Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | ||||||||||||||||
| 97V097000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 11/24/1996 to 03/01/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 100000 | 06/30/1997 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 06/09/1997 | 06/17/1997 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with ax4s automatic transaxles. the low/intermediate servo cover can separate from the transaxle while the vehicle is being driven. if this occurs, transmission fluid will leak contacting the catalytic converter. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The catalytic converter temperature may be hot enough to ignite the transmission fluid and cause a vehicle fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect the transmission and replace these servo covers. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification:owner notification began june 30, 1997.owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393. | |||||||||||||||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | ||||||||||||||||
| 96V166000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 08/01/1996 to 08/28/1996 | V (Vehicle) | 40000 | 09/23/1996 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/05/1996 | 09/23/1996 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. this would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin september 23, 1996.note:owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 17358 | 08/01/2004 | 17963 | 10008183 | Groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector is in park with the vehicle parked on an incline. *tt this bulletin updates previous bulletin 17358, dated 11/01/2003 to include 2005 models. *tt | 07/22/2004 |
| 15370 | 11/01/2001 | 630351 | Some vehicles may exhibit a groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector is in park. *tt | 04/16/2002 | |
| 15392 | 11/01/2001 | 630356 | Some vehicles may exhibit a park pullout clunk noise when shifting from park to another gear position. *tt | 04/16/2002 | |
| 12178 | 11/01/1998 | 613234 | Information regarding tsb 98-5a-12 (transaxle/transmission/transfer case-vehicles towed behind recreational vehicles-recommended guidelines) does not list towing information for certain model vehicles. *mjs | 06/19/2000 | |
| 9943 | 03/08/1999 | 604751 | Information regarding reprogramming powertrain control modules (pcms). *tt | 05/11/1999 | |
| 97111097237 | 11/10/1997 | 53663 | Concerns with harsh engagements and harsh shifts with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) 628, p0741 and/or p1744. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 99152 | 07/26/1999 | 608431 | Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt | 01/05/2001 | |
| 0015 | 01/10/2000 | 612203 | Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs | 06/06/2000 | |
| 983112 | 02/23/1998 | 607407 | Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent neutral condition after driving and coming to a stop. *tt | 09/22/1999 | |
| 9888 | 04/27/1998 | 601238 | Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc | 07/10/1998 | |
| BC2380970501 | 05/01/1997 | 52820 | Harsh 1-2 upshift. *tw | 09/12/1997 | |
| 97511 | 03/03/1997 | 51945 | Fluid- transmission fluid usage charts. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| BC0011970201 | 01/02/1997 | 51009 | A buzz noise in ax4s transaxles on 1996/97 taurus/sable and windstars. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| BC101209702 | 01/02/1997 | 51184 | Verify the transaxle installed in the vehicle is the correct model and model year for the vehicle. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| BC0042972301 | 01/23/1997 | 51392 | For 1996 3.0l 2-valve vehicles stop updating the processor to the r-12 calibration. this update may cause the vehicle to stall on cold engagement. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| 962613 | 12/16/1996 | 50998 | Transaxle - ax4s - extended 2-3 shift and/or higher than expected engine rpm during 2-3 shift at light to medium throttle and/or no 2-3 shift - vehicles equipped with 3.0l engine - service tip. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| BC9683961001 | 10/01/1996 | 50542 | Procedure for updating the calibration from r-11 to r-12 for stalling on decel & misfire codes on 3.0l vehicles. *tt | 05/27/1997 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 042107 | 12/13/2004 | 042414 | 10014086 | General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| 00E11 | 02/01/2001 | 619150 | Service action 00e11, supplement #1 - update information regarding on-board diagnostic system upgrade. *tt | 05/16/2001 | |
| 5205 | 12/01/1998 | 615337 | Some vehicles may exhibit a ngs error message, total checksum error after ngs / sbts pcm reprogramming. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 12169 | 11/01/1998 | 613186 | Some vehicles may exhibit a ngs error message after ngs/sbts pcm reprogramming. *mjs | 06/19/2000 | |
| 97090297183 | 09/02/1997 | 54069 | Experiencing difficulties with the malfunction indicator lamp (mil). *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||||
| 03148 | 07/21/2003 | 10003748 | New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt | 10/29/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||||
| 996123 | 05/01/1999 | 606980 | Concerns with buzz or vibration with the gear selector in park. *tt | 09/09/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||||
| 12616 | 03/01/1999 | 605338 | Information on transaxle service case replacement with oss (output shaft speed sensor) hole. *tt | 06/08/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||||
| 01181 | 09/17/2001 | 625715 | Brake shift interlock.*jb | 11/30/2001 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||||
| 03123 | 06/23/2003 | 10002684 | Torque converter clutch not engaging when commanded and/or diagnostic trouble codes p0741 or p1744 stored in memory. models from 1996 to 2003. *tt | 09/10/2003 | |
| 9865 | 03/30/1998 | 601316 | Torque converter clutch not engaging and/or diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0741 or p1744 stored in memory. *yc | 07/22/1998 | |
| 962612 | 12/16/1996 | 50997 | Transaxle - torque converter replacement guidelines and torque converter/transaxle cooling system cleaning procedures - service tip. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| 96249 | 11/18/1996 | 50908 | Torque converter - leak test procedure - service tip. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 15142 | 08/01/2001 | 624854 | Some vehicles may exhibit a harsh 2-3 shift after installing a remanufactured automatic transaxle. *yh | 11/15/2001 | |
| 99184 | 09/06/1999 | 6090053 | Some vehicles equipped with ax4s transaxle, may exhibit a harsh 2-3 downshift may occur when coasting around a corner and then accelerating. *tt | 03/06/2000 | |
| 996735 | 08/01/1999 | 608455 | Some vehicles equipped with the ax4s transaxle may exhibit a harsh 3-2 downshift when coasting around a corner and then stepping into the throttle to accelerate away from the corner. *tt | 12/01/1999 | |
| BC0011972301 | 01/23/1997 | 51384 | Buzz noise in ax4s transaxles. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| BC5197961001 | 10/01/1996 | 50474 | Some vehicles equipped w/ an ax4s transaxle may have been shipped w/ a low transaxle fluid level. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| BC0680961024 | 10/24/1996 | 50357 | Vehicles shipped w/ low transaxle fluid level. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||||
| 982675 | 04/01/1998 | 603573 | A revised forward clutch inner seal for the axod, axode, ax4s & ax4n transaxle is available with improved sealing and reduced chance of the seal rolling during installation. *yc | 02/25/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | |||||
| 12559 | 03/01/1999 | 605294 | Concerns with reverse clutch that could become sheared or torn in extremely cold temperatures. *tt | 06/07/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||||
| 9802169837 | 05/27/1998 | 600590 | Some vehicles may experience an no forward or reverse movement. *yc | 05/27/1998 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 9802169838 | 05/27/1998 | 600591 | Transaxles use a new transmission fluid. *yc | 05/27/1998 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 136000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford taurus. the contact stated the transmission slipped and the rpms increased while driving at various speeds. the contact performed a diagnostic test and the failure was located within the transmission head gasket and filter. the transmission head gasket and filter were replaced. the failure was not corrected. the transmission continued to slip and the rpms increased. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 136,000 and the current mileage was 137,777. | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 136000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 ford taurus. the contact stated the transmission slips and the rpm increased while driving at any speed. the contact performed a diagnosed the failure was located that the transmission head gasket and filter. the transmission head gasket and filter was replaced. the failure was not corrected the transmission continues to slip and the rpm increases. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 136,000 and the current mileage was 137,777. li | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 72000 | 1 | |
| The transmission in the consumer's 1997 ford taurus failed. *bf the gears and bearings were eaten up and the vehicle would not go from first to second gear. *nm | |||
| 10/15/2003 | 32000 | ||
| The steering wheel makes a noise when i turn right at times. i haven?t had it fixed yet. sometimes my window on the drivers front won?t roll down. it hasn?t been fixed. the car wouldn?t go forward when you had to stop at a stop sign or light. the transmission has been fixed. the forward clutch piston had to be changed. i couldn?t drive it further as it wouldn?t go forward after i stopped. | |||
| 05/15/2000 | 0 | ||
| We have had to replace the transmission three times since we have had the car. it first went out four months after we got the car. we got this car in may of 2001 from ugly duckling car sales now known as drivetime. this car is definitely a lemon. i think it has been in some major accidents.... | |||
| 07/15/2000 | 26000 | ||
| I am sending a copy of a letter i sent to various news stations and agencies. it?s in regard to a problem that arose concerning my ford car. i purchased a 1997 ford taurus in march 1997 from springfield ford in delaware county. the car came with a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty. in march of 2000 i purchased an extended warranty for three more years at the cost of $1,000. in july 2000, with less than 30,000 miles, the transmission failed and had to be overhauled. if i ?didn?t? purchase the warranty it would have cost me in excess of $2,000. well, the extended warranty ran out on 3-31-03. on 5-21-03 the transmission went again. it is going to cost $2,800 to replace. the car is six years old and has less then 50,000 miles on it. i have talked to several certified mechanics that all agree that this shouldn?t have happen. either ford co. has a bad transmission for this type taurus or the problem was never fixed right the first time. when i contacted ford h.q. they hadn?t heard of any problems with their transmissions. and springfield ford said there?s nothing they can do, even after i mentioned we have bought three cars in six years from them, it really didn?t matter. in conclusion, i just wanted to say that i have five kids at home and really don?t have $2,800 lying around. if this is the way one of america?s biggest corporations stands behind their products, well now i know why people are buying imported cars and from now on myself and my family will be one of them. thanks for your time, any help or feedback you could give me a call would be greatly appreciated. sincerely, michael bowes phone # home- (610) 449-8684 t# work- (610) 789-0898 | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 44200 | ||
| Right rear window won't always close after opening. transmission slips during low speed starts through intersection or parking lot. feels like it is in neutral. then when transmission engages, it suddenly lurches chirpping the tires. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 03/15/2002 | 7200 | ||
| Cracked forward piston in trans. i have a`97,,,wasn`t that problem fixed? | |||
| 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... | |||
| 01/25/2003 | 2 | ||
| The vehicle experienced a sudden jolt when a left or right turn was made. *ts *jb | |||
| 11/28/2000 | 1 | ||
| Had just taken off from a stop when vehicle started to slow down. checked for correct gear placement. depressed gas pedal, and tachometer went over, but vehicle was not moving.vehicle could be reversed but not forwarded. took to independent mechanic, and transmission was replaced with a used one.*ak | |||
| 06/26/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Transmission failure. *slc | |||
| 10/25/1999 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 07/30/1999 | 1 | 03/09/1999 | |
| Odometer stopped working. *yc | |||
| 02/01/1997 | |||
| The transmission bucks and slams when shifting in stop and go traffic. | |||
| 03/10/1997 | |||
| When the transmission/engine is cold and the vehicle is parked on level ground, the vehicle moves forward up to three inches until the parking pawl engages. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/19/2009 | 149360 | 1 | |
| The gear won't go into park. when its placed in park the vehicle continues to move. i had to call road side assistance because i didn't know what to do. no injuries were cause or the police weren't called. this is dangerous and its a recall for my vehicle. *tr | |||
| 06/27/2009 | 193120 | 1 | |
| Yesterday evening me and my family stopped at a gas station and my girlfriend went into the big apple in canton, maine. she was in there for awhile and i had been sitting in the car with the engine running. i went in the store to see what was taking so long and while i was in there i heard the children screaming. all three of them were in the back seat and the car backed up by itself and i ran out of the store after it. it ran into a telephone pole and i immediately demanded to know who touched the car. nobody had, the car was still in park. it must of backed up about 10 to 15 mph before hitting the pole. if the pole had not of been there the car would of crossed rt. 108 and could of been hit by traffic. my children were so scared they wouldn't get back in the car. *tr | |||
| 08/11/2008 | 1 | ||
| Automatic transmission going out torque converter seal is leaking smokes because of transmission fluid leaking. *tr | |||
| 04/28/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I purchased my taurus in dec. 2004 needing new heads for the engine. before i could drive it in the cold weather i had to let it idle for about 20 mins or it would slip and i would only be able to go 15mph. mechanic took to transmission shop but they found nothing wrong. i didn't drive the car for six months at a time (2xs) and the transmission is slipping even more now. motor mounts also need repaired since my engine is jerking back and forth when i press on the pedal. the front passenger tire feels like it wants to fall off when driving 70mph on the freeway. my daughter and i are moving from phx.,az to ft. hood,texas to be with my brothers wife while he is in afghanistan. do you think i can at least make it to texas without it stranding us. because with all things aside that car has been through a lot with me. i love my ford! plus i can't afford to buy another one so hopefully this one is going to hang in there. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2006 | 65000 | 1 | 03/04/1998 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 35 mph, the transmission failed. the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road then towed to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not inspected by a mechanic. there was a nhtsa recall, # 97v097000, regarding the automatic transmission. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. | |||
| 03/03/2006 | 125400 | 1 | 01/14/2006 |
| 97 ford taurus when in park the car will still roll forward until you apply the brake,there is a recall on this #96s50 local ford dealer was helpful but said my vin#1falp52u3va267890 could not be found under this recall but the car is doing the same thing as recall states. they said they didn't really no what to do so that's when i called your number and they said i could file a complaint on line .no one has been injured by this yet,but i would really like to get this took care of,any help you could offer would be great. thank you. *jb | |||
| 06/24/2005 | 130000 | 1 | 04/20/2005 |
| I have a 1997 ford taurus lx. i was on my way to las vegas when the transmission began to slip and sometimes not work at all. i had to turn around and head home(in order to not get stranded in vegas) and on the way the transmission started to not work at all. i was forced to drive about 45 mph the whole 3 hours back to my home on the highway. this was very dangerous. i have made numerous calls and everyone i have talked to have said that year taurus has been known to have transmission problems...why does ford not recall the transmission?*jb | |||
| 07/30/2005 | 112000 | 2 | 09/09/2000 |
| I own a 97 ford taurus wagon, i purchased it used from a non ford dealer in 2000 with 43,900 miles on it. in may 2001 i had to have a new transmission put in at 54,000. miles. now in august 2005 at 112,000 miles another transmission has to be put in. i definitely think there is some type of problem or defect with the transmissions if the car is not even 10 yrs old & is going on it's 3rd transmission. ford did replacement of the previous transmission, told me it was a new one. *jb | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 40000 | 3 | 05/15/1999 |
| Dt: consumer has 40000 miles on vehicle and vehicle had to 3 transmissions. consumer was driving to florida on the interstate and the vehicle stopped. vehicle was towed because it would not pull. this was at 27, 000 miles. at 40000 miles the vehicle was leaking transmission fluid in the garage. vehicle is in garage to have the power steering rack replaced, when consumer was told that the leak was transmission fluid he needed a new transmission. vehicle has been to dealer often for different repairs. consumer was told that there was no warranty. consumer has had all recalls repaired on vehicle. dealer told consumer that there may be something else in car causing transmission to fail. vehicle is driven less than 4000 miles a year. vehicle was purchased used with about 20,000 miles. consumer owned vehicle for 6 years. same dealer has done all repairs on vehicle, except one transmission because vehicle broke down in lima, ohio. this was done by ford dealership.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1997 ford taurus experiencing problems with the power steering. *mr the power steering had gone out due to the wrong automatic transmission fluid being placed in the vehicle. *sc *jb | |||
| 11/09/2004 | 1 | ||
| The consumer was unable to change gears. it was determined the transmission was no longer operable. *jb | |||
| 10/02/2004 | 3800 | 1 | 06/04/1998 |
| When driving the transmission failed and the consumer lost power. the consumer pulled over and had the vehicle towed. please provide more information. *jb *er *jb | |||
| 09/24/2004 | 127000 | 2 | 01/04/1998 |
| Vehicle stalls momentarily and then suddenly jumps into gear while driving. the transmission was replaced 14 months ago at a cost to me of $2684 and now i'm told it needs to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 09/21/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated that while driving vehicle stopped. first, had it towed to his home. consumer will have vehicle towed to a dealer later. transmission failed. after vehicle stopped consumer turned it off and turned it back on. when he turned it back on and tried to put the vehicle in gear, it would not go into gear. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Transmission problems with 1997 taurus wagon.*mr one of the bearings in the transmission failed and damaged the entire transmission. *nm | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 60000 | 1 | 06/15/2003 |
| L997 ford taurus wagon. 60k miles. treated with kid gloves and had the fluid changed at 60k in the transmission. within 200 miles the trans went out. if i hadn't noticed leakage it likely would have stopped with a dangerous circumstance happening as a result...i.e. heavy traffic, pulling out into traffic, etc. *jb | |||
| 04/22/2004 | 13000 | 3 | 01/01/2004 |
| While driving it was hard to shift gears/steer the vehicle. the brake and tail lights failed to work. *ak the electrical system was intermittent, the radio would go off when the steering wheel was turned and when the vehicle was in drive. the problem would start when the vehicle was in park, reverse, or neutral. the seat belt light flickered on and off without cause. *sc *jb | |||
| 12/15/2003 | 124300 | 1 | 12/05/2001 |
| I have advised ford motor co of a potentially dangerous condition identical to condition found in recall # 97v-097nsa-111paw, ford # 97s75. the only difference is that transmission fluid leaking from the servo cover is caused by the cover becoming perforated by rust. this on a 1997 ford taurus which has been well taken care of but driven in vermont & new hampshire where salt is used during winter snows. ford motor co declined any participation because my car doesn't fall into the production category of the recall. the symptoms and leaking of oil against the catalytic convertor when driving are the same as those described in the recall. to this end, the first rust through problem occured with the oil cooler line which rusted out previously and have been replaced. just a few weeks ago the metal tube from the heater to the rear of the engine began leaking from rustout and had to be replaced. i assure you this car is no rust bucket i am a fully certified (in all subjects) niase mechanic and know wherefrom i speak. there are a lot of these taurus models operating in new england and i'm certain mine is not the only one with these rust problems. the vin # 1falp51u7va313450 transmission data plate: ocwd f7dp 7000 aa19242 7u aeuo 1092 42 oil pan reads: axod metric engine: 3.0l date of manufacture: 8/97. *jb | |||
| 09/04/2001 | 57000 | 2 | 08/18/1997 |
| While driving vehicle stopped accelerating, jerked backward, then forward. this was caused by internal automatic transmission failure, per the dealership. transmission was replaced, but the failure recurred. *ak *sc | |||
| 08/28/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving and coming to a complete stop, the automatic transmission didn't shift properly. it would shift from drive to neutral and make loud noise. *ak the consumer's wife was driving when the incident occurred leaving her in a precarious position. by jiggling the shift lever, she was able to shift into reverse then into drive. this had been a common problem for 1991-1998 models. ford would not take responsibility. *scc *jb | |||
| 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 | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 06/16/2000 | ||
| Have been leaking transmission fluid. had the fittings replaced. corrected problem for 1 day. mechanic stated the transmission lines are leaking and will need replaced. we have been having difficulty locating the lines due to the fact that the part has been corrected several times and there is still a problem with the lines. now i'm having problems with the transmission and shifting. the transmission is banging into gear. bought the car used in 2000. when i changed the transmission fluid and filter discovered that the transmission is not the original. my car was manufacturedin september 1996 and the transmission, according to the numbers on it, was manufactured in 1998. had a 1994 taurus and the transmission completely went out of it and i traded in for this 1997. i will definitely not buy another taurus or ford product. | |||
| 06/17/2003 | 1 | ||
| The pump that is attached to the transmission is aluminum and is causing the part to fail and overheat. while the vehicle is in drive it will not move at all and will accelerate without prior warning.*ak | |||
| 06/03/2003 | 84900 | 10 | 05/15/2000 |
| Transmission failure,keeps slipping and shifting up and down while drivingat 65mph. it will shift down to second gear.*ak | |||
| 04/04/2003 | 117000 | 1 | |
| The transmission leaked a liquid substance which caused the vehicle to jerk and made the gears difficult to switch. *jb | |||
| 03/25/2003 | 60000 | 1 | 04/28/1997 |
| 1997 taurus with 75000 miles, bought new. transmission began slipping into neutral when coming to a stop. then would either bang into gear when accelerating, or would have to place the car in park, turn off the engine, restart the engine, and place it in drive. often all would be fine for 2-3 weeks, then the transmission would act up again. after three or four months of this the transmission began slipping when accelerating from a dead stop. there are no unusual noises, the transmission fluid is clean and full, and the transmission appears to shift fine once i get going. i called ford motor company and they have no recalls or known defects (of course). the dealer urged me not drive the car and bring it into the shop right away. he said it would likely cost between $1300 and $2600 to repair. *jb | |||
| 02/03/2003 | |||
| The forward clutch metal band gave out causing the transmission not to move or shift into gear. please fill in additional information. dealer is aware of the problem. ph | |||
| 12/16/2002 | 79912 | 1 | |
| Service engine soon light came on, then transmission failed. dealer replaced transmission under service plan. | |||
| 10/29/2002 | |||
| While traveling on the highway without prior warning the vehicle transmission slips the dealership is aware of the problem., ts | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Transmission would intermittently slip from drive to neutral while driving. dealer was notified, and unable to duplicate the problem. *ak *jb | |||
| 07/29/2002 | |||
| Transmission was replaced on two separate occasions within 5 years. transmission failed while driving at highway speed, and the problem reoccurred. dealer and manufacturer were notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 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. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states vehicle is experiencing problems with the ax4n transmission. dealer replaced transmission. *tt | |||
| Without any indication vehicle jumped into neutral at highway speed. dealer has been contacted. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 4 | 06/01/2097 | ||
| On 4 different occasions, when pulling out into traffic, or starting up from a red light in hot weather, while we were traveling on vacation, as i tried to accelerate, the rpm shot up to approximately to 4,200 rpm, the car would not accelerate. i had to let up on the accelerator and let the rpm drop down to about 2400 rpm, when i applied throttle slowly and the car slowly accelerated up to 55 miles per hour. this also happened when making a u turn and the car repeated the same action even while moving at slow speed. i took the car to the dealer and they road tested and put the car on the computer system and said they could not find any thing wrong with the car or transmission and that they contacted ford motor and were told that they have no record of any serious problems with the transmission of the 1997 taurus. i am very concerned for the safety of my wife and myself, as i was almost rear ended by a truck and a car on two occasions when the problem arose.*jb | |||
| 07/19/2002 | 1 | 07/01/2097 | |
| Would like to know the number of reported failures on this automatic transmission component for this model year vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/19/2002 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| While driving at highway speed, the transmission gear shifted and became stuck in first gear, vehicle would not go more than 10 mph. dealer has been contacted. transmission needs to be rebuilt. *ak consumer would like to know how many 1997 ford tauruses have had this problem. (according to ford dealer, there have been many) *scc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states vehicle is experiencing problems with the automatic transmission. *tt | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2097 | |
| 4th gear would not engage. o/d off light flashed repeatedly. though car was serviced one month previously and the transmission fluid was not burned, transmission disintegrated planetary gears. metal chunks and burned fluid found when examined at the local ford dealership. obviously another 3.8l/ford transmission defect failure as is well documented. ford has been contacted about reimbursement of the repair costs but thus far has refused. when is anyone going to finally hold them accountable for this ongoing problem in tauruses throughout the 90's?. *ak | |||
| Upon acceleration automatic transmission will fail, resulting in vehicle slowly responding to accelerator application. please describe details.*ak | |||
| 1 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| While driving on the freeway the vehicle suddenly lost power due to the transmission seizing up. | |||
| 3 | 04/04/2002 | ||
| Transmission gear shift will not engage from park, found a broken shift control cable, replaced. ignition key turns and does not start car, problem in steering column, rr steering column and replaced link from ignition switch to lock cylinder. | |||
| 20 | 03/01/2000 | ||
| When coming to a stop the transmission kicks out of gear . must rev motor to get it to kick back into gear. took car to dealership they told me it was the forward clutch piston.said ford replaced it from aluminum whiched kept cracking to steel .would cost 900.00 to fix.this problem is common with these cars they told me.i think they should fix this before someone gets seriously hurt. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| Transmission keeps going out, and cause is unknown. has replaced transmission twice. dealer contacted. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2001 | |||
| Vehicle will not move forward without making a ticking noise. dealership is aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 01/15/2002 | 20 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Transmission disengages at completion of stopping at intersection. must wait to reengage before being able to proceed at intersection. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2001 | |||
| Transmission disengaged when coming to a stop. when transmission reengagedf vehicle would jerk forward. dealership was aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 01/05/2002 | 2 | 08/01/2001 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 02/03/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| Transmission failed. *ak | |||
| 08/21/2001 | |||
| Vehicle would not change gears. took to a mechanic to be repaired, but problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| Transmission overdrive failed to lock and failures code started appearing at 60,000 miles. ford dealer indicated multiple failures in that series. entire transmission failed at 70,000 miles while on vacation in florida. cost to repair was in excess of $2,000. *ak | |||
| 01/07/2002 | 10/01/2000 | ||
| The taurus was parked at dz middle school on a slightly sloped part of the driveway with the transmission selector lever indicating park and the engine turned off. the linkage connection on the transmission had failed and allowed the selector lever to indicate that the transmission was in park when the transmission was actually in neutral. the driver then went into the school building and upon returning a few minutes later found that the car had rolled approx 150 yards down the driveway, across a street, through a bus turn-around, down a 15 foot embankment, and into a ditch. fortunately there were no occupants in the car and it was at night so there were no kids along the driveway or on the street. | |||
| 09/01/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Bought the car used with about 20,000 miles on it. had several sensors replaced fairly soon after that. around 30k, reported several problems i was having while at a stop/starting from a stop. dealer could never replicate. eventually discovered that these problems were only ocurring when the car was warm...which it never was when the dealer tested it after it sitting on their lot for several hours. problems started getting worse. would slip into neutral at stops. could shift car into neutral, gun it enough to get the rpm's over 2000, and then put into drive and it would catch. after the weather turned warm again, and it started doing it more, then the dealer could find what the problem was. said i needed a rebuild or replacement. drove it until my husband nagged me enough, and it was doing it constantly. total cost now, through a transmission shop, not the dealership, is $1800. still having some adjustments made. still having more senor problems. the electric door locks started going up and down on their own a time or two.*ak | |||
| Gear shift will go into drive. however, car does not engage. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 11/29/2001 | 1 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Consumer stated there is a reoccurring problem with the automatic transmission, which is causing vehicle to hesitate when driving up on an incline, dealer and manufacturer were notified.*ak consumer also stated this happens when driving on a leveled surface.*slc | |||
| 10/24/2001 | 3 | 05/13/1998 | |
| Vehicle would not go into overdrive. servo cover could have been the problem. there was a recall, 97v097000, dealing with transmission servo cover. also, engine light came on, and vehicle was not shifting. had not contacted dealer. *ak consmer stated that even though there is a recall his claim was denied by manufacturer stating they needed a receipt for every 30,000 miles saying that the transmission was serviced, consumer had the transmission replaced, however the next day vehicle began experiencing same problems, after three attemps to fix problem it was determined that the clip for 3-4 shuttle valve breaks, however there was no recall for the clip.*jb | |||
| 1 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| While driving on the freeway the vehicle suddenly lost power due to the transmission seizing up. | |||
| 04/01/1999 | |||
| I have had to put transmmission in my car. the second one went out while i was driving on highway 469 at 65 miles per hour. it felt like someone hit the emergency brake. my car went out of control and i was almost t-boned by another car. the dealership will not help me, which is schwart ford out of decature indiana. they said i was ove the warranty which was one year or 12,000 miles. i had the first transmission put in at 47,000 and the second one is going in at 81,000.00 i will not be having it done by ford. i am taking it else where. first of all schwarta ford charged me for a new transmission. during a conversation with them the owned mike morrison stated that is what happens when you put a rebuilt transmission in a car. i have a receipt that states it was for a new transmission.*ak | |||
| 08/02/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| While vehicle was at a light transmission locked up and would not let consumer get out of first gear. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak *slc | |||
| Transmision is going out.....torque convertor also failing. *ak | |||
| 05/12/2001 | 1 | ||
| Transmission would jerk when shifting into gear. felt like being rearended. finally transmission quit working. towed to dealership, and informed by mechanic transmission needed to be replaced due to being non repairable.*ak *slc | |||
| While traveling and without any indication automatic transmission had failed. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 11 | ||
| 97 v 097 000/automatic transmission: transmission slipping intermittently. dealer was notified and informed consumer that this vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. *ak *slc | |||
| 05/08/2001 | |||
| Consumer has had 2 incidents with vehicle rolling backwards after being put in park. during first incident consumer had vehicle in park, vehicle turned off and got out. consumer had to run back to vehicle because it was rolling backwards, and hit her son's vehicle before she could get to it. second incident was on 11th of may, again consumer had vehicle in park; but, this time was still inside vehicle. only way of stopping was to push down of brakes and pull up emergency brake. police had towing company to come out and look. they stated everytime vehicle went in reverse or park it locked gears up. transmission was all over the driveway, and they also found gear cable was cut. consumer complained of this problem since purchase. dealer urged consumer to put parking brake on for each normal stop. consumer was trying to get ford to cooperate with problem.*ak | |||
| 05/10/2000 | 7 | 10/01/1998 | |
| Car continues with the neutral condition of transmission after repair transmission 7 times. *ak | |||
| 04/17/2001 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Transmission has been slipping between 2nd and 3rd gears for 3 months, now it jerks very hard and rpm's get very hi being stuck in first gear. had to replace transmission. *ak | |||
| 12/01/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| The transmission failed to work and had to be rebuilt at the cost of 1926.00. the transmissions shop that did the work stated that there were numerous updates he had to do to this vehicle to correct problems that had come defective directly from the factory when the vehcile was new. i dont feel i should have to pay for repairs that were defective from the factory and have ford tell me , save your receipts.*ak | |||
| 03/15/2001 | 06/01/2000 | ||
| Transmission failed without warning. there are no recalls, but there are many failed transmissions in this vehicle.*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 | |||
| 02/23/2001 | |||
| Consumer was traveling about 35mph on highway and heard a grinding noise. she was able to pull over to shoulders, and looked underneath vehicle. there was smoke coming from underneath, and she had to have vehicle towed. transmission exploded.*ak | |||
| 01/08/2001 | 50 | ||
| When driving at slow speeds vehicle goes from drive to neutral. this happens 80 % of time. *ak *slc | |||
| 02/07/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| While driving at 65 mph. with many other cars around me the transmission just stopped the auto acted as if i had shifted into neutral and would not work in drive or loe gears. if not for the driver behind me seeing i had a problem and helping by slowing other cars down i would not have been able to coast off the road saftly. there was no warning that this was going to happen,no slippage or other problems with the tranny. the garage told me that this happens often with the ford taurus and is quite commin. i can see where this could lead to many accidents and think it would be something you should look into. my total expence was over $2500.00 for repairs. *ak | |||
| 09/30/1999 | 10 | 10/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 0 | ||
| Transmission goes into a neutral position while gear is in drive. when this happens, vehicle has no power, then it drops out of neutral and engages. it acts as though vehicle is revving and slamming into gear. ford mechanic said that problem ia a cracked forward clutch piston. *ak | |||
| 11/28/2000 | 1 | ||
| Had just taken off from a stop when vehicle started to slow down. checked for correct gear placement. depressed gas pedal, and tachometer went over, but vehicle was not moving.vehicle could be reversed but not forwarded. took to independent mechanic, and transmission was replaced with a used one.*ak | |||
| 01/19/2001 | 1 | 01/23/1998 | |
| Premature failure of transmission at only 54,300 miles due to worn down bearings. *ak | |||
| 12/11/2000 | 3 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Appears to be a defective design of safety critical component. while accelerating to 40 mph heard loud bang and front of car jumped. sudden failure/no previous warning signs. owner (me) suspected transmission or engine mount. drove home (3 mi.) at speed less than 30--transmission continued to shift ok but would jolt on up shift. made noise / bumped on turning at very low speed. dealer had recently serviced transmission (35,578 mi.). dealers said 2/3 hardened bolts sheared and 1/3 was loose in front? lower block mount loose. dealer claims no other damage resulted / will later result-we shall see. took approx 6 hr labor to repair. dealer said if owner had not had extended warrantee on drive train, owner would have had to pay all out of pocket. mount bolts/bracket is such that owner can not easily check- have to remove caty convt & r front engine mount for access. bracket bolts in triangular pattern in lower block- front?. veh never in accident or struck; in vg cond. veh had 12,000 mi when purchased from dealer's service mgr's wife. driven on paved roads 8-12 mi/day 55 mph max. not hotrodded. am intersted if same problem in other taurus sho v8 models. *ak | |||
| 12/22/2000 | 10/01/1999 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/23/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1999 | |
| My boss has a 1998 taurus and transmission failed. our regional office in miami no longer uses the taurus due to repeated transmission problems. those vehicles are in a fleet of leased auto for the company. *ak | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle would hesitate & wouldn't stay running. wires for fuel pump had rubbed against flex hose, causing it to expose the wires & short out. dealer cold do nothing because no recall. *ak also the cv joints failed and the transmission pan cracked. the brakes vibrated causing the steering to vibrate terrebly. the vehicle, the consumer says, must be defective. *yh | |||
| 10/30/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Gear broke inside transmission and exploded outwards, breaking the case. consumer states that they took car to a transmission specialist, and they said it was a manufacturer's defect. *ak differential assembly had excessive teeth damaged and probably caused case to break outward. *yh | |||
| Complete transmission failure without warning at only 37,204 miles . please provide more information. *ak | |||
| 10/09/2000 | 4 | 09/01/2000 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 09/06/2000 | 07/01/2000 | ||
| No summary | |||
| 08/01/1998 | |||
| Transmission intermittently slipped for 30seconds to a minutes before engaging | |||
| 1 | |||
| Transmission shifting roughly into gears. *slc | |||
| 06/07/1999 | 02/01/1999 | ||
| The transmission shifts up and down when you maintain a steady speed of approx. 60 miles an hour. the whole car jerks when this happens. it feels like the power to the car turns off it is such a hard shift. i reported this problem at 32,000 miles to jim skinner ford. they said that there is nothing wrong with it, taurus's do that. it also jerks really hard when i shift from park to drive but they said this is normal also. periodically, when you come to a stop it surges forward. *ak | |||
| 09/24/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| The car barely moves, if at all, when in any gear. transmission is making a loud buzzing noise. fluid was checked and is not low. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Service bulletin 98-3-7: intermittent neutral condition - no warranty coverage even though ford has upgraded the part. dealer quote was $2500. transmission shop upgraded for $1500. *ak | |||
| 03/07/2000 | 5 | 09/01/1997 | |
| I think this is a safety issue with the ford taurus mfr. not willing to do anything about it.. | |||
| 07/23/2000 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/07/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Original transmission failed at 35,000 miles replaced by a factory rebuilt dealer tranny. second tranny failed at 43000, dealer stated that no factory rebuilts were available. rebult transmission inhouse. both transmissions failed due to shifting from 1 to neutral. after the repair of the second transmission the car started to accelerate by itself . starting from a stop , pressing on the accelerator pedal the car shifts from 1 to 2 nd to 3rd , if i take my foot off the accelerator pedel the car continues to gain speed and the tach needle does not drop down but continues to stay in the 2 to 3 thousand rpm range, it i put the tranny in neutral the tach need jumps up to 3,000 rpms. *ak | |||
| 10/23/1998 | 5 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Transmission repeatedly had problems slamming/jumping, and hopping out, then finally quit ford didn't care.*ak | |||
| Transmission is leaking onto the catalyic converter. vehicle not included in recall 97v097000. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 1 | 07/01/1997 | ||
| Transmission was slipping prior to failure. yh | |||
| 07/11/2000 | 2 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Transmission slipped and failed when accelerating and slammed into 2nd gear then refused to power/ work at all - 3rd reverse piston cracked dealer said needs replacing at owners expense. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| When the consumer starts the vehicle the transmission races in gears (as if it was in neutral) the shift harshly into gear. | |||
| 04/01/1997 | |||
| When starting up vehicle and put it in gear, reach about 25mph and does not shift properly. then, engine revs up to 4,000 rpms and when reach 30mph it shifts. contacted dealer.*ak | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| Vehicle slips into neutral when at a stop position. while vehicle was under warranty dealer said this was normal. valve body has been replaced, problem has not reoccurred, although there is rough shifting. *ak *ml | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| When i stop at a stop light or stop sign the transmission drops in to neutral and does not want to go into gear, you have to rev the engine to get it to move and then the trans. jerks real hard, the dealer said it was the cervo's at first and now the are saying a sensor is causing the problem but that we would have to pay for it since the warranty is out! *ak | |||
| 06/15/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Experienced transmission hesitation while slowing down into a turn and rough transition ( banging) when reapplying acceleration coming out of the turn. ford dealer reports after diagnostic and tear down that problem was in transmission forward clutches and torque convertor and needed replacement. transmission only has 48500 miles and only 3 years old. problem started about 46000 miles with only subtle rough transient shifting at first. problem grew worse with banging and whole car vibration at times. ford customer service center has been contacted and will contact service manager for a detailed explanation of what could have caused problem so that a decision can be reached for an out of warranty component financial assistance situation. *ak | |||
| 06/13/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving engine check light will come on and stay for about a month. dealer could not find what was causing this problem. transmission slips unexpectedly, dealer says it's faulty. *ak *ml | |||
| 12/01/1999 | |||
| Transmission has whining sound when letting off the gas. *ak | |||
| 10/15/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Just the tranmission problems. *ak | |||
| 11/12/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Transmission started to fail by not going into gear in the morning, it then would not go above 20 mph and had to be taken back to where i purchased it after i contacted ford and they did not want to help and basically did not want any part of my problem. when i asked ford if alot of taurus' have this problem they refused to release that information. i think i have a roght to know since i am an owner of a taurus and i still owe a very large sum of money on this car. i then checked in to it myself and found mind-boggling stories of how ford will not make good on these taurus'. there are so many people who are stuck with this type if car with a bad transmission it is horrible, a multi-million dollar co. will not make good on these cars they know are bad. *ak | |||
| 05/09/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for above vehiicle. *ak | |||
| 05/05/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Transmission failed to get out of first gear causing problems in traffic. transmission had been serviced regularly at riverview ford-mercury in columbia, il. *ak | |||
| 04/11/2000 | |||
| When consumer has vehicle in park gear shift will not move in drive. gear shift is stuck. *ak | |||
| 04/13/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Complete trans failure | |||
| 5 | |||
| Whenever windshield wipers are in use they would work erractically. sometimes not at all. this causes poor visibility for the driver. the switch can turn wipers on & then wipers would stop. also, transmission failed to shift into gear properly, and power steering failed to work properly when turning steering wheel. taking vehicle dealer to check out problems. *ak | |||
| 09/05/1999 | 3 | 09/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| I was sold a 5 star lemon. the carfax wesite has 6 lemon history reports. also my car has a recall on ax4s auto-trans. i have the reports. please check all reports, i feel me and my family is in grave danger, please i don't want to die. please deal with this situation as soon as possible. my life is in your hands. thank you | |||
| 12/22/1998 | 3 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle experiencing ongoing problem with transmission failure. transmission was replaced three times: once at 31,000 miles of wear; second time at 53,000 miles of wear, and at present with 58,000 miles of wear. all repairs were done by dealer, and once at consumer expense with an extended warranty. *ak *ml | |||
| 03/09/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Was proceding across intersection, starting up slight grade when i lost forward motion of vehicle. i accelerated engine and the engine revoluntions increased. i put transmission in park, then back into drive and same thing happened. the car would not move forward. i then place transmission in reverse and the car moved backward as it is supposed to. no problem in reverse. again, i attemped to place transmission in drive, then 2nd, then low range and could not get any forward. movement. took vehicle to transmission specialist (after dicsussing issue with dealer). the transmission specialist said he got into the car the next morning and car ran fine. he took for test drive and car ran fine. he inspected the transmission and could find nothing wrong. he replaced fluid and changed filter. the car ran okey for several days, then on 3/16/00, my wife was driving the car and reported the transmission slipping. especially when stopped at traffic light. when she would procede forward, the transmission would slip, then jerk then ultimately continue in a somewhat normal fashion. i called dealer, took vehicle to dealer for inspection. the stated the fluid was burned and the transmission would have to be replaced. the dealer indicated he wmay go $1,000 of the estimated $2,100 repair for a rebuild transmission. i reported transmission problems to ford moor co. customer assistance center. likewise, they indicated that ford may pay a portion for the repair. the ford representative indicate he would forward a report to his regional and district office and that a report would be sent to the dealer. it was indicated that the dealer should receive a formal report from ford motor co. within two working days and that i would then be notified as to what the final status of the repair cost would be. *ak | |||
| 01/13/2000 | 4 | 03/01/1999 | |
| We bought this 97 taurus with 56,816 miles on 3/17/99. a week later the engine check light came on. the dealer advised us to go to his mechanic and have it checked. the mechanic read a p1744 code, cleared the code, road-tested the car, and advised us to continue to drive, and see if it would reset or not. in the ongoing months engine check light came on three more times. there were no problems and the car was operating normally. these three times it was taken to the ford dealership, the code cleared and we were sent on our way. the last time, however, we said that this problem has got to be solved! the ford dealer said it could be many things, and would cost $63.00 to investigate. after investigation, the dealer said it was in the transmission valve body, approximately $750.00 to overhaul. the dealer was given the okay, and the end result was a $1,245 bill to replace the entire valve body and pump shaft. the needle bearing had failed and the pump shaft scored the bore in valve body. the car at the time of this repair 1/19/00 had 61,808 miles. this is a definite case of premature failure, caused probably by a manufacturing defect.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Transmission quit. if we were on interstate, would have caused major problem. | |||
| When applying the gas and going down hill, transmission makes a jerk forward and a loud clunking noise. the clunking and jerking has become progressively worse. dealer has seen the vehicle, but does not know how to correct it. *ak *ml | |||
| 10/20/1998 | 4 | 10/01/1998 | |
| When i first bought the car the door ajar light would intermittintly come on. i took the vehicle i took it back to them twice and they were unable to fix it. now the problem is esculating. the car now shuts off the power to the radio speakers, power windows, power assist and probably other components when the gear shift is taken out of park. all components work fine when car is in park shift position. of course i'm required to pay to have this fixed even though it could probably been fixed right in the first place. the decision to stop going back to the dealer is based on the work they did do (shabby) and their not being able to fix the main problem i took the car back into them. is the car suppose to had a high wind noise - i was told that was part of the design and they could do nothing about that when i first bought the car. *ak | |||
| 09/09/1999 | 2 | ||
| Intermittently when making a stop transmission does not shift down to the last gear. vehicle hesitates to shift down. when taking off, the transmission does not engage. the vehicle was taken to the dealer two times before the transmisson was finally replaced. *ak.et. | |||
| 12/22/1998 | 2 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Transmission has failed twice. dealer rebuilt first time and exactly a yeart later it failed again. it is 8,000 miles over warranty. they offer no assistance. a new car should not do this....twice! it has been factory defects each time. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1998 | |||
| Recall 97s75/96s50.transmission was defective. car would drive in reverse. car is inoperable. dealers stated originally no problems, secondly, the sensor failed. finally, the cable snapped. dealer has vehicle. provide further information. *ak | |||
| 15 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Vehicles transmission failed. nlm | |||
| 11/12/1998 | 1 | 01/23/1997 | |
| Transmission failed. nlm | |||
| 03/01/1998 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 10/29/1999 | 04/01/1999 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 10/15/1999 | 2 | 06/01/1999 | |
| 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. | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 1 | 11/01/1998 | ||
| No summary | |||
| 09/04/1999 | 05/01/1997 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 09/05/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Requested dealership to check transmission at time of purchase, felt that the transmission did not shift smoothly, was told nothing was wrong. | |||
| 09/18/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| 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. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 10/28/1998 | 3 | 07/12/1997 | |
| Automatic transmission slips upon acceleration while attempting to merge into traffic. nlm | |||
| 08/03/1999 | 03/01/1999 | ||
| All of a sudden, car started jerking speed dropped and wouldn't accelerate. | |||
| 07/16/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Trans failed to engage at stop-then slammed into gear. vehicle then stopped when going 40-slammed into gear again. | |||
| 05/29/1999 | |||
| Automtic transmission is slipping out of gear, and it is difficuilt to shift into gear. whenever vehicle come to a stop it is delayed before getting into gear. dealer/manufacturer notified and refused to repair unless cost goes to consumer. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 5 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Transmission slips. dealer unable to identify problem. *ak | |||
| 04/25/1999 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Just started to proceed through intersection when car shifted from low gear and acted as if it were in neutral. dealer i took it to seems to be aware of pistons being made out of a composite material that likes to crack. | |||
| 11/10/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Transmission failed. *yc | |||
| 12/04/1998 | 5 | 10/06/1998 | |
| Intermittent problems with transmission slipping, failing to go into gear during take off. when these problems occur the transmission stops pulling the vehicle. five repair attempts to resolve this problem, including replacing the transmission range sensor, however the problem continues. | |||
| 10/05/1998 | |||
| While driving the vehicle at 15 mph the transmission system failed, making a very loud noise, causing the servo cover to blow off. contacted the dealer for repairs, and did'nt get any help. *ak | |||
| 03/08/1999 | 2 | 12/01/1997 | |
| I have had the forward clutch pack fail on a 14- month old new auto.mobile.the transmission will have to be replaced by recommendation of the ford dealer. this repair will not be covered under warranty. repair cost estimate is parts $1100, labor $500. i find this premature failure unacceptable for a 14-month old car that has been properly maintained and very well taken car off. there has not been an external cause found to justify the failure of transmission. i have not been able to contact any other company representitve other that the dealer service manager, without a satisfactory response. *ak | |||
| 01/02/1999 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Fails to shift into 2nd or sometimes 3rd gear. engine races in nuetral and car decelerates. then very harsh shift into gear with tire noise and bang in transmission | |||
| 02/01/1998 | 3 | 01/01/1998 | |
| While driving vehicle would experience a roaring noise which affects the performance of the vehicle, and cannot get into gears. been to dealer 3 times. cause unknown. *ak | |||
| 12/24/1998 | 6 | 10/01/1997 | |
| I bought the car because i felt it was of good quality.when a situation aroused i was totally given the cold shoulder by this dealership.now i am stuck with partially operable vehicle. i am a u. s. soldier and i just feel let down by the quality of ford and the handling of this situation by briggs. no defect mentione din summary. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 2 | 12/07/1996 | |
| I was doing 70 miles/hour in third lane of interstate 85 when cruise control stopped working and car slowed but did not die. i pulled onto shoulder and put car into park and then tried to go again. car would go up to 4000 rpm's but only do 30 miles/hour. second time this has happend without dealer being able to duplicate. only seems to happen during hottest weather and when driving 150 miles of more at a time. seems to be recurring problems in taurus transmissions and ford will not admit to a problem. dealership is doing everything they can to help but not getting any cooperation from manufacturer. | |||
| 08/29/1998 | |||
| While driving regular road at approximately 35 mph slowed down to 20 mph, foot on gas pedal, very high noise, there was nothing. vehicle did not engage. transmission failed without any warning or indication. dealer cannot duplicate the problem. assumes a catastrophic transmission failure. *ak | |||
| 01/09/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| The transmission quit moving the car when both front wheels began to slip causing the car to stall at an intersection. | |||
| 10/26/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Automatic transmission refuses to downshift. no drive or reverse after coming to stop. happens most often after driving in traffic. waiting in park for 30-60 seconds and then shifting into drive usually allows car to be driven away. transmission fluid level and fluid type are correct. i made an appointment with dealer next week for repairs. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle transmission sensory failed causing vehicle to downshift to 45 mph while on freeway. | |||
| 10/15/1991 | 3 | ||
| Original transmission replaced at 6,000 miles. the 2nd transmission makes loud noises. sounds like grinding. was not changing gears smoothly. took to dealer & informed keep driving. had transmission replaced in november. | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| The torque converter is going out the problem started around 35000 miles i did not take the car in because the previous taurus did the same thing and i was told to drive it untill the transmission went out all the way. i did not know at the time that it was a torq converter problem or i would not have driven it. but the new taurus is doing the same thing and i have had it at a couple of transmission shops and they tell me that it is the torq converter. | |||
| 08/28/1998 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Transmission failed. | |||
| 10/07/1998 | 06/11/1998 | ||
| Transmission/oil pump drive failed. | |||
| While vehicle was in park without warning the vehicle went into reverse, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 09/04/1998 | |||
| While driving the vehicle transmission system failed, causing the vehicle to stall, almost causing an accident. currently at dealer. please provide details.*ak | |||
| 05/29/1998 | 4 | ||
| Vehicle initially lost power on incline and regained on decline, until total loss of power after 2-5 mph. occurred on four occasions, on highway trips. dealer initially reprogrammed computer then replaced fuel pump relay. after fourth occasion, replaced fuel pump. also, transmission is sluggish, difficulty gaining speed on initial acceleration. then suddenly surges/hesistates and moves erratically into gear. vehicle hesitates and acts as if it stalls out. | |||
| 08/29/1998 | 12/01/1997 | ||
| Catastrophic transmission failure. | |||
| While accelerating to 50 mph vehicle locked up in second gear, causing shaking of vehicle and stalling. vehicle also had previous clunking noise prior to transmission locking. also dealers found no fault code. *ak | |||
| 05/10/1998 | 1 | 07/07/1997 | |
| Transmission failed. | |||
| 1 | 09/02/1997 | ||
| Vehicle vibrates, jerks, hesitates and makes noise while engaging gears. | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 1 | 05/25/1997 | |
| Transmission slips while shifting from park to drive and it knocks hard. | |||
| 6 | 05/01/1997 | ||
| Transmission failure. | |||
| 10/10/1997 | 3 | 04/15/1997 | |
| Turned the vehicle on and put the vehicle in park. the vehicle shifted to reverse all by itself. this is an intermittent problem. when releasing the park brake the vehicle takes off. *ak | |||
| 1 | 01/29/1997 | ||
| Transmission failed. | |||
| 4 | 05/07/1997 | ||
| Transmission pops out of gear, it takes a minute to take off, dealer is replacing transmission. *ak *jb | |||
| 07/23/1997 | |||
| Received recall notice. called dealer & made appt. took vehicle in after being told had plenty of parts. rented a vehicle. dealer called back to say they had no parts for repair. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||
| 10/10/2003 | 97000 | 1 | 06/24/2003 |
| In june of 2003 i bought my 1997 ford taurus with only 97,000 miles, from a used car dealership. in sept. of 2003 it began to leak transmission fluid and so i got that fixed and then in october i went to back out of my drive way and my car wouldn't go. i was able to push it out and found out thatit would still go foward. i drove it to my grandmother's house down the road to have it looked at and all of a sudden the steering tightened and i couldn't turn. now my car doesn't run at all. it is the first and only car i have ever owned.*ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| Consumer states engine lost all power due transmission fluid leaking. vehicle is now on third transmission repair. *ak | |||
| While driving, noticed overdrive light flashing, then loss of power, engine was still running, but vehicle stopped moving at approx. 60mph, found all transmission fluid had spilled out over hwy, dlr indicates trans. hose came loose, caused fluid to leak. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||
| 02/22/2001 | |||
| Shift cable broke. manufacturer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2000 | 2 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Transaxle had internal parts failure. transaxle made a loud noise, then vehicle would not move in drive or reverse.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 04/22/2004 | 171500 | 1 | |
| (1) intermittently, radio turned off when backing up or during forward turn. (2) while driving, seatbelt light began flashing with seat belt fastened, then power steering failed and radio turned off simultaneously (3) vehicle was towed to mechanic who one month previously fixed same problem on 1997 taurus by changing the park-neutral switch. *ak | |||
| Error code 0761-hydraulic failure of solenoid/transmission. came on. when driving at high speed, vehicle as consumer describes, was dragging upon acceleration. owner has another taurus with same condition. please describe details.*aki | |||
| 04/02/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Power steering intermittent failure; first began when placing shift lever into reverse gear, then later occurred also in forward drive gears. suspect electrical/electronic problem since radio speakers also go silent and power windows do not operate when this occurs. discovered that removal of 15amp fuse controlling backup lights/heater return power steering and radio control. all other fuses working properly. dealer is not yet contacted. | |||
| 11/01/1997 | 10 | 04/15/1997 | |
| Transmission shifts into reverse (internally) while gear shift indicator still indicates park. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| Transmision is going out.....torque convertor also failing. *ak | |||
| 06/15/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Experienced transmission hesitation while slowing down into a turn and rough transition ( banging) when reapplying acceleration coming out of the turn. ford dealer reports after diagnostic and tear down that problem was in transmission forward clutches and torque convertor and needed replacement. transmission only has 48500 miles and only 3 years old. problem started about 46000 miles with only subtle rough transient shifting at first. problem grew worse with banging and whole car vibration at times. ford customer service center has been contacted and will contact service manager for a detailed explanation of what could have caused problem so that a decision can be reached for an out of warranty component financial assistance situation. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 2 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle failed to go forward after driving in reverse and has hard shift between 1st and 2nd gear frequently due to sliping torque converter failure. yh | |||
| 08/27/1998 | 02/25/1998 | ||
| Torque converter failed/electrical system failure. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/10/2002 | 4 | 08/01/2002 | |
| Air condition unit sealed now leaking again the cv joints went out and the auto repair shop (marty's auto discount at 13 and harris ave) who was supposed to fix the repairs said the lower arm control and the axle were in unsafe condition to drive . the car is still not right , the dealer wants me to continue to make payments on this vehicle and i want to trade the car for something else .i believe there are more promblems coming in the near future. | |||
| 09/05/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Requested dealership to check transmission at time of purchase, felt that the transmission did not shift smoothly, was told nothing was wrong. | |||
| 09/02/1997 | 1 | ||
| Transaxle serve cover failed. | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Transaxle fails while driving at freeway speeds of 70 mph. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||
| 03/08/2000 | 1 | 09/13/1997 | |
| Bearings failed. nlm | |||
| 12/06/1998 | |||
| Consumer has been experiencing problems with t right front bearing. while driving heard a loud winding noise. it usually starts at about 40mph. the manufacturer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Ford referred to their service bulletin number 98-3-7 when this problem occurred. after researching the forward clutch piston failure i found that this is a major complaint with the ford vehicles and the original component was made from aluminum. i would like to have this investigated and ford to recall this part. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | |||
| 08/10/2002 | 4 | 08/01/2002 | |
| Air condition unit sealed now leaking again the cv joints went out and the auto repair shop (marty's auto discount at 13 and harris ave) who was supposed to fix the repairs said the lower arm control and the axle were in unsafe condition to drive . the car is still not right , the dealer wants me to continue to make payments on this vehicle and i want to trade the car for something else .i believe there are more promblems coming in the near future. | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle would hesitate & wouldn't stay running. wires for fuel pump had rubbed against flex hose, causing it to expose the wires & short out. dealer cold do nothing because no recall. *ak also the cv joints failed and the transmission pan cracked. the brakes vibrated causing the steering to vibrate terrebly. the vehicle, the consumer says, must be defective. *yh | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2097 | |
| 4th gear would not engage. o/d off light flashed repeatedly. though car was serviced one month previously and the transmission fluid was not burned, transmission disintegrated planetary gears. metal chunks and burned fluid found when examined at the local ford dealership. obviously another 3.8l/ford transmission defect failure as is well documented. ford has been contacted about reimbursement of the repair costs but thus far has refused. when is anyone going to finally hold them accountable for this ongoing problem in tauruses throughout the 90's?. *ak | |||
| 10/13/1999 | 15 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 09/05/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Requested dealership to check transmission at time of purchase, felt that the transmission did not shift smoothly, was told nothing was wrong. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| When traveling driveshaft broke, causing poor steering control. also, engine check light was flashing on the dash. consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 09/05/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Requested dealership to check transmission at time of purchase, felt that the transmission did not shift smoothly, was told nothing was wrong. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 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. | |||
| 09/15/2002 | |||
| While driving the vehicle at 45mph automatic transmission broke down, causing to pull the vehicle out of the road. dealer has been notified. please provide additional information. ts | |||
| While driving vehicle would stop like it jumped into neutral, after sitting for a while, vehicle will jump back into drive. took to dealer and dealer indicated had a faulty transmission. this is new transmission.*jb | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Consumer experiencing transmission thunk condition, was told by formerford dealership mechanic to have dealership replace the transmissionsince the defect was with the parking pawl and transmission abutmentplate, also replacement of the transmission was the only correction forthe problem, consumer found recall 96v166 regarding same problem, however,was unable to receive recall repair work. *tt | |||
| 6 | 09/15/2000 | ||
| Transmission leaking causing the vehicle to not start once stopped or parked. *cj | |||
| 04/13/2000 | 1 | 09/13/1997 | |
| Transmission had to be overhauled. nlm | |||
| 04/06/1998 | 3 | 07/19/1997 | |
| Vehicle has had three transmissions since its purchase. the transmission slips and fails. when attempting to accelerate vehicle will sometimes go idle then jerk and lurch forward. when brakes were released vehicle lurched forward into oncoming traffic. | |||
| 04/17/1998 | |||
| Transmission jerks slightly when the vehicle is shifted to reverse, and after a brief interlude the vehicle increases rpms and jumps backwards. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - SHIFT PATTERN INDICATOR | |||
| 07/04/2003 | 100000 | 1 | |
| 1997 ford taurus only 100000 miles and is having transmission problems. *ak | |||