *ak | |||
| 07/21/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1997 | |
| The car had about 35,000 miles on it when purdhased it, factory warranty was carried over to us as the new owners. soon after the sale of the car to us, ford came out with a brown coolant recall, which ran until september 1999. all owners of these 1997 taurus were supposed to be notified of the recall by mail. if notified car owners brought their cars in during this time period, the ford dealers would correct the problem at no cost to the owner. ford motor company never informed us of this recall. it was not until she brought the car into north bay ford (in santa cruz, ca) to repair a cracked coolant holding tank on july 19, 2000, that she was told of the required recall work need on her ford taurus, but the work was no longer covered under a warranty payment program and the cost was now the owners problem and there was nothing the ford dealer could do about it. at this time we paid the bill, which was over $500. the brown coolant recall program was required because of a design error in the routing of the cooling system hoses into and out of the dash heater coil and the proximity of the hoses around the engine exhaust manifold. the result was that this problem caused the coolant to turn into brown mud from excessive rusting of the engine block. we never experienced any over heating problems with the car until the coolant tank began leaking. now, because of the excessive rust in the coolant, a galvanic reaction develops with freeze plugs in the engine block. the dealer insisted on changing the plugs, but he only changed 2 of the 4 plugs. the job also included a complete engine flushing to remove all the old rusty coolant. on july 7, 2001, brown coolant began running out onto the ground for the second time which required another $500 to repair. ford motors will not do anything to cover the cost of there engineering error. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| A recall for brown coolant had been performed on the car in december of 1998. the brown coolant from what i understand now was rust. the dealership replaced two freeze plugs, however the plugs used are not the same as the original. the new plugs were held on with a clamp. it turns out that the rust was already in the coolant system and after two and a half years and approximately 30,000 miles later the clamp rusted out and the coolant poored out of the car which in turn caused the cylinder to crack and burn two head gaskets. apparently their recall was a bandaid that didn't heal the wound and only caused further damage over time.*ak | |||
| Sand from casting process is inside cooling system. ford has issued a tsb on this problem. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 06/08/2001 | 11/01/1998 | ||
| I notices there are several complaints regarding a cooling system problem. i too have an issue with brown rusted coolent that caused the head gasket to fail. i was told today that it will cost aproximatly $5000.00 to repair. they want to replace the engin, radiator, heater core, water pump, etc. the service manger at the dealer said that this is caused by poor cooling system design that causes a rust build up and the eventual blown head gasket. since this is an obvious design flaw with many accounts listed on the nhtsa, i would like an investigation and the possible recall by the manufacturer (ford). | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 4 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Coolant discolorated( rusty and brown) goodyear mechanic explained it was what is called brown death caused by engines not being properly processed at foundry(possibly left sand and metal shavings inside engines. engines overheats, coolant runs out freeze plugs blow out thermostat locks up water pump fails temperature gauge doesn't register that its overheating | |||
| 05/13/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Noticed brown coolant during maintenance. had some problems with overheating about two weeks prior. notified manufacturer, was told out of warranty, no recalls, not a wide spread problem. took to non-dealer shop. found leaking head gasket. replaced head gaskets, thermostat, coolant overflow container, and anti-freeze. resurfaced cylinder heads. performed cooling system flush. during routine maintenance at ~50,000 miles noticed brown coolant again. | |||
| 08/01/1999 | |||
| Water pump failed. during inspection and repair a rust colored fluid was noticed to be contaminating coolant system. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 0 | ||
| Coolant fluid shot out of radiator onto engine and vents, and mist appeared all over passenger's compartment. took to dealer, and dealer replaced radiator and hoses. five months later, water was leaking from bottom of vehicle, took to dealer, and they said it was related to heater core recall. dealer they replaced heater core pump assembly and core assembly. 14 months later, radiator started leaking. dealer said it was part of the same recall, but they were going to charge consumer.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2000 | 5 | ||
| Afraid to drive car, don't know when to expect next failure. no contact from manufacturer, do they care?no safety defect listed. *ak | |||
| 01/29/2000 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| Engine coolant system corroded turning brown. changed coolant, radiator assy - remmoved, expansion coolant removed - replaced at 27473 miles and recently changed coolant at 33322, still corroding. failure with power tran, gear change problem, overhualed power tran at 33290. received bad service at galpin ford. galpin ford did not honerd my warranty, had to call ford to enforce the warranty. galpin ford refused to fixed the coolant problem, galpin ford left off the cap on the radiator , while i was driving notice it and did report to galpin ford. *ak | |||
| 06/20/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| No safety defect listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 02/09/2000 | 1 | 02/09/2000 | |
| Consumer was not aware of the recall prior to purchase, vehicle denied recall repair due to time restrictions. (98b2) *mjs | |||
| 05/05/2000 | 2 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Engine coolant is turning brown. changed coolant at 20,000 miles and recently changed again at 45,000.shoud not be happening on a 97' vehicle. | |||
| 04/13/2000 | 2 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Heater core failed after 4 times and 2nd engine failed. cooling problems never found.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 3 | 12/01/1998 | |
| The problems with my taurus are the result of the poorly designed cooling system of the 1997 model. a cooling system bypass kit was introduced by ford. i am trying find out whether or not a recall was done. in the last 4 months, starting nov. 1999, three freeze plugs have blown. the ford service mechanic says this is due to the acid build up in the corroded coolant in the cooling system due to the poorly designed cooling system. so far the head freeze plugs, the block freeze plugs, the water pump, the thermostat, and the overflow tank have been replaced because of corrosion at a cost of $800. after the last repair of the block freeze plugs and water pump, within 30 miles of driving the head has either cracked or warped, or the head gasket has blown. i have an estimate of $1211 to diagnose and repair (if no head cracks). i have been told that it is enivitable that the transmission freeze plug, radiator, and heater core will fail. the only way to guarantee proper running condition would require a rebuild and replacement of radiator and heater core at a cost of $4500. ford has been apathetic about my problems. in this site, i have found complaints of similar problems due to the cooling system corrosion. complaints of blown heads and leaking heater cores. i feel ford should remedy my problem in some way. please contact me i you can help me. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| While traveling temperature gauge ran high ,vehicle overheated. gauge was replaced. week later vehicle overheated again. please provide further informaton. *ak | |||
| 08/15/1999 | |||
| Received manufacturer recall notice 98b23/engine cooling system. dealer refused to honor notice because vehicle was not in computer, but correct vin # was on notice. can nhtsa help in this matter or provide information on this matter. *ak | |||
| 11/18/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| 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 | |||
| 02/19/1999 | 8 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 09/23/1998 | 1 | 05/28/1998 | |
| Recall repair work on the brown coolant was not completed as stated by dealership. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 08/07/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Service engine light went on, engine over heated, no coolant left in resevoir. no leaks? let cool and filled with 5 quarts of coolant. light stayed on. drove to ford dealer for diagnostic test. report back was coolant contaminated with hydrocarbons (used gas). dealer believes head gasget blown or cracked block. recommend replace with long block. approx $4800. asked dealer about alldata service bullitan 97-24-16 and extrapolating to the 3.8l extended warranty. dealer said no. never recieved notice of coolant problem they said out of warranty. need help. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 23882 | 6 | 05/01/1998 |
| 1997 taurus heating system failed. this was caused by a failure in the radiator. *ts ***no answer required*** the radiator failed. *jb | |||
| 10/24/1998 | 25229 | 7 | 05/11/1998 |
| Vehicle has a major problem with cooling and heating system.*mr five months after purchase the heater became defective. at this time the vehicle was under warranty for consumer absorbed not cost. the failure occurred six times over the past years. the episode became more unsafe and extremely inconvenient. on july 26,2003 the defective radiator sprung a leak. consumer stated ford should recall the vehicle and should be given another vehicle at a big discount price in 1999. *ph *nlm | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 66 | 05/11/1998 | |
| Reimbursement request for repairs performed on defective radiator. *mr there was one front tire separation with a knot, and the radiator was inoperative. (bridgestone weatherizer) *scc *jb | |||
| 10/01/2001 | |||
| Radiator leaks water and cannot be driven. dealer has yet to be contatced. please provide further details.*ak | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 4 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Coolant discolorated( rusty and brown) goodyear mechanic explained it was what is called brown death caused by engines not being properly processed at foundry(possibly left sand and metal shavings inside engines. engines overheats, coolant runs out freeze plugs blow out thermostat locks up water pump fails temperature gauge doesn't register that its overheating | |||
| 05/13/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Noticed brown coolant during maintenance. had some problems with overheating about two weeks prior. notified manufacturer, was told out of warranty, no recalls, not a wide spread problem. took to non-dealer shop. found leaking head gasket. replaced head gaskets, thermostat, coolant overflow container, and anti-freeze. resurfaced cylinder heads. performed cooling system flush. during routine maintenance at ~50,000 miles noticed brown coolant again. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 119000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns 1997 ford taurus. the contact stated as he was driving at 65mph the cam shaft fail. the cam shaft slipped into the motor where everything just shuts down. the warning light illuminated and then the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was told he had to replace the motor. the failure mileage was 119,000. | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 124851 | 1 | 09/01/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 60 mph, the check engine light illuminated, then smoke came out from under the hood, and the vehicle began to decelerate. a mile later, the engine stalled, the vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed liquid dripping from the engine compartment. the vehicle was restarted and was driven to the contacts residence. then, the vehicle would start, but not move. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who determined the sprocket that holds the timing chain came loose and the engine needed to be replaced. | |||
| 02/24/2006 | 14000 | 2 | 02/04/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to apply brake pressure at 65 mph the brakes went to the floor. when hitting a bump the brakes bounce and the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection. the mechanic replaced the front and rear brakes and the engine light sensor. the manufacturer was alerted. | |||
| 01/11/2006 | 87734 | 2 | 07/17/1996 |
| Oil pan gasket leaking and replaced on 6-15-02 at 51070 miles under e.s.p oil pan gasket leaking again on 1-11-06 at 87734 miles total cost paid $428.75. *nm | |||
| 02/28/2005 | 141000 | 1 | 06/20/2001 |
| My fiancee's head gasket is blown on her 1997 ford taurus (spelling). is this normal because the mechanic that we went to said oh i bet i know what is wrong with this car. i bet the headgasket is blown. how long is this head gasket supposed to last. she only has 140,000 miles on her car and does regular maintanence on it.*ak | |||
| 07/08/2003 | 39343 | 1 | 10/22/2002 |
| Service engine soon light came on (2nd time) first time ford dealership did full transmission flush($125) to see if corrected problem. two months later (on long drive), warning came on again. took to dealership and said it was a transmission code that needed the transmission dropped to determine cause ($300). they told me that (even though the transmission was working ok) that the transmission was having a complete and total failure. all parts and components were either scorched or failed when tested and recommended a total rebuild ($2862) or purchase a ford rebuilt one ($2756). i said this was unacceptable for a car with 39,400 miles on it. they said they could do nothing and i contacted ford motor company. they sounded interested but would not back up their product due to being out of warranty. (so much for the quality one - customer care moto). reading other complaints this is a very common problem in the ford taurus over the years. we had a 1994 taurus that had transmission problems to the tune of $1,100. needless to say this is my last ford product and they wonder why people by foreign vehicles!. when i told the dealership to put the car back together that i can get a rebuilt transmission from 2 other transmission sources (used parts for $1400) or new rebuilt parts for $2030), they then said let me see if there is any last thing my management will do of course when put on the spot to lose business and respectability they lowered their price to $2281 for a ford rebuilt one. i am still concerned since a lot of others say they had failures with their 2nd one too! it comes with a 3/36,000 warranty. i cannot believe that this day and age that the consumer should be responsible for the total repair costs when known defects occur. a safety recall should be looked into as some transmissions have separated and locked up causing immediate stoppage of vehicle like slamming on brakes.*ak | |||
| 09/18/2002 | 1 | ||
| The frost plugs in the engine block failed catastrophically due to internal corrosion. this caused rapid loss of nearly all coolant from the engine. the loss of coolant caused the engine to overheat, the head gasket to fail, and the heads to crack. within ninety seconds, the engine shut down and consumer was left without power. *jg | |||
| 09/18/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2097 | |
| Re: 1997 taurus 3.0 vulcan - frost plug corrosion and head gasket blown!. *ak | |||
| 09/14/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2098 | |
| Driving down freeway, car overheated, then stalled, then wouldnt start. the engine was blown, head gasket blown and there was water in the oil. have extended warranty thru universal and they are not honoring warranty. was never informed on the cooling recall. *ak | |||
| 09/18/2002 | 1 | 06/01/2097 | |
| Catastrophic failure of head gasket while traveling at highway speed. caused total failure of electrical power systems inhibiting braking and steering making control of the car difficult and endangering driver, passengers and surrounding vehicles.*ak | |||
| 07/21/2002 | 1 | 11/01/2099 | |
| Cam gear failure, car stalled at 40 mph in traffic, lost all power, ford motor company has been notified, unwilling to admit any problem with camshaft gear, and will not help with repair bills. 100 documented cases of cam gear failure can be found at www.v8sho.com. *ak | |||
| 04/15/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the vehicle stopped running. the sprocket on the camshaft had come loose which threw off the timing/pistons, hitting a valve, and destroyed the engine. contacted dealer. *ak *scc | |||
| 07/19/2002 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| Engine coolant turned brown and supposedly corrosive due to so-called poorly designed cooling system. this caused my timing cover to begin leaking and my head gasket and engine to fail while on our family vaction in seattle. i have noticed numberous other complaints regarding this problem in your files and was wondering if there is any recourse that can be taken. i am looking at a bill of approximately $4,0000 to replace the engine. please suggest any action that i can take to recover all or part of this cost from the manufacturer. | |||
| While standing still at light and without warning vehicle shutdown and became inoperable. dealer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 06/30/2002 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| While driving heard a noise and vehicle cut off, which was as caused by cam failure. *ak *tt | |||
| 06/15/2002 | |||
| Piston cracked, causing vehicle to have a late acceleration and could cause an accident. cause unknown. dealer will be contacted.*ak | |||
| 04/24/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2098 | |
| This is a failure of the secondary sprocket on the camshaft of my 1997 taurus sho. this to me seems to be a manufacturing defect the camshaft is attached to the cam by splines which under the stress of the engine spin un the cam which throws off the timing and destroys the engine. ford knows of this problem and asked the people of v8show.com to send them some cams so they can test them. i am an owner that owes $6000 on a vehicle which is completly out of order sitting in my garage because i do not have the extra money anywhere between 5000 and 15000 to fix it. 5000 is for a used engine wth 50,000 miles on it. 15,000 is the cost of a new engine from ford. please help in anyway you can. *ak | |||
| 11/17/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving at approximately 70 mph engine lost all power, and there was a ticking noise coming from engine compartment. dealership examined vehicle, and determined that camshaft failed, and the engine had to be replaced. please provide any additional information / documentation.*ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2001 | |
| We were driving on a busy freeway when the engine failed and completely stopped . we had no prior knowledge that the car had a cooling system problem. my daughter gave me the car so i would have a safe vehicle to drive. she owned it for the 3 years prior. bought when it was a year old. was never notified of a recall or adjustment for the cooling system by a kit provided by the ford company.the ford co. has an extended warranty to 100000 miles on their ford taurus 3.8 engine but not this 3.0l although the same problem exists, blown head gaskets, cracked heads, etc. would appreciate some help. this at least my 4th form i filled out trying to get an answer from you. can i expect one or am i just blowing in the wind? lillian c. carson. *ak | |||
| 10/12/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| Camshaft secondary sprocket failed, spinning on the camshaft tube causing the engine to stop instantly when the valve and pistons tried to occupy the same space in the combustian chamber. new replacement engines are not available for this vehicle, only salvage units. rebuilds, if possible on this model exceed $4800 at the very least! i have been informed while performing some research on this problem that it is a common problem for this motor according to a local ford dealership.*ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 06/01/2001 | ||
| This is a known issue to the ford motor company. they have known for a long time of the head gasket in their 3.0 engine problem and refused to admit it. in researching the engine i found that there is a secret extended warranty to 100,000 miles for this problem if the engine has major damage which mine did.*ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2001 | |
| Car is in shop having 2 cracked heads replaced. mechanic was advised to keep all parts for further investigation. the ford taurus 3.8 engine has an extended warranty because of head gasket failure. the ford company told me that the 3.0 engine was built in atlanta ga. and there were no recalls on it.the alldata service bulletin 97-24-16 issued 11-24-94 said to simply extrapolate the 3.8l engine for the warranty extension on the 3.0. we almost had a bad accident because the engine died with no warning on a busy freeway. if it is a ingition modular problem also i don't know at this time. i feel this veh engine should have lasted more than 91,334 miles. if ford has a problem with the engine it should be acknowledged before anymore breakdowns occur.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| Camshaft makes a ticking sound that is not at all normal. *ak | |||
| 08/07/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Service engine light went on, engine over heated, no coolant left in resevoir. no leaks? let cool and filled with 5 quarts of coolant. light stayed on. drove to ford dealer for diagnostic test. report back was coolant contaminated with hydrocarbons (used gas). dealer believes head gasget blown or cracked block. recommend replace with long block. approx $4800. asked dealer about alldata service bullitan 97-24-16 and extrapolating to the 3.8l extended warranty. dealer said no. never recieved notice of coolant problem they said out of warranty. need help. | |||
| 05/27/2001 | 1 | 11/01/2000 | |
| The rear camshaft sprocket broke requiring the engine to be replaced. the cost of the used engine was $2000 and the cost to replace the engine was $2100. ford was contacted and refused to repair or contribute to the repair cost. i understand this problem is becoming widespread. | |||
| 06/08/2001 | 11/01/1998 | ||
| I notices there are several complaints regarding a cooling system problem. i too have an issue with brown rusted coolent that caused the head gasket to fail. i was told today that it will cost aproximatly $5000.00 to repair. they want to replace the engin, radiator, heater core, water pump, etc. the service manger at the dealer said that this is caused by poor cooling system design that causes a rust build up and the eventual blown head gasket. since this is an obvious design flaw with many accounts listed on the nhtsa, i would like an investigation and the possible recall by the manufacturer (ford). | |||
| 03/05/2001 | 1 | 03/31/1997 | |
| There is a fuel smell in passenger's compartment due to oil leaking from oil pan.*ak consumer states the smell is so bad it makes her sick to her stomach. *slc | |||
| 02/25/2001 | |||
| Head gasket blew out, leaving it inoperable. please provide any additional information. *ak | |||
| 01/31/2001 | |||
| Midas repair shop found head gaskets had blown. vehicle started heating up/ choking, and white smoke was coming out tailpipe. manufacturer's reponse was that they weren't aware of problem, and no recall was issued.*ak | |||
| 05/13/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Noticed brown coolant during maintenance. had some problems with overheating about two weeks prior. notified manufacturer, was told out of warranty, no recalls, not a wide spread problem. took to non-dealer shop. found leaking head gasket. replaced head gaskets, thermostat, coolant overflow container, and anti-freeze. resurfaced cylinder heads. performed cooling system flush. during routine maintenance at ~50,000 miles noticed brown coolant again. | |||
| 08/28/2000 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Engine head gaskets have blown. dealer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 08/18/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving white smoke came out. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and mechanic said that it would need a new engine, consumer felt it was too soon to have a new engine.*ak | |||
| 07/06/2000 | 1 | ||
| Bought 97 ford taurus used. noticed brown coolant after purchase (mar 00). car began overheating in summer, resulting in blown head gasket requiring extensive engine work. radiator was determined to be bad, required replacement to tune of $2300 for total repair. have since learned that recall of product has been out (98b23) due to faulty cooling system and a cooling system bypass kit should have been installed (was not). after work was done, engine overheated again two weeks later (1 aug 2000). i have seen many complaints about this, and ford has not been any help at all; the dealership just wants my money and more costly repairs. *aky | |||
| 1 | 05/19/2000 | ||
| Rear motor mounts are worn out. but under warranty, and dealer will not replace mounts until they break. *ak owner would like to know if other vehicles of the same make or models have pemature breakdown of motor mounts. *yh | |||
| 05/19/2000 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| While freeway driving, the car died. no warning lightsor any other visable problems. towed to nearest dealer and were told the engine was blown and could have another for 5,500.00. towed the car home and found the cooling resivore was cracked and had empitied all coolent. we find from ford motors that this was a recall item, and we were never notified. *ak | |||
| 12/27/1999 | 1 | ||
| The pulley that drives the belt froze and fell off causing the power steering, the alternator, water pump and battery failures. yh | |||
| 07/01/1998 | |||
| Camshaft position sensor,i ordered a new one awhile back and 4 comp were out of them. i thought it was odd,so i assumed that maybe there would be a defect with them. *ak | |||
| 03/23/2000 | 10/01/1999 | ||
| The front freeze plug between cylinder 4 and 5 blew or fell out caused by compression from the head gasket, new engine required, ford unresponsive. *ak | |||
| Engine mounts broke, causing the engine to rise within the engine compartment. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 08/20/1999 | |||
| Engine heads cracked, causing sudden loss of power, scoring of engine cylinders requiring replacement of entire engine | |||
| 01/28/1998 | |||
| Vehicle never heats up. the temperature gauge never registers hot on the car. also, engine head gaskets blew out withouty prior indication or warning. incident occurred three times. dealer notified and aware of the problem. car with dealer and no information on diagnosis. right front grinding noise and steering gear was replaced. freeze plug lost. provide further information. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine mounts deteriorated. | |||
| 2 | |||
| Head gaskets failed twice. | |||
| 10/07/1998 | 06/11/1998 | ||
| Transmission/oil pump drive failed. | |||
| 09/25/1998 | |||
| During a routine oil change attempted to remove oil filter with wrench, wrench came in contact with wires near the starter motor, alot of sparks came out and burn marks were left on the oil filter, dealer has not been contacted. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 11/17/2001 | 1 | 07/09/2001 | |
| While in motion the service light illuminated and then began to flash. *jg | |||
| 08/30/1999 | 18 | 10/01/2097 | |
| Idle speed will increase while driving resulting in sudden unexplained high idle/acceleration rate (idle speed increases from 600-800 rpm to 1500-2000 rpm) that makes stopping difficult. in addition, with this high idle the car will make a sudden surge when brake is released. car has been to dealer over 18 times, dealer and ford are aware of problem, have changed numerous parts but were never able to find actual cause. ford refuses to make replacement and/or repurchase offer other than what dealer will offer as minimal trade-in value if i purchase a new ford. dt | |||
| 10/13/2002 | 1 | 05/01/2099 | |
| Cam sprocket failure could have been prevented by being notified by ford. ford has know of the problem and should have notified owners as there is aprocedure to remedy this problem. by not welding the cams engine failure accurs causing excessive damage to engine. preventive welding for $ 500.00 corrects the problem. i now have to replace total engine at a cost of about $6,00.00 for salvaged motor. dt | |||
| 08/29/2002 | |||
| Cam failure; apparently rotated relative to camshaft. occured at light tip in under 45mph, under 3200 rpm. engine started missing, (running on 4 cylinders) and loss of power brakes. engine started overheating while driven 1/2 mile to find parking lot. dealer estimated costs at $3000 - $9000. dt | |||
| 08/10/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2097 | |
| We were driving on the freeway when the car began to lose power. we were close to an off ramp, and exited. at that time, the temperature gauge started to climb, and the engine stopped. we had the car towed to a garage near our home. an engine core plug had failed, the resultant lose caused the engine to overheat, and damage the head gasket. we had to replace the engine for $3900. i have contacted ford motor company, but they state that there is no recall for this engine problem, so i am sueing them in small claims court. dt | |||
| 08/10/2002 | |||
| Engine is ticking. took vehicle to dealer ,and stated that motor needed replacing. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 04/15/2002 | 1 | 11/01/2098 | |
| This failure has happened to atleast 100 of the 20,000 taurus sho vehicles manufactured it is only a matter of time before it happens to all of them. ford has done nothing to resolve this defect or bad design problem becasue there has not been any loss of life. it is only going to be until there is some unsuspecting mother and child that dies from losing control of the vehicle on an expressway when this happens. then maybe ford will try to rectify the problem. please do what you can to force ford to rectify the problem before the loss of life has occured. not only will ford not fix there mistake but they have the only parts to repair these vehicle and have set the price to puchase these parts at an outragous amount. $1000 for a new cam. $500 for a gasket set $12000 for a new engine.*ak | |||
| 07/19/2002 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| Engine coolant turned brown and supposedly corrosive due to so-called poorly designed cooling system. this caused my timing cover to begin leaking and my head gasket and engine to fail while on our family vaction in seattle. i have noticed numberous other complaints regarding this problem in your files and was wondering if there is any recourse that can be taken. i am looking at a bill of approximately $4,0000 to replace the engine. please suggest any action that i can take to recover all or part of this cost from the manufacturer. | |||
| While stopping at a light and without any indication vehicle would stall. dealer has been contacted. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| Screw in engine sheared off, causing engine to overheat. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | 08/23/1997 | |
| Check engine light illuminated. | |||
| 11/20/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle stalled at 70 mph. dealer determined that head gasket blew, and engine needed to be replaced.*ak *yh | |||
| 05/15/2000 | |||
| While driving vehicle suddenly jerked forward and then stalled out. have contacted dealership.*ak | |||
| 11/10/2001 | 2 | 06/01/1997 | |
| This is the second blower motor to need replacing. *ak | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Vehicle experiencing problems with engine. *tt | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | 08/23/1997 | |
| Check engine light illuminated. | |||
| 07/01/1998 | |||
| Engine has caught on fire. dealer has yet to be contacted. please provide further details.*ak | |||
| 08/17/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| The engine failed due to spontaneous overheating while at hjighway speed.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2001 | |||
| Consumer has problems with engine when vehicle reaches speeds above 35-mph enigne will stall. this is an intermittent problem. has not contacted dealer.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Engine is knocking as consumer accelerates with speed. *ak transmission have been replaced twice in 37ooo miles. front wheel bearing failed at 15000 miles. rotors failed at 24000 miles. *yh | |||
| Was driving vehicle when suddenly engine blewout. there was no prior warning. would have water coming out of freezing plug. took to dealer, and mechanic replaced engine.but, problem still exists. engine has been replaced 5 times, and problem was getting worse.*ak | |||
| 06/13/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| I own a 97 ford taurus that likes to ping. it started in 1998 and at the start of a cross country trip, went away, but came back. i took it to a dealer in tacoma wa, and was told that they cleaned a cylinder and that the owners manual says that light pinging is ok. they blew me off. i moved to fort knox, ky and the whole trip it lightly pinged. i put on over 5,000 miles in less than a month so it isn't carbon. used name brand fuel the whole trip. it got to the point here that i took it back to ford and was told by ford, that ford has this pingingproblem in all their engines. v-6 to v-8 and in diff. vehicles. he had just replaced a 4.0 liter that day. . he wouldn't help me because i was out of warranty by 3 months, have 37,000 on the ford and i didn't have enough documentation on the problem. i work with a guy who owns a 98 taurus with the same problem. i have changed fuel brands and octane ratings and it doesn't go away. there are times when it takes a few hours of driving to start acting up, but it is there. hills, steady driving, city driving, it doesn't matter. i am worried that i will eat an engine and ford will tell me oh well. can you shed any light on this ford known problem? thank you for your time. | |||
| 06/16/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| The engine failed with no warning. at 55 mph, engine lost power, overheated with no indication from temperature gauge and quit. brown crap spewed from the radiator. lost all fluids. diagnostics revealed engine heads were cracked and the compression test was low on two cylinders. a new engine was required. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 2 | 12/20/1997 | |
| While driving through a water puddle, the vehicle and driver experienced an approximate 4-5 second loss of power steering and the alternator light came on. *ak *ml | |||
| 3 | |||
| In cold weather engine idles high. dealer has seen vehicle 3 times, and replaced sensor on engine. problem still exists. *ak | |||
| Engine operates roughly. *ak | |||
| 08/03/1999 | 1 | 03/09/1999 | |
| Vehicle stalls almost resulting in collision. however, the sensor & transmission was replaced to prevent failure, however continued to experience failures. *yc | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| 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. | |||
| 08/03/1999 | 1 | 03/09/1999 | |
| Vehicle stalls almost resulting in collision. however, the sensor & transmission was replaced to prevent failure, however continued to experience failures. *yc | |||
| 09/26/1999 | 6 | 07/01/1998 | |
| 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 | |||
| 09/21/1999 | 4 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Engine stalls whenever i hit a water puddle of any size reguardless of speed. dealer says they can't fix. | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| Intermittent operation on low and high speed settings- dealer did not repair after complaint. problem occurs with relative frequency. | |||
| 07/18/1999 | 1 | 08/13/1997 | |
| Engine caught on fire, most likely caused by the fuel regulator--fuel leaked onto the manifold. *ak *ml | |||
| 12/17/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Stall, rough idle, ignition missing. wiring replaced, but vehicle continues to run rough. dealer check fuel system but no problem found. unable to determine cause via diagnostics. this problem has existed and grown worse with this vehicle since purchased in 04/98 at @17000 miles. | |||
| 06/05/1999 | 3 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Many problems since purchase, very disatisfied, car was not checked out prior to sale, car was missing basic fluids, car had lights out which i was ticketed for, car was running horrible needed brakes, also needed what was thought to be a tuneup but car continued to run horrible which looks to have turned out to be engine problems which led to replacement of engine. *ak | |||
| While driving in traffic or into intersections vehicle will completely shut down, cause unknown. dealer cannot identify problem. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 05/18/1999 | 2 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Engine shut down at idle - waited 1 minute then restarted. *ak | |||
| 05/15/1999 | |||
| While traveling vehicle would stall without prior indication. *ak | |||
| 10/05/1998 | 5 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Four dealer visits have not corrected engine problem, factory refuses to help. *ak | |||
| When the vehicle is in stop and go traffic it stalls. the dealer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 06/12/1997 | 1 | 05/21/1997 | |
| Engine noise continually. | |||
| 1 | 11/30/1996 | ||
| Engine fire during collision due to leak. | |||
| While driving vehicle through puddles vehicle freezes. there is no power, engine shuts off after vehicle has cleared puddle, power resumes. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 07/14/2003 | 128500 | 1 | 02/01/1999 |
| 1997 ford taurus - 3.0l v6 ohv type u tensioner puller seized up while driving on highway - result: serpentine belt sheared off the tension pulley assembly. pulley and belt needed to be replaced, engine overheated due to water pump not running because no belt was operating the pump due to the tensioner pulley seizing. mechanics stated that they have to replace this item on the 3.0 l v6 engine and subsequent damage to other items within the engine compartment on 4 to 5 cars per week. (the brake shop - centerville, in). *ak | |||
| 09/03/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2001 | |
| A/c compressor seized causing drivebelt failure and loss of steering, alternator, and power brakes. *ak | |||
| 4 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| This problem is with taurus, sable & windstar, it can not be repaired...now what? no safety defect listed. *ak tsb 98-9-4 was issued regarding this problem, the corrective action being to replaced the front end accessory drive belt. *slc | |||
| 03/01/1997 | |||
| While driving either in rain or over a puddle of water and making a right hand turn , water will get into the serpentine belt, causing loss of power steering for about 30-60 seconds . there is no guard or shield to protect belts from getting wet. ford claims they cannot fix defect. *ak *ml | |||
| 05/04/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| The ignition tension pully froze up and caused the belt to come off and the motor to overheat. the motor overheated this one time that i know of and cause all the alluminum in the moter to warp, basicly ruinning the motor. the car was shut down with in 3 min i did not know what was wrong. the extended warranty that i purchased from the dealership would not cover the parts damaged due to overheating, eventhough a covered part caused motor to over heat. thank you. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Alternator failed, serpentine belt failed. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 01/11/2006 | 87734 | 2 | 07/17/2000 |
| Service engine light on code#430 and #340. told by pacifico ford i have an emission failure and i need 2 catalytic converters and a cam sensor and cam synchronizer on 1/11/2006 at 89044 miles. the dealer replaced the #2 cam parts under warranty on 11/04/2002 at 55616 miles. *nm | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 1 | 05/01/2097 | |
| Cam sensors are being replaced in the 1997 ford taurus models; since they are related to the the firing of the engine it will cause the emissions to increase and should therefore be covered under the 8yr/84000 mile law. dt | |||
| While driving exhaust fumes came into the vehicle. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 08/12/2004 | 124000 | 1 | 02/01/2004 |
| Speedometer would stop operating and vehicle would stall after driving two miles. vehicle had been to several repair shops. each mechanic could not determine the problem. they informed consumer that it might be the catalytic converter or the oxygen sensor . *ak | |||
| 06/26/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Sensor failure. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 42800 | 1 | 05/01/1997 |
| Catalytic converter rattling inside. replaced by dealer | |||
| 12/25/1998 | |||
| Recalls 97v097000/96v166000; while driving the rpm's went up, zoomed up, and the car died, coasted to the side and parked. dealer contacted, and stated the vehicle did not comply with the recalls. provide further information. *ak | |||
| 05/17/1998 | 1 | ||
| Whenever stopping or starting the vehicle, it would rumble/ vibrate and shake badly. took to dealer to have vehicle checked. was told that the catalytic convertor had to be replaced. the problem of vibrating and rumbling still exists. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 03/22/2003 | 64834 | 1 | 06/09/1997 |
| The service engine soon light came on and was diagnosed at a local auto parts store with code 402 that showed excessive flow in the egr system. i removed the egr valve and tube from the engine and inspected the components. the egr valve was extremely clean and did not show any leakage through the valve when it was closed. the tube leading from the exhaust manifold to the egr valve was also extremely clean. the battery was disconnected to reset the indicator light. two days later, the indicator light illuminated again. the vehicle was taken to clarke ford in hudson, ohio for repairs. the vehicle was tested by a mechanic who found the same results. i was charged for two labor hours for replacement of the dpfe sensor and trouble shooting. i told the dealer that i wished to keep the old parts. when i reviewed the old part with the mechanic, excessive corrosion was present in the hose of the sensor. the mechanic and service writer informed me that ford no longer manufactures the sensor from metal and the replacement is plastic to prevent the corrosion. the service writer proceeded to show me the print out that displayed the replacement information. i had been to clarke ford on two consecutive days before this automobile was serviced to schedule the appointments for service on two vehicles and to drop the vehicles for servicing. while i was speaking with the service writer, no less than 5 other customers received the same news of a bad dpfe sensor. the service writer informed me that this failure was very common. i feel that this situation needs further investigation since the problem appears to be so widespread and has a new style replacement part to fix the corrosion problem. *jb | |||