2008 Ford Taurus X Electrical Problems

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus X. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's daughter was able unable to pull over but was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing spark plugs, coolant, and radiator replaced. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

NHTSA ID

11444020

Incident

Dec 13, 2021

Mileage

109,000 mi

I bought this vehicle used from a lot. It had 2 previous owners and came with all the service history. I first noticed the vehicle seemed like it didn’t want to go into overdrive . It would get to about 70 mph which would have the rpm’s at 3k! The 2nd time or so that we got it to these speeds (on interstate) the vehicle suddenly clunked , steering wheel jerked , vehicle lost power - I had my 2 children in the vehicle and I was pregnant. We had to pull over immediately . After sitting side the road for a few , it crunk up and we rode out . Only for it to happen 2 more times. And this is not the only thing effected by this . Not long after I got it , I started noticing a hard shift / clunk / slam when going into gear and especially when the vehicle has just tried to downshift and I pressed the gas again . Due to this , I’m unable to tell when and if we can pull out into traffic and such. I must time it good in order to not risk getting T boned etc. Also, with 3 kids in tow , a vehicle slamming their necks and heads is dangerous and scary. So , I’ve had some work done on . Trying to help my issue. Apparently my issue is the same as a lot of others . Which is an intermittent issue . And apparently no matter if all the passed recalls were addressed. Or if the owners of the vehicle serviced it often and currant . Or if the pcm was reflashed , replaced etc - the Ford Taurus X will continue to have these issues . And these issues seem to be the same issues that were addressed in the ford recall in 2020 ( which didn’t include the Taurus X) and previous recalls . This drivertrain transmission has been an issue for the Taurus X since forever . Please check into this. Last thing we need is whiplash or life flights from this .

NHTSA ID

11437440

Incident

Apr 2, 2021

THE ACCELERATION SPEEDS UP ON ITS ON. THE ELECTRIC COMPONENTS MIS CHARGE.

NHTSA ID

11034289

Incident

Aug 20, 2017

HOOD RELEASED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES. COMPUTER REPORTED A TIRE SENSOR INFLATION ISSUES WHILE DRIVING. AIR PRESSURE WAS FINE. POPPING, LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING HAS RETURNED EVEN AFTER IT WAS SERVICED DUE TO THE DRIVETRAIN AND TRANSMISSION. SOUNDS AND FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH IN THE SUSPENSION, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE TOLD THAT IS NORMAL FOR THAT VEHICLE. WHILE TURNING OUT FROM A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE HAD FALLEN ON THE GROUND WHILE WE WERE DRIVING FORWARD. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE CAR FORWARD. WE WERE FORCED TO DRIVE THE BACK ROADS BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW GOES DOWN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RAISE THE WINDOW. THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER MIRROR GRINDS AND POPS WHILE MOVING IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10947761

Incident

Sep 10, 2016

Mileage

104,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS X. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE ACCELERATION FAILED. WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED, THE FAILURE WENT AWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION SENSORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000.

NHTSA ID

10876102

Incident

Apr 7, 2016

Mileage

153,000 mi

WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS ON A 2008 FORD TAURUS X WITH 143000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SHUTTERING AND SHIFTING ROUGHLY FOR THE PAST 30000 MILES OR SO. RECENTLY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED WHEN SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH WENT OFF, THE MILES UNTIL EMPTY READING DROPPED TO 0 (3/4 TANK OF GAS REMAINED), AND THE VEHICLE WOULD REV BUT ONLY GO 2-3 MPH. I ENTERED SOME OF THESE SYMPTOMS INTO GOOGLE AND FOUND MANY MESSAGE BOARD ENTERIES REFERENCING THIS ISSUE. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS FORD DOES NOT TO APPEAR TO FIX THE ISSUE SHORT OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION ($4000).

NHTSA ID

10782700

Incident

Oct 14, 2015

Mileage

143,000 mi

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED AND TURNED OFF FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS. A FIRE WAS REPORTED TO MY SON WHO BORROWED IT FOR WORK. HE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER UNTIL THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. THE FD DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND PUT OUT THE REMAINING FIRE. IN THEIR REPORT STATED THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL AND STARTED UNDER THE FRONT DASH. THE MIDDLE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASH IS COMPLETE DESTROYED AND MELTED. LOCAL FORD DEALER, BYERLY FORD ESTIMATED $4600 OF DAMAGE. ALSO STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS TOO INTENSE AND CAUSE SO MUCH HEAT DAMAGE THAT A CAUSE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. SUBMITTED CLAIM TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURER OR DESIGN ISSUE AND WOULD NOT PROCEED WITH ANY ACTION. CAR WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AND HAD NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10563965

Incident

Nov 12, 2013

Mileage

80,000 mi

BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY- I NOTICED THAT STEERING COLUMN WAS NOT LOCKED PRIOR TO INSERTING KEY. INSERTED KEY, TURNED TO START AND NO RESPONSE FROM IGNITION. KEPT TURNING STEERING COLUMN AND DECIDED TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION FROM PARK TO DRIVE SEVERAL TIMES. I RETURNED TO PARK-ING THE CAR AND REMOVED THE KEY. INITIALLY, STEERING COLUMN WAS NOT LOCKED, THEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN THE COLUMN LOCKED. TURNED THE KEY AND THE IGNITION HESITATED- THE DIALS WERE JUMPING. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS THE ENGINE TURNED OVER AND DIALS WENT TO NORMAL. I COMMENCED TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY- THE ENGINE RPM JUMPED, FAR MORE THEN WHAT I WAS APPLYING ACCELERATION FOR AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS HESITANT ( CLUNKING WAS AUDIBLE). THE VEHICLE REVERSED TOO RAPIDLY AND I APPLIED QUITE A BIT OF BRAKE TO STOP- I SHIFTED TO DRIVE AND AGAIN I COULD HEAR THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HESITATED TO GO FORWARD ( TRANSMISSION WAS CLUNKING), JERKING FORWARD AND SLOWING DOWN AND THE ENGINE RPM WAS ERRATIC. I PULLED TO THE SIDE AND PLACED CAR IN NEUTRAL; WAITED A MINUTE WHICH DURING THIS TIME, THE VEHICLE RPM WENT TO NORMAL. OK, I PLACED GEAR IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE RESPONDED NORMALLY. HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES OF SOME OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED EVENTS HAPPENING SINCE ORIGINAL OCCURRENCE. AT THIS MOMENT, STEERING COLUMN IS NOT LOCKED WITH THE KEY REMOVED AND WHEN TURNING CAR TO START THE IGNITION IS JUST TURNING OVER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10512645

Incident

Feb 11, 2013

Mileage

98,000 mi

THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I TAPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO RELEASE THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND STALLED IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF THE INTERSTATE. SEVERAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF THE INTERSTATE. THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A STANDARD COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND INFORMED US THAT THE COMPUTER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A REASON FOR THIS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. WE CONTACTED THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION AND WERE ADVISED TO CONTINUE OPERATING THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE PROBLEM RECURRED. IN THE EVENT OF ANOTHER LOSS OF POWER WE WERE ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP SO THE PROBLEM COULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10447240

Incident

Dec 23, 2011

Mileage

50,506 mi

MY CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AND STALLED IN TRAFFIC. MY MECHANIC HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS AND TESTED REPEATEDLY AND COULD NOT FIND A REASON AND COULD NOT MAKE THE EVENT REOCCUR. I DRIVE IN A RURAL AREA WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

NHTSA ID

10374153

Incident

Dec 1, 2010

Mileage

45,215 mi