Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 042514 | 12/27/2004 | 10014266 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0300, p0316 or p030x - no crank battery discharged. *tt | 04/29/2005 | |
| 04174 | 09/06/2004 | 10013116 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. various models including 2004 f-series. *tt | 04/08/2005 | |
| 18411 | 02/01/2005 | 10012969 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0133, p1131 or p2195. *tt | 04/05/2005 | |
| 17960 | 08/01/2004 | 10011176 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0171/p0174, p1131/p1151, and/or p2195/p2197 in continuous memory. *tt | 01/07/2005 | |
| 03181 | 09/15/2003 | 10004027 | Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt | 11/14/2003 | |
| 16911 | 06/01/2003 | 10002622 | Malfunction indicator lamp on and tcil lamp illumination in conjunction with multiple memory diagnostic trouble codes related to transmission solenoids and hego heater circuits. *tt | 09/08/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 08/25/2011 | |||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the ignition starter was replaced for the second time. the original starter that was installed by the manufacturer was replaced in august of 2011. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the failure mileage and the vin were unavailable. | |||
| 08/25/2011 | |||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact attempted to start the ignition and the engine failed to operate. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the ignition starter was replaced for the second time. the original starter installed by the manufacturer was replaced in august of 2011. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the failure mileage and vin were unavailable. js | |||
| 12/17/2012 | 135000 | ||
| Brake light switch failed, at first the car wouldn't go out of park, after several tries it finally did. at that point it was noticed that the brake lights wouldn't turn off. i found an old recall that appeared to match the vehicle (04s12) but the ford dealer stated my car was not part of that recall and they would not state whether the car had already had it done or not. | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 31000 | 1 | |
| Failure of blower motor. my research shows that water leaking into the blower motor compartment and shorting-out the blower motor/resistor is chronic in the 2003 ford taurus, evidenced by the presence of water on the floor passenger side-front, and necessitates replacement of the blower motor and/or ballast resistor from water damage, at owner expense! a recall is in order to compel ford to address this design issue, at their expense. *tr | |||
| 07/11/2012 | 31000 | ||
| Failure of blower motor. my research shows that water leaking into the blower motor compartment and shorting-out the blower motor/resistor is chronic in the 2003 ford taurus, evidenced by the presence of water on the floor passenger side-front, and necessitates replacement of the blower motor and/or ballast resistor from water damage, at owner expense! a recall is in order to compel ford to address this design issue, at their expense. | |||
| 10/10/2011 | 130000 | 1 | |
| Total transmission failure out of no where. multiple other phantom engine failures/engine inexplicably dies. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Total transmission failure out of no where. multiple other phantom engine failures/engine inexplicably dies. | |||
| 11/23/2011 | 119000 | ||
| Water leak on passenger floor,shorted blower motor | |||
| 10/24/2011 | 58000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the defroster was inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised him that the blower motor had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were approximately 58,000. kmj | |||
| 10/24/2011 | 58000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that he was unable to use his defroster. the vehicle wastaken to an independent mechanic and they advised him that the blower motor had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 58,000. tb | |||
| 10/05/2011 | |||
| A water leak, possibly from a faulty seal, onto the passenger interior floor board also caused my ac/heater blower motor to short out. my heater switch will only work in the maxium position. from what i have read it is due to a heater motor resistor, which has caused similar problems for other taurus owners. i could not get ford to act even though a related recall existed under 03v087000 | |||
| 09/26/2011 | 106349 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking water under the front passenger seat. the contact was unaware of where the water was coming from. the contact did not take the vehicle to the dealer or a local mechanic. the contact believed that the air conditioner blower resister malfunctioned and caused the water leak. the contact vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 106,349. kmj | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 80000 | ||
| Power windows will not roll up or down, mirrors do not work, inside lights are out. ford replaced gem module a couple of years before for the same problem costing me money at that time. when the windows would not roll up or down, ford would replace fuse and in a few minutes the fuse would blow, again and again they did this and now they are not interested in fixing the problems since the vehicle is older and not under warranty and they claim fixing it would cost more than the vehicle is worth. i have a very good vehicle and would like to use the windows and mirrors and especially the lights inside and i feel this is definitely a safety hazard to me since i travel alone a lot each year. i have contacted ford and they repeatly state that they do not have any recalls and are not aware of such problems. i even sent them websites from people who are having these problems with the windows. all you have to do is goggle: taurus window problems and there are numerous owners with this problem. hope you can help with this matter as ford is not listening to us..... | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 130000 | ||
| When my car is parked in the rain, water will leak into the passenger side floorboard of the passenger compartment. on approximately february 1, 2011, it shorted out the blower motor that cools/heats the passenger compartment after sitting in the rain at the airport parking lot. since then, i have experienced several instances of water in the passenger floorboard. i had experienced the same water leak in 2006, but the short of the blower did not occur until this year. | |||
| 02/26/2011 | 55000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated while driving 20 mph, the exterior lights and the instrument panel lights failed simutaneously. the light would remain off for approximatley five to ten seconds before re-illuminating. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted to report the failure. the failure mileage was 55,000. | |||
| 02/26/2011 | 55000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated while driving 20 mph the exterior lights and the instrument panel goes out simutaneously. the light stays off for about five to ten seconds before coming back on. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 55,000...mw | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 28000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that as the vehicle was started, he attempted to activate the defroster but the blower fan failed to operate. in addition, the front passenger floorboard would periodically exhibit water retention. the failure occurred more frequently in rainy and snowy weather conditions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and they informed the contact that there was water within the blower fan motor relay. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 28,000. | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 28000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact started the ignition and attempted to activate the defroster; however the blower fan failed to operate. the failure occurred more frequently in rainy and snowy weather conditions. the front passenger floor area would periodically exhibit water. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis; and they informed that there was water within the blower fan motor relay. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 28,000. js | |||
| 12/20/2010 | 49152 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the heater blower had malfunctioned. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have a the blower resistor replaced yet the repair did not correct the failure. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the dealer discovered water damage around the heater blower. the dealer created a shield around and replaced the heater blower. the failure mileage was 49,152. | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 28000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact started the ignition and attempted to activate the defroster; however the blower fan failed to operate. the failure occurred more frequently in rainy and snowy weather conditions. the front passenger floor area would periodically exhibit water. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis; and they informed that there was water within the blower fan motor relay. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 28,000. js | |||
| 12/20/2010 | 49152 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the heater blower had malfunctioned. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have a the blower resistor replaced yet the repair did not correct the failure. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the dealer discovered water damage around the heater blower. the dealer created a shield around and replaced the heater blower. the failure mileage was 49,152. | |||
| 12/20/2010 | 48000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated the heater blower in the vehicle has malfunctioned. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have a resister in the blower replaced. the resister did not remedied the issue. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer. the dealer notice water damage around the heater blower. the dealer created a shield around the heater blower and replaced the heater blower. the contact stated the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs and issue a recall. the failure mileage was 49,152. jo | |||
| 01/14/2011 | 60500 | ||
| 1st occurance: driving on freeway, all electrical power lost except antitheft light on dash on. turn signals not functioning, was lucky to get to shoulder, no hazards worked while on shoulder. stranded for approx 1 hr when all power came back and car functioned normally. 2nd occurance; car was parked at work, antitheft light on and all electrical dead leaving driver stranded. will be towing to ford dealership it it doesn't start tomorrow. | |||
| 08/01/2010 | 145000 | ||
| Repeated stalling of my 2003 ford tarurus upon deceleration. rpm's drop to around 500 and then the engine either surges to approximately 1200 rpms (3 times in a row) and then idles normally or stalls. oddly if i shut off the blower fan, and shut off the radio i can prevent the stall but i still get the rpm bounce. there are no codes recorded in the onboard computer when this occurs. this happens very frequently and is very dangerous as i loose all power while operating the vehicle in traffic | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 103798 | ||
| I had to have my transmission rebuilt last dec and now am experiencing electrical problems, my signal lights/hazard lights do not work and was told the wires and harness need to be replaced. hinges that hold rear window in have snapped off, window held in place by lock. | |||
| 11/20/2008 | 75000 | ||
| Heat/ac fan blows only on high. replaced cowel panel and installed rain hat and blower resistor 11/08; blower motor resistor found defective 7/10 and replaced. heat/ac fan blows only on high today 12/10. | |||
| 09/17/2008 | 51000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while attempting to use the air conditioner or heating system the contact noticed that no air blow out of the vehicles vents. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the resistor was replaced, however the failure reoccurred. the vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic where the resistor was replaced for the second. there were no prior warnings. the failure mileage was 51000 and the current mileage was 59000. bml | |||
| 02/10/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact started the ignition and activated the air condition, followed by a knocking noise. a musty odor emitted through the vents. the failure occurred intermittently. the contact stated during rainy conditions water would leak through the defective front windshield that resulted to an accumulation of water over a period of time in the air condition blower motor. there was a recall associated with the nhtsa campaign id number 003v087000 (visibility:windshield);the vehicle had not been repaired under the recall. the contact had spoken with a technician that stated the failure was related to the air condition blower motor; however; the vehicle had not been diagnosed at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 38,000. js | |||
| 08/10/2010 | |||
| Car was going approximately 45 miles per hour when the check engine light came on. car was taken to the car repair shop and it was discovered that the entire computer had to be replaced. a remanufactured computer was installed into the car and the cost was still over $600. mileage of the car was approximately 155,000. | |||
| 02/10/2010 | 38000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact started the ignition and activated the air condition, followed by a knocking noise. a musty odor emitted through the vents. the failure occurred intermittently. the contact stated during rainy conditions water would leak through the defective front windshield that resulted to an accumulation of water over a period of time in the air condition blower motor. there was a recall associated with the nhtsa campaign id number 003v087000 (visibility:windshield);the vehicle had not been repaired under the recall. the contact had spoken with a technician that stated the failure was related to the air condition blower motor; however; the vehicle had not been diagnosed at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 38,000. js | |||
| 08/10/2010 | |||
| Car was going approximately 45 miles per hour when the check engine light came on. car was taken to the car repair shop and it was discovered that the entire computer had to be replaced. a remanufactured computer was installed into the car and the cost was still over $600. mileage of the car was approximately 155,000. | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 140586 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that when it rained, water made its way into the vehicle from the instrument panel and flooded the front passenger side. furthermore, the defroster did not work. the steering wheel vibrated and, interior light was always illuminated and the door locks did not engage automatically. the contact called the dealership and was advised to take the vehicle in for repair at his expense. the current and failure mileages were 140,586. | |||
| 01/15/2010 | 41000 | ||
| Blower fan failure to operate and when it did work, it made a loud squeaking noise. finally complete failure. system evaluatlion, fuses, circuit breakers, harnesses all good. removed fan motor housing and fan motor. both showed evidence of water collecting in the housing and motor itself. to correct the problem i purchased a fan motor , installed and reassembled everything. my question, is this going to happen again? | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 130000 | 1 | |
| On february 5, 2010 my 2003 ford taurus caught fire at 1:00 p.m. parked under our car porch and there was no one in the car and no one had driven the car for 5 hours on saturday morning. the shreveport fire department was call to keep the house from burning down with the car. the city fire marshall said the fire was caused by the cruise control switch. i told him no one uses the cruise control in that car because we just go in town and there is a red light at every corner. he stated that he had been to many other fires just like this one and it was always the cruise control switch. my husband is emotionally disabled and i nearly had a nervous breakdown just the sight that our investment was burning up and there was nothing we could do. i have call the fire marshall for a written copy of his report. i have taken pictures of the vehicle and their is some minor damages and lots of smoke damage to done to the house. *tr | |||
| 12/11/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 ford taurus se has been cutting out while i am driving. all power goes out and the lights flash on the dash like a christmas tree. this problem has been occurring for about 9 months now and i have had it to the dealership 3 times only to have them tell me that there is nothing wrong with the car. everything locks up on the car, including the steering column and the brakes, and i am unable to do anything. after 3-8 seconds it will start itself back up again and i regain full control of the car. i have no idea why, but when i was trying to figure it out, i came across this website of people who have experienced the same thing and gotten no answers: http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-taurus/10048-taurus-shuts-off-starts-itself-while-driving.html if you can help me, please do! it's just not safe for my 1-year-old and i to be driving around unsure of when the car will do this again!! it's a horrible accident waiting to happen!*tr | |||
| 07/08/2009 | 127600 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 65 mph in rainy conditions, there was excessive condensation on the windows. the air conditioner was activated, but then suddenly failed without warning. the windshield was unable to defrost, which resulted in reduced visibility. the driver pulled over to the side of the road and cleared off the windows. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the blower motor possibly failed due to water leakage as rust was present. the vehicle was repaired. the failure was mileage 127,600 and current mileage was 127,800. updated 08/21/09. *lj updated 08/26/09. *jb | |||
| 03/16/2009 | 78000 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford taurus wagon. there are serious safety issues that need to be addressed by a recall: water leaking through the cabin air filter area into cabin compartment and seizing and overheating heating resistor and heater blower motor. my ford dealer told me there were no recalls for these problems on my car which is no longer under warranty the water leaking through the cabin air filter area into the cabin compartment in many 2001-3 taurus | |||
| 01/03/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| About 3 months ago, my windshield wipers began turning themselves on and off for various lengths of time, while switched off. now they run almost non stop. dealer suggests multifunction switch (i changed it -didn't work), or a gem module. a search at taurus car club sites shows this to be a common problem. consumer reports identifies overall electrical problems in all taurus' to be a common issue. *tr | |||
| 02/23/2009 | 44781 | 1 | |
| I currently own a 2003 ford taurus sedan. twice in the last 2 or 3 years i noticed water on the carpet on the front passenger side of the vehicle. well, over the last few weeks the blower motor started acting abnormally. finally, on february 23, 2009, i had to take the car to a local dealer to have the blower motor, a resistor bank, a piece of cowl top plastic and some weatherproof gasket replaced. i learned just prior to taking the vehicle in that there was a tsb about this same problem for a range of vehicles built between 2001 and 2003. the cost of these repairs was $237.00 in labor and approximately $200.00 in parts. i am annoyed and irritated that ford motor company still can't learn how to make cars, test them as long as they do, build them and then i experience this particular problem that they already knew about, six years after purchasing the vehicle brand new. it was also a potential safety hazard that the blower failed during extremely cold weather operations. i had to park the vehicle at home because there was no heat or any way to defrost the inside of the windshield. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 33000 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford taurus se with 33,000 miles. blower fan quit working on low speeds spring of 2008. repaired july 7, 2008 by replacing blower motor resistor. this worked for less than a month before failing again. determined that banging on dash would allow blower to work. after first freeze of the 2008 winter season the blower quit and has not worked since. the car is unsafe to drive: the windows have ice on the inside severely limiting visibility, the temperature inside the car is near ambient - which is currently below freezing. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| I discovered earlier year that water was leaking into the floorboard of my car's passenger side front seat. i never noticed it before, since i am always the driver, and rarely have passengers. in researching the problem, i found that it was a design error, and i have tried to plug the holes where water is coming in. i still have periodic leaks. as a result of the water leak, my blower has now shorted out. this is design error and ford should have to rectify it. this is an ongoing complaint with ford, please see other complaints attached to recall number 03v087000 and complaint 10184014. please help!! *tr | |||
| 11/14/2008 | 84500 | 1 | |
| I own a 2003 ford taurus which experienced a heater motor and heater switch failure last year. i replace the components myself for around $250.00. this year i have been experiencing water in the passenger side floor after heavy rains and have not been able to determine the cause or location of the water entering the vehicle. this week with the torrential rains we have been experiencing, water was found coming out of my heater motor and heater and draining onto the passenger side foot well carpet while using my heater and defroster. once i got home i removed the heater motor from the air duct and approximately 8 oz. of water poured out on the floor. i surmised the water of this great volume was coming in through the windshield. i search the internet to see if there were other occurrences of this situation and on you web site i found there was a compliance recall on this issue on march 3, 2003 on vehicles built between october 29, 2001 and april 27, 2002 regarding windshield retention requirements. i am filling this complaint on november 17, 2008 in hope other owners will be notified of this defect(s). this poses a considerable financial undertaking by the consumer should the water infiltrate the electrical harness in the suspect vehicles and cause consider electrical component damage within said vehicles. to date i have not received any notification from ford regarding my 2003 ford taurus se with a manufacture date of 12/02 vin.#. i feel the nhtsa should institute an national recall on said vehicles since we are talking about a major fleet model driven vehicle as well one the highest volume model cars driven in fords history my the consumer in general. your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. i look forward to your need response on this damaging situation that most consumers have no knowledge of. sincerely, j. christopher veach. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2008 | 92000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that there should be a splash shield over the cabin filter, located above the heater and near the blower fan. when it rains, water enters and shorts out the resistor or fan. as a result, power is lost. the dealer stated that there was no recall, only service bulletin number 31506. the contact has to purchase a splash shield, which prevents water from seeping down into the blower fan. he stated that this was the third resistor that has been installed since june of 2008 because they continue to short out. the failure mileage was 92,000. updated 11-25-08 *bf updated 11/26/08. *jb | |||
| 10/02/2008 | 65213 | 1 | |
| My 2003 ford taurus blower motor started to work only part of the time and then eventually stopped completely. i have read many other having this same problem. i live in northern mn where we temperatures at the end of jan beginning of feb of - 40 below and highs of - 5 below. the blower is extremely important. others that have the same problem are being told that water is getting into the blower and destroying them time after time. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2008 | 105000 | 1 | |
| Dash lights won't work except for hazard lights which stay on at all times when light switch activated. all other interior and exterior lights work. started during cold months but would resolve when car warmed up. now the lights are totally out. this is a safety hazard since i cannot see the gauges as i am driving to and from work in the dark. it seems to be a crossed wire or circuit board malfunction. tried to explain problem to local dealership, had appointment and then they wanted it to sit there for 3 days while technician who started the work was off!! it will be going to a new dealership on monday! *tr | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 65000 | 6 | 08/14/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 55 mph, the anti-theft warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost all power and shut off. the dealer replaced a sensor at the cost of $400, but the failure continued. the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times and they replaced the sensor again. the automatic control and powertrain control modules were replaced and a new computer was installed; however, the failure continued. during the final time the vehicle was taken to the dealer, they stated that an engineer would be flown in to determine the cause of the failure. the engineer concluded that the vehicle was losing 2.4 volts while driving, which caused it to shut off. bypass wires were installed on the vehicle in an attempt to get it to operate correctly. the vehicle was in the shop for over 30 days and is currently awaiting repairs. the failure mileage was 65,000 and failure mileage was 66,693. updated 09/25/08 *bf updated 09/26/08. *jb | |||
| 08/24/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Water leaks into the passenger side front floor board. water also accumulates in the blower motor housing, causing it and the control resistor to short out. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2008 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Poor vehicle design allowed water to leak into hvac system causing damage to blower resistor and blower motor. now unable to defrost / defog front windshield. *tr | |||
| 08/19/2008 | 72000 | 1 | |
| The air conditioner fan has stopped working due to a leak in a defective cowl. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2008 | 75000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact experienced several wiring malfunctions with the vehicle. the instrument panel lights would periodically illuminate automatically, and the headlights were also turning on and off without activating the light switch. the engine would also rev automatically and, when switching from park to drive, the engine would rev again. in addition, when in park, the vehicle would shut off by itself and have to be placed into neutral in order to be restarted. an independent mechanic could not locate the cause of the failure. a diagnostic was also performed, but it did not produce a failure code. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 81,000. | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 60000 | 1 | |
| When driving my 2003 ford taurus wagon it stalls for only a few seconds but comes back on by itself. this doesn't happen all the time but you never know when it will. at traffic light & all dashboard lights came on &car did stall & i had to restart car. driving at 65mph on highway all lights on dashboard will come on & car stalls but restarts on its own which is scary. warranty already expired. *tr | |||
| 10/24/2007 | 40000 | 20 | |
| 2003 ford taurus. severe stalling problems. also, before each stalling incident the dashboard lights will flash on and off, and the speedometer and tachometer will fluctuate. these problems occur when the auto is at driving speed or at idle. the most severe incident occurred when i was driving at approximately 50 mph. the dashboard lights flashed and the engine died. i have taken the auto to the ford dealership in norman, ok. they have not been able to diagnose the problem. *jb | |||
| 06/22/2003 | 8 | ||
| Same as complaint no. 10194207 but with a second vehicle. it hesitates or stalls with no notice other than all the dash lights coming on for a few seconds. then, there is a loss of power. happens when car is in motion and at intersections. car can be going 60 mph or can be at a stoplight. has been on flight recorder and computer, but no codes. different fixes have been tried by ford, but so far nothing has worked for very long. had both cars in shop again this month for the problem. no one is able to identify the specific problem, so the trial and error method has been for the most recent stays in the shop. left one of the vehicles at ford for about a week earlier this month. the other was in on and off 2 or 3 times this month. the hesitation and stalling and repeated repair attempts have been going on for awhile because we were told the problem was fixed or could be fixed, but now it is very unlikely with two cars having the same problem and yet to be fixed.*ak | |||
| 06/23/2003 | |||
| Vehicle hesitates or stalls out while in motion. all the dash lights come and then there is a sudden loss of electric power. have two of the same vehicle and have the problem with both. ford has tried to correct this but all attempts have failed. both cars are still under warranty and have about 54000 miles. the cars have been driven with recorders and computer but no codes come up. lately, they have been hesitating/stalling at least a couple of times a week. sometimes they stall while driving and sometimes while at a light. the worst is when the lights all come on and they hesitate while moving at 65 mph with an eight wheeler or suv right behind. my wife, two daughters, & i have all experienced this situation and it's very frightening. *ak | |||
| 10/29/2006 | 52000 | 1 | 05/29/2006 |
| I own a 2003 ford taurus and i had to replace the blower motor, a resistor and the bower motor wheel. this was do to a defective design by ford that lets moisture into the blower motor area thus causing it to fail, they refuse to do a recall and i have seen thousands of the same complaints on websites for auto repair. *jb | |||
| 04/17/2007 | 76292 | 50 | 03/15/2005 |
| When someone was going to do something about the stalling problems while driving2003 ford taurus. sometimes it wasd at a stop, but it also happened at highway speeds. it choked out, the gauges went haywire, and it stalled. thiswas something i found on blogs was a common complaint by taurus owners. it was a distraction that could cause an accident at highway speeds. it was scary when it happened. *ak | |||
| 03/15/2007 | 16300 | 1 | 08/03/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the windshield defroster must be powered on and off in order for it to operate. the contact was unable to retrieve air or heat inside the vehicle. the weather conditions were rainy. the manufacturer advised the contact to bring the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer stated that the blower motor failed and contained water damage. ford agreed to pay for half of the repairs. the current mileage was a 16,400 and failure mileage was 16,300.*ak the consumer states he would like to reimbursed for amount he paid of $182.00, however ford only agreed to pay for a portion of the repair. updated 05/04/07*tr | |||
| 01/11/2007 | 65000 | 15 | |
| While driving at highway speeds the vehicle went dead for 1 to 3 seconds and then started back up again. it was to the point that i would not allow my wife to drive the vehicle since she may panic and have and accident. i have taken the car to dealer, and no one seemed to know the cause for this.*ak | |||
| 11/14/2006 | 44076 | 2 | 01/27/2005 |
| Blower motor (blown) issues with water leakage and a very wet and smelly car . *jb | |||
| 12/08/2006 | 3 | ||
| Have replaced the blower motor resistors on a 2003 ford taurus twice (paid for twice at a ford repair shop) and it has quit again - all within a two month period. afraid to let them try again. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 34500 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford taurus ses. ford tsb 4-15-3, nhtsa #10011149. blower motor resistor failure. moisture causes the resistor to short out. moisture and electrical short is a fire hazard. resistor and blower motor must be replaced and blower motor housing must be resealed. this same problem has occurred in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 model years. defective workmanship and materials. *jb | |||
| 09/11/2006 | 75988 | 1 | 11/10/2003 |
| Blower motor switch went out, plus water leak on passenger front side. *nm | |||
| 09/08/2006 | 59686 | 1 | 08/26/2005 |
| I have a 2003 ford taurus se, while driving on the freeway i tried to make a phone call home. at the time my phone could not connect, i re-tried the phone call my phone made a clicking sound, simultaneously my dash board blinked out and reset to all the wrong information. when i exited the freeway i pulled over and restarted my vehicle everything reset correctly. i contacted ford, they said it was a voltage spike. i then talked to a good friend in the research and development dept. at a competitor. he told me that certain types of cell phone signals will interfere with the electronic devices in some vehicles. i think that ford should take this a bit more seriously because if this is a problem that this model taurus has, it should be addressed. *jb | |||
| 06/07/2006 | 37398 | 8 | 08/28/2003 |
| On 6-7-06, while driving the car to work, the fan motor quit. for the next week, the motor would quit or fail to run any time that it was raining or had rained. this effected using the defrost and the air conditioning. after checking all fuses, i finally took the car into the dealer service department. one of the service advisors looked at the car and asked if this was a 2003 model taurus? he then explained that this problem is common with that car. he explained about the water getting in the motor and that there was a tsb on how to fix this. however, ford would not cover any of the cost since there was no recall at this time. total cost of the repair was 401.14 dollars. since this caused a electrical short and was not protected by fuses, i am surprised that there was not a fire. the car was less than three years old but had 37,398 miles when the repair was completed. *nm | |||
| 06/19/2006 | 84598 | 1 | 03/02/2004 |
| Yesterday my ford taurus 2003 while my child was with me had the engine go wild out of control. the engine all by its self started racing at high speed and there was no control of it. i had good sense to hold down the brake and shifted it into neutral. it ran this way for a minute or two. i almost killed myself and my daughter. i took the car right away to westfield ford 708-354-8600 and was told that the computer that controls the engine went wacky and needed to be re-programmed. this is a very serious condition when the car can just take off by its self with no safety shut down. please investigate maybe someone was killed this way because of a defect in a computer. if there was more traffic present i could have died along with my child. the customer report from westfield says 94490 diagnosis j# 1 06f0z0engd. the ford people seemed to act like this has happened before to other people. *jb | |||
| 01/11/2006 | 37293 | 2 | 05/15/2004 |
| Dt*: the consumer stated the turn signals and hazard lights worked intermittently. if the steering wheel was in the up position, both of the signal lights work properly. if the steering wheel was the up and standard position, the lights would malfunction. the dealership and manufacturer have not been contacted. *jb updated 02/09/06. *jb | |||
| 05/19/2005 | 30000 | 35 | 08/01/2003 |
| Dt: about four months ago the engine would completely shut down while driving with a loss of power. this happened without warning, no previous stalling. once the engine died, a period of about ten minutes would pass, and then a restart would be possible. sometimes it would take numerous times to restart. after the first occurrence, the consumer took the vehicle to a ford dealer, where it was still under warranty, and they replaced the fuel pump. the fuel pump did not correct the problem because the engine would still die. the consumer did return to the dealer, and they performed a diagnostic test which showed a valve assembly control failure and it was replaced. also, they performed fuel pump pressure test, recorder monitor road test, check of battery condition, and a replacement of the electrical fuel pump assembly. after all of these tests and corrections, this was still a problem. the vehicle continued to have a problem that has not been corrected. the consumer went to the dealer six times, and has not contacted ford manufacturer. after all of these attempts the dealer suggested to the consumer to call nhtsa and check the lemon law. *ak updated 12/27/05. *jb | |||
| 06/13/2005 | 37000 | 7 | 08/19/2003 |
| Dt: 2003 ford taurus. vehicle stalled on june 13, 2005 and all the dashboard indicator lights came on and stayed for just a couple of seconds. this happened at least 7 times since then. the car will never completely die, it just mad ethe consumer fell that he haad no control of vehicle. when it did die it will restart, and the car was back to normal. took vehicle to dealer, and they checked it out and could not find anything wrong. *ak | |||
| 09/10/2003 | 12 | 08/03/2003 | |
| Vehicle stalls and dies out at any given time. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 04/01/2007 | 43000 | 1 | 11/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the windshield slipped down and she heard a lot of wind noise, rattling, and water leakage. the floor began to rust, the lights flickered, and the cruise control failed due to water damage. the alternator was replaced twice due to water damage. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v087000 (visibility:windshield). the failure mileage was 43,000 and current mileage was 68,000. updated 04-02-08 *bf the vehicle jerks when the consumer drives over 35 mph. the dashboard lights go dim. the vehicle would also stall. the dealer stated it was due to a bad alternator. updated | |||
| 11/10/2007 | 52000 | 1 | 09/30/2003 |
| I am the original owner of a 2003 ford. the car has 52,000 miles and no problems until now. the car engine light came on one evening so, the next day i brought it to be serviced. it was hooked up to the electronic computer analyzer only to find out that the computer board was no good. the mechanic installs the new computer board. two weeks later i go to start the car and the rpm is accelerating like i'm driving 60mph while in park! the battery light stayed on the whole time. when i tried to put the car in neutral or drive the rpms gradually go down and the car shuts off. finally, i had to had aaa tow me back to the garage who serviced the car. the alternator was no good. after the new alternator was installed the mechanic said it still did not run properly which, lead him back to the computer board. there is problem with the computer board again. i've had 3 fords in the past and none of them ever had a problem with the computer board. *tr | |||
| 10/19/2007 | 80000 | 2 | 06/07/2004 |
| Have a 2003 ford taurus ses; 80k miles. initially, my fan only worked on high. i just dealt w/ it, no big deal, but eventually, my alternator went out... so after i changed that, my fan no longer works at all. i have to replace the blower motor & the resistor for it. in the mean time, due to the fan not working, i almost was in an accident due to the defrost not being able to do it's job, and because there was no heat, i got a cold and missed some work. i am filing this complaint due to the number of people i have found that have had the same problem w/ their ford taurus. this seems to be a recurring problem, if that's the case, there should be a recall on the part for a resolution. bad choice on fords part. next time, i'll buy honda. *tr | |||
| 10/08/2007 | 50400 | 3 | 02/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while decelerating from 30 mph, the vehicle stalled in traffic and stopped on its own. the battery light illuminated before the failure occurred. the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was jumped and taken to the contact's residence before being towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the alternator needed to be replaced; however, no repairs were made. this is the third time that the alternator needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 50,400. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 04/02/2008 | 68812 | 7 | 09/06/2006 |
| I purchased my 2003 ford taurus from carmax in baltimore, md in sept 2006 after trading in my 2000 ford ranger. the taurus was a rental car in nj before being sold to carmax. since i purchased the car, i have had to replace the battery, starter, blower motor relay, transmission gasket and now the air compressor, power steering pump and belt needs to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2005 | 4700 | 2 | 03/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the front windshield glass leaked during rainy weather and puddles of rainwater form in the floorboard. the vehicle was inspected by the dealer. the dealer replaced the sealant around the windshield glass. afterwards, the problem persisted. there was a nhtsa recall # 03v087000 regarding visibility. the vin was not included in the recall. the manufacturer was not alerted. the battery needed to be replaced, because the vehicle would not start. the air condition failed. updated 09/22/06. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 05/14/2007 | 60000 | 10 | 07/22/2004 |
| 2003 ford taurus stalls at high speeds and at slowing down. *ak | |||
| 05/11/2004 | 137 | 10 | 05/06/2004 |
| Intermittent hesitation during aceleration. north bound, two lane ct 85. clear, dry pm. resevoir to my right, trees, signaled for a left turn, no oncomming traffic. i slowed to make turn, then accelerated. i saw a vehicle pull out to pass, several cars behind. my car started to gain speed, then hesitated, the rpm started to build up. the suv struck my right rear light, and bumper. the accident scene was rual, over a mile to nearest dweling. no phone. other driver returned to scene. no witnesses stopped. after the body repair work was complete, the service department at simon ford could not find any proble. probleb manifested itself 5 or 6 times on the way home. it also showed up driving back to simon ford. did not recur while mechanic was with me, for test drive. problem has occured about 12 times since. the 2003 ford turus currently has 482 miles on it. purchased with 64 miles, and accident at 137miles. when problem occurs, after about one second rpm builds to about 1500 rpm, then hangs there for one to two seconds, before increasing. it is as if the engin cut back to two cylinders, then increases to four, and finanly back to six.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||
| 07/01/2007 | 12 | 12/15/2006 | |
| Anti-theft system failing, causing vehicle to shut off while driving. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||
| 11/10/2007 | 52000 | 1 | 09/30/2003 |
| I am the original owner of a 2003 ford. the car has 52,000 miles and no problems until now. the car engine light came on one evening so, the next day i brought it to be serviced. it was hooked up to the electronic computer analyzer only to find out that the computer board was no good. the mechanic installs the new computer board. two weeks later i go to start the car and the rpm is accelerating like i'm driving 60mph while in park! the battery light stayed on the whole time. when i tried to put the car in neutral or drive the rpms gradually go down and the car shuts off. finally, i had to had aaa tow me back to the garage who serviced the car. the alternator was no good. after the new alternator was installed the mechanic said it still did not run properly which, lead him back to the computer board. there is problem with the computer board again. i've had 3 fords in the past and none of them ever had a problem with the computer board. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/02/2008 | 68812 | 7 | 09/06/2006 |
| I purchased my 2003 ford taurus from carmax in baltimore, md in sept 2006 after trading in my 2000 ford ranger. the taurus was a rental car in nj before being sold to carmax. since i purchased the car, i have had to replace the battery, starter, blower motor relay, transmission gasket and now the air compressor, power steering pump and belt needs to be replaced. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY - SOLENOID | |||
| 02/12/2008 | 73348 | 4 | |
| I purchased the car on 2/11/08 and then took it back to the dealer the next day because the door panel broke off and the car was idling high when i drive it. they knocked $1,000 off of the sales price and took off the ford warranty for this exchange and they wrote out another sales contract. a month later, the starter went out and i paid $200.00 to fix it (out of my pocket). then, on 4/7/08 when i was on my way to work, the car broke down again and i called raceway ford. the car dealer whom sold me the car told me that he don't know if they can help me and if they did fix it, he said he wouldn't know when it'll be ready because he's not a mechanic (in a very sarcastic tone). he told me to just call back when the manager arrive at 3 p.m. today. i had to get my car repaired the same day so i took my car to general automotive shop in moreno valley and paid $688.00 (out of my pocket) to get it repaired. after my car was repaired, on 4/7/08, i went to raceway ford and waited 15 minutes to talk to the sales manager, even though he was in his office, only 20ft away from where i was waiting, he sent his assistant manager to come out to talk to me because the assistant manager said the manager was too busy to handle the situation at this time. so, i explained all the problems i?ve had with the vehicle, which i purchased from them. the assistant manager made copies of my repair bills and told me that he promise he'll try to help me as best as he can and he'll call me back tomorrow (on 04/08/08). today is 4/10/08 and i haven?t heard from the manager or the assistant manager in regards to this dilemma. neither one of them has tried to contact me. i strongly believe that if they would have did a diagnostic on the vehicle before they sold it to me, this problem wouldn't even exist. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2003 | 8182 | 6 | 01/23/2003 |
| At about 8000 miles i was driving my 2003 taurus when i noticed an electrical smell. i pulled over and shut the air conditioning off to listen to my vehicle. the car sounded like it was continually turning over while running. i turned the car off and removed the keys, but the car would not shut off. i pulled my baby from the vehicle and ran. smoke was pouring from hood. the mechanic said the solenoid shorted internally causing starter to engage. we have since had many starting problems. right now my car is in the shop for the 11th day in row.they are on the sixth attempt to fix the vehicle. the car will crank, but not start. the second try it will then sputter and start. they have even replaced the computer and that did not fix it. also the tires had to be replaced at 22,500 miles due to vigorous shaking. the whole car would start to vibrate at about 40 mph. at 75 on the interstate the front of the car would shake for about 30 seconds then quit for 30 seconds. this routine continued through out the trip. *jb | |||
| 11/21/2004 | 23400 | 1 | 06/02/2003 |
| I have a concern of regarding a safety issue on my 2003 ford taurus. i am not sure if this is the right place to lodge a complaint, but would direct me to the right source if not.*ak sunday, november 21, 2004, i changed oil on my 2003 ford taurus. like many vehicles i have changed oil on, i was not very pleased with the location of the oil filter. it is located beneath the manifold (extreme heat) and above the solenoid for the starter. it was the solenoid that i was suspicious about and that suspicion came true sunday evening. when you take off the oil filter, oil drips onto the solenoid. i cannot imagine why an engineer would allow a location for a flammable liquid to drip onto a power source. when i used a filter wrench to get the oil filter off, the wrench knocked off the protective cap that covers the power leads and ground to the solenoid. what happened after that was not a positive experience. the oil wrench and the power leads made contact and immediately started sparking. the sparks in turn started a fire in my engine compartment and melted the metal band that surrounds the oil filter wrench. as quickly as i could, i grabbed some rags and doused the fire. as far as i could see, no damage was done to the electrical wires. aside from getting shocked from the solenoid and getting minor burns i am okay. however, that is not the issue. what if i had not put the fire out? would the car and possibly my garage been engulfed in fire? i contacted the service department where i purchased the ford taurus (valley ford, fargo) and voiced my concern. the service technician agreed that this solenoid was in an awful place. he also said to make sure the protective cap was placed over the terminal leads of the solenoid again. please advise me as to what my next step is. or, is this a safety issue that i am overreacting to? i anxiously await your response. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 01/15/2008 | 1 | ||
| 03 ford taurus, the heat has quit working in the car first i lost low and the next two speed controls then i lost high speed altogether. doing research at other websites this is a very common problem. also there has been the occasional water leak on the passenger floor board. where is the recall. *tr | |||
| 11/18/2007 | 80000 | 1 | 12/07/2005 |
| Heater and a/c fan motor suddenly stopped. *tr | |||
| 09/25/1973 | 23000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the vehicle burst into flames while parked and was destroyed. a police report was filed. the contact's insurance company informed him that the fire originated from the steering column or under the dashboard. he has pictures, if needed. the purchase date, vin, and engine size were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 23,000. | |||
| 04/24/2007 | 80000 | 1 | 01/02/2004 |
| Water leak causing blower motor and resistor to fail on 2003 ford taurus. *jb | |||
| 03/16/2007 | 03/09/2007 | ||
| Their was a winter storm and the blower on my 2003 taurus was not working. when the tempatures started to rise and the snow/ice melted there was a significant consolsation on the unit as well as on the floor boards. the motor hissed, then started then stopped. i have a friend who had the motor replaced a few weeks ago for the same reason. | |||
| 01/16/2006 | 39000 | 1 | 10/20/2002 |
| I purchased a 2003 ford taurus with a five year extended warranty from elder ford. blower motor was full of water that leaked through the vent. this made it burn out. the dealer wants $420 to replace the motor and cowl cover. this is a design problem, i have not modified any parts of the vehicle. not even three years later this is the problem i am having. and i was told by the dealer that this is not covered under my warranty that i purchased for over $800. i feel that this should be covered and ford should not be ripping people off by building junk. *ak | |||
| 10/25/2005 | 48000 | 1 | 07/01/2003 |
| Dt: the contact stated while driving smoke started coming from underneath the dashboard. upon inspection by a local mechanic it was determined there was a short in the blower motor. water could gather in the area where the blower motor was located. the mechanic replaced the blower motor and installed a special kit to waterproof the area. there was a technical service bulletin for this specific problem. *ak | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 1 | ||
| The driver noticed while driving the passenger side dashboard fallen apart. the driver was able to contact the dealer for an appointment and inspection. please fill in additional information. | |||