Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 11 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
CONSUMER'S 1988 FORD TAURUS WAS DELIVERED WITH RUST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR FENDER. *TS THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES, WIPER MOTOR, BODY MOUNTS AND STRUTS. *NM
1988 FORD TAURUS GL 3.0L V-6. HEATER CORE FAILED DURING WINTER MONTH WITH TEMPS IN THE 30-40 DEGREE F RANGE. WINDSHIELD AND ALL OTHER WINDOWS FOGGED OVER AND ELIMINATED VISIBILITY INSTANTLY. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT NIGHT AT APPROX 9:30 PM. ATTEMPTS AT USING A PAPER TOWEL WHICH WAS HANDY WAS TO NO AVAIL. AS SOON AS THE INTERIOR WINDOW WAS WIPED, IT INSTANTLY REFOGGED. USE OF DEFOGGER WAS FUTILE AND USE OF THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS OF LITTLE TO NO HELP. THE IMMEDIATE NATURE OF THE INCIDENT, FOR AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER OR A DRIVER UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ROAD IT COULD LEAD TO A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. ANYONE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR WOULD VERY LIKELY BECOME DISORIENTED, LOSE CONTROL, AND CRASH WITH LIKELY FATAL RESULTS. THERE ARE VERY LIKELY, NUMEROUS "UNEXPLAINED FATALITIES" WHERE THIS VERY INCIDENT WAS THE CAUSE. AFTER THE CRASH, FINDING THE CAUSE WOULD BE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND, DUE TO THE FATAL ENDING, NO ONE FROM INSIDE THE AUTO TO RELATE WHAT HAPPENED. THE SAME HEATER CORE AND INSTALLATION ARRANGEMENT HAS EXISTED ON THE FORD TAURUS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I REPORTED THIS SHORTLY AFTER IT OCCURRED BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE.*AK
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
WHEN THE HEATER CORE FAILS IN COLD TEMPERATURES, LARGE VOLUMES OF STEAM FROM THE SUPERHEATED COOLING FLUID IS RELEASED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSING ALL WINDOWS TO FOG WITHIN 5 TO 10 SECONDS RENDERING THE DRIVER BLIND ON THE HIGHWAY. OPENING THE WINDOWS AND SHUTTING OFF THE HEATER IS NOT A RAPID ENOUGH REMEDY. THE WINDSHIELD REMAINS FOGGED AS DOES THE REAR WINDOW, EVEN WITH THE REAR WINDOW DE-FOG/ICER ON. THIS INCIDENT PRODUCES A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION FOR EVEN AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AT NORMAL URBAN TRAFFIC SPEEDS. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND AT NIGHT, THIS BECOMES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE RUPTURE OF THE HEATER CORE IS INSTANTANEOUS AND COMES WITHOUT WARNING.*AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL (98V-323) PRIOR TO NOTICE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY, OUTER TIE ROD ENDS, LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS ON TWO OCCASIONS.
HAIRLINE CRACK IN WINDSHIELD NEAR HOOD HAS SPREAD UPWARD TO BECOME A 2 FOOT LONG CRACK.
HEATER CORE FAILURE RESULTED IN CLOUDS OF SMOKE COMING THROUGH WINDSHIELD/ DEFROST VENTS AND AIR VENTS.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, ELECTRICAL SHORT UNDER THE HEATER MOTOR/UNDER THE DASH, SAW SMOKE, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
TIE ROD ENDS FAILED SIX TIMES.
A/C LEAKS FREON.
RADIATOR HOSE LEAKS ANTI-FREEZE.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .