Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 93 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 93, in the owner's own words
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A FUEL LINE PROBLEM. *AK THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE IDLE, MILEAGE PER HOUR, THE A/C, THICKNESS IN THE FUEL, AND THE IGNITION. (REFER TO: ODI# 10073942) *SC THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB
THE IGNITION SWITCH DID NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT WAS HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE TURNED ON, AND WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED, THE DASH LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PLAY WITH THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION TO GET THE DASH LIGHTS TO COME ON. *PH *JB *CB
WHEN I TRY TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS HARD TO TURN ON THEN WHEN IT IS TURNED ON THE DASH DOESN'T LIGHT UP, AND THE WHOLE CAR IS DIGITAL. I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE SWITCH AND TRY AND TURN THE KEY A LITTLE BACKWARDS TO GET THE DASH TO LIGHT UP. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST A YEAR (SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR). *NLM
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. ENGINE PULLED AWAY FROM MAIN FRAME DUE TO DEFECTIVE BOLTS. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING BOOT HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SUB FRAME FAILURE, OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE INCLUDE: TFI MODULE, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, BLOWER MOTOR WAS OVERHEATING, FUEL PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. DRIVER PUSHED ON ACCELERATOR, BUT AUTOMOBILE CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN. REACHING SIDE OF ROAD, AND USING BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR, CONSUMER COULD RESTART VEHICLE BY PLACING IT IN NEUTRAL OR PARK. CONSUMER HAS NOT YET HAD AN ACCIDENT. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER LOST TOTAL ELECTRIC POWER TO SPARK PLUGS WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. MOTOR STALLED AND LOST ALL POWER TO VEHICLE. IGNITION SWITCH HAS MELTED DOWN. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER KEPT PUTTING VEHICLE ON MACHINES, BUT HAS NOT SOLVED PROBLEM. *AK *SLC
CONSUMER CAME TO A START, ENTERED INTO INTERSECTION AND VEHICLE STALLED. ONCE ENGINE COOLS DOWN, IT WILL START BACK UP. CONSUMER IS AWARE OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT. *AK
VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND IT MADE NOISES. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING ERRATIC OPERATION OF IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY. VEHICLE WILL EITHER NOT START OR CUTS OFF DURING OPERATION. *AK DEALER FIRST REPLACED STARTER ASSEMBLY AND THEN LATER DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY. *SLC
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. DEALER STATED INGNITION MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
I WAS DRIVING LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPACE WHEN CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED. *AK
INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE WOULD ACT AS IF IT WERE RUNNING OUT OF GAS, ENGINE WOULD QUIT. AND THEN CAME BACK WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE DID NOT NEED TO BE RESTARTED RIGHT AWAY BUT WOULD CUT OUT AS DESCRIBED AND THIS CONDITION WOULD CLEAR ON IT'S OWN. EVENTUALLY THE ENGINE WOULD SKIP AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING AND DID STALL. WOULDN'T START AND RUN WITHOUT INCIDENT. DEALER DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE DISTRIBUTOR AND ELECTRONIC IGNITION MODULE EVEN THOUGH THEY RECOMMENDED NOT REPLACING STATING THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS NOT HAD AND INCIDENT SINCE THE DEALERS REPAIR. *AK *NLM *SCC **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*734229
INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ENGINE WOULD ACT AS IF RUNNING OUT OF GAS - ENGINE WOULD QUIT, AND THEN COME BACK ON WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE DID NOT NEED TO BE RESTARTED, BUT WOULD CUT OUT AS DESCRIBED AND THIS CONDITION WOULD CLEAR ON ITS OWN. EVENTUALLY, THE ENGINE WOULD "SKIP" AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING AND DID STALL. WOULDN'T RESTART RIGHT AWAY, THEN WOULD RESTART AND STALL SEVERAL TIMES, THEN WOULD FINALLY START AND RUN WITHOUT INCEDENT. DEALER DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE DISTRIBUTOR STATOR AND ELECTRONIC IGNITION MODULE EVEN THOUGH THEY RECOMMENDED NOT REPLACING THESE ITEMS, STATING THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS NOT HAD AN INCEDENT SINCE THE DEALER REPAIR.
WHILE AT AN INTERSECTION, AND GIVING CAR GAS IT WILL SEVERELY HESITATE, THEN POP AND BACKFIRE, THEN IT WILL GO. TOOK TO FORD FOR A TUNE UP, AND PROBLEM GOT WORSE. TFI MODULE WAS NOT REPLACED.*AK
CAR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATED. REPLACED ONCE IN EARLY 1990'S. PROBLEM REAPPEARED ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. REPAIR SHOP CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM. RECALL IN CALIFORNIA SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO ENTIRE COUNTRY.
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN IGINTION MODULE. *AK *SLC
WIRE FROM STARTER RELAY TO IGNITION SWITCH HAD NO INSULATION OTHER THAN RUBBER CAUSING WIRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND WIRING IN THE DASH TO MELT AND CAUSE A FIRE. *SLC
I HAVE HAD 2 IGNITION MODULE FAILURES DURING THE 10 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED MY 1988 TAURUS. THE FIRST INCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES AND THE SECOND AT APPROXIMATELY 105,000 MILES. WHILE THESE FAILURES DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT THEY DID CAUSE A GREAT DEAL OF INCONVENIENCE AND COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCES. FORD DOES NOT SEEM TO THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, YET I HAVE HAD 3 IGNITION MODULE FAILURES ON FORD VEHICLES DURING THE PAST 15 YEARS.
SEATBELT BUCKLES JUST CAME APART IN MY HANDS. BOTH FRONT SEATBELTS HAVE NO BUCKLES, BECAUSE OF THIS. REAR WIRING FOR RUNNING LIGHTS, DEVELOPED EXTREME CORROSION AND TAILLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY BLEW OUT APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWO-THREE DAYS. A SMALL ELECTRICAL BURNOUT OCCURRED BURNING THE PLUGS AND LENSES. HOOD SHOCKS USED TO HOLD UP HOOD WHILE WORKING ON VEHICLE SUCH AS CHANGING/ CHECKING OIL...ETC...ARE NON FUNCTIONAL AND NO BAR IS PROVIDED , NOR IS THERE A SPACE FOR ONE. CAUSING EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITIONS BECAUSE HOOD DROPS DOWN SUDDENLY CAUSING INJURY.
WHILE DRIVING NOTICED HEATER NOT WORKING. PULLED OVER & TURNED VEHICLE OFF. RESTARTED VEHICLE & HEATER WORKED FINE. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, THE LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK. THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE JIGGLED BEFORE BEING ABLE TO START VEHICLE. HAS NOT BEEN TO DEALERSHIP AS OF YET.*AK
WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLS. WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATS, THE WIRING HARNESS SITUATED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING AND RIGHT REAR OF THE ENGINE COMPARMENT THE CONDENSOR, HEATS UP ALSO.THIS HAPPENS DURING HOT WEATHER. *AK
COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AND ODOMETER TO FAIL. COULDN'T TELL THE MILEAGE. *AK
DEALER PUT WRONG BATTERY, AND BATTERY EXPLODED AND LEFT A BAD ODOR. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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