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 1990 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 38 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 38, in the owner's own words
HOW DO I GET FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO HONOR GENUINE NHTSA RECALLS ON A 1990 FORD TAURUS WAGON??? IT CURRENTLY HAS COMPLAINT # NHTSA 90E043001; NHTSA 98V323000; NHTSA 93V106002; NHTSA 91V34000. I CANNOT GET DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE AIR BAG MODULE DEFECT, SEAT BELT DEFECT OR CPU REPLACEMENT DEFECT. WHAT DO I DO TO GET SOME ACTION ON THESE ISSUES???? *TR
I HAD A LOOSE IGNITION ON MY 1990 FORD TAURUS IN WHICH I COULD REMOVE MY KEY WHILE IT WAS STILL RUNNING I HAD THIS CHANGED WHILE I WAS HAVING OTHER WORK DONE ON THE CAR AND LESS THEN A WEEK LATER I HAD A VERY EXPENSIVE PAPERWEIGHT BECAUSE AFTER THEY PLACED A NEW IGNITION INTO MY CAR IT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT BURNING OUT ALL THE WIRING AND DESTROYING THE WIRES CONNECTED TO MY BATTERY. I TOWED THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER AND I HAD TO LAY OUT EVEN MORE MONEY FOR THEM TO TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY FIRES OR RECALLS AND THAT WAS THAT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING BRAKES LOCKED UP. THEN, A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS YET NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS ON HIGHWAY AND WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP. ENGINE CHECK AND BATTERY LIGHTS COME ON AS A WARNING SIGNS. VEHICLE LOSES ALL STEERING AND BRAKES WHEN IT STALLS. MANUFACTURER IS DOING NOTHING AT THIS TIME TO REMEDY SITUATION. *AK CONSUMER STATES BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, HOWEVER BOTH THE BATTERY AND ENGINE LIGHTS STILL ILLUMINATE, CONSUMER HAS SPENT OVER 1000 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS, AND VEHICLE STILL IS NOT REMEDIED. *SLC
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING, ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS ALLOWED TO COOL OFF THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS FAILURE IS RELATED TO THE TFI MODULE WHICH WAS RECALLED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. NLM
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS, THE FOLLOWING WERE REPLACED/REPAIRED: RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, ENGINE MOUNTS, VALVE COVER GASKETS, AND THERMOSTAT, THERE WAS ALSO AN OIL LEAK AND ANTIFREEZE LEAK, THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ALSO ILLUMINATED. *SLC
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A THICK FILM IGNITION MODULE INSTALLED ON THE DISTRIBUTOR, WHERE IT WOULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE VEHICLE TO STALL WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE AND WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY, CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER SEVERAL TIMES TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND WAS TOLD BY MANUFACTURER THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAUSE OF FIRE
ON NOVEMBER 20, 1998, I HAD WORK DONE ON MY CAR AT SHEEHY FORD COSTING $1100. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR DIED WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. KEN REED AT SHEEHY FORD SAID IT WOULD COST $3000 4000 TO REPAIR AN ENGINE BEARING PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD SPENT $4000 FOR CAR REPAIRS IN 1998-ON 2/23 WATERPUMP REPLACEMENT, INSPECTION OF FUEL SYSTEM HOSES AND TUBES, ON 3/18 FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT, 6/12 NEW PFE SENSOR, 8/13 REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR AND REGULATOR,COOLING FAN AND FUSIBLE LINK , 8/14 REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND INTERGRATED CONTROL MODULE, 11/11 OIL CHANGE AND MULTIPOINT INSPECTION AND ON 11/20/98 ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AS WELL AS GASKETS, SEALS, HOSES THERMOSTAT ON THIS DATE. SHEEHY FORD REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR PART OF THE MONIES SPENT ON 11/20 OR PROVIDE FREE WORK ON OUR OTHER CAR A FORD EXPLORER IN LIEU OF CASH. I CONTACTED MONTGOMERY COUNTY DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND THEN, THE STATE OF MARYLAND CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION. SHEEHY FORD REFUSED TO ARBITRATE AND NEITHER DIVISION COULD PROVE SHEEHY WAS AT FAULT. I HAD INITIALLY CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS REFERRED TO MY DEALER. AFTER DEALING WITH THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICES , I WROTE A LETTER TO JAC NASSER, CEO OF FORD. ABOUT 6 WEEKS LATER IN MARCH 1999, I DID GET A CALL FROM A FORD REP WHO REFUSED COMPENSATION BECAUSE I HAD DONATED THE CAR JANUARY 31, 1999 SINCE IT WAS NOT DRIVEABLE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AUTOMATION INC. ON 1/25/99 AND WAS TOLD THE CAR NEEDED NO LESS THAN A CRANK KIT, ESTIMATE $12-15,000. I BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER SHEEHY FORD DID TO MY CAR ON 11/20/98 CAUSED BY CAR TO STOP RUNNING FOREVER ON 11/21. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO A CAR WITH 65,510 MILES THAT WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. HAS AN ENGINE BEARING PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE?
WHILE COASTING VEHICLE WILL STALL. THERE ARE NO BRAKES OR STEERING WHEN THIS HAPPENS.*AK
THE TAURUS STALLS IN WARM WEATHER, BUT WILL RESTART IN 30 MINUTES. I UNDERSTAND FORD TFI IGNITION MODULES HAVE BEEN PROBLEMATIC IN THE PAST.
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL, IGNITION SWITCH BECAME HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL IGNITION COMPONENT FAILURES WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE STALLING. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE DIES. ALL POWER IS LOST. SOMETIMES IT WILL RESTART AFTER A FEW MINTUES. MOST OF THE TIME VEHCLE HAS TO BE TOWED. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR 3 YEARS. DEALERSHIP IS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. DIFFERENT PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH CONSUMER LOOKED INTO REARVIEW MIRROR, AND NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR. PULLED OVER, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE HAS BEEN STARTED IGNITION SWITCH BECOMES HOT. WOULD TAKE SOMETIME BEFORE IT BECOMES VERY HOT. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM & EACH TIME THE MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF OVERHEATING OF THE IGNITION SWITCH.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM
THE HORN SENSORS ARE DIFFICULT TO LOCATE. ONLY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT CAN THE HORN BE APPLIED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE COULD BE STARTED WITHOUT KEY IN THE IGNITION. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK PRIOR TO THIS, THE KEY WOULD BECOME STUCK IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND WOULD NOT BUDGE, IGNITION CYLINDER COMPLETELY FAILED ON 18-JUN-1998, CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THIS VEHICLE. *SLC
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSING POWER WINDOWS, TURN SIGNAL, AIR CONDITIONER AND RADIO TO FAIL.
WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIES OUT. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC PUT IT ON A TESTING MACHINE AND IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION COIL AND THE DISTRIBUTOR WERE FRIED. ALSO THEY CONTACTED THE DEALER ,AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK
THE STARTER FAILED THREE TIMES.
IGNITION SWITCH JAMMED 7 TIMES.
ALTERNATOR REPLACED.
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEED AND THE CONSUMER APPLIED FORCE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE WILL STALL/HESITATE AND CUT OFF. *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
Data on this page last refreshed .