1990 Ford Taurus Engine Problems

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ENGINE COMPONENTS FELL ONTO THE STEERING MECHANISM, MAKING IT VERY HARD TO STEER. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10044978

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE CAR STALLS, THE POWER STEERING AND THE BRAKES ARE LOST, ALMOST CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. *MJ

NHTSA ID

566083

VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC SINCE 50,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

9006148

THIS CAR HAS HAD A LOT OF WORK DONE TO IT.IT NEVER WORKS RIGHT. IT HAS HAD OVERHEATING PROBLEMS,THERE HAS BEEN OVER 5000.00 PUT TOWARDS IT TO FIX &IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING.I HAVE TAKEN IT TO OVER 5 MECHANICS IN THE PAST 7 MONTHS ALSO THE HEATER HAS NEVER WORKED THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT SEVERAL TIMES TO FIX. I THINK THIS CAR IS A LEMON!!!!!!!!!I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A FORD AGAIN. THE MONEY I HAVE SPENT ON THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED AS A DOWN PAYMENT ON ANOTHER ONE.DEFINATELY A LEMON. *AK

NHTSA ID

757390

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IDLING AND WHILE IN MOTION, AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, IT WOULD RESTART. *SLC

NHTSA ID

564025

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, IT STALLED, AND EVERYTHING CUT OFF. NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES SO FAR.*AK *YH

NHTSA ID

896025

Incident

May 1, 2000

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

NHTSA ID

894602

Incident

Apr 1, 2001

TRANSMISSION CAN'T TAKE HILLS, TRANSMISSION HAS TO BARE DOWN GOING UP HILL, AND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS AROUND MAIN SEAL. THIS WILL BLEED TRANSMISSION DRY. CONSUMER HAD IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION COMPANY, AND HAD IT REBUILT AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. THEN 6 MONTHS LATER, TRANMISSION FLUID IS LEAKING OUT AGAIN.*AK CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A LOSS OF HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONER. WINDHSHIELD WIPERS WORK POORLY. DRIVER SEATBELT IS DEFECTIVE. ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. *SLC

NHTSA ID

882232

Incident

Mar 6, 2000

HEAD GASKET FAILED AND ALLOWED COOLANT INTO CYLINDER #4 WHICH RESULTED IN OVERHEATING, TIMING COVER ERRODED CAUSING THE CRANKCASE COOLANT TO BECOME COMTAMINATED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

559153

WHILE DRIVING ON A HOT DAY ENGINE WILL STALL WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO STOP VEHICLE, AND LET ENGINE COOL OFF. THEN, RESTART VEHICLE AGAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

878517

Incident

Jan 18, 2001

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

NHTSA ID

558432

FORD HAS FAILED TO FIX HEAD GASKET PROPERLY AFTER FAILURE OF ORIGINAL COMPONENT. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL APPLICABLE TO OTHER FORD 3.8 L ENGINES. *AK

NHTSA ID

736910

Incident

Nov 27, 2000

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?

NHTSA ID

735355

Incident

Nov 21, 1998

THIS IS THE 3RD HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN 2 1/2 YEARS OF THIS TYPE ENGINE!

NHTSA ID

733960

Incident

Sep 20, 2000

MOTOR KEEPS SHUTTING OFF

NHTSA ID

731805

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE DIDN'T PASS EMISSION TEST. CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES ENTERED VEHICLE AND CONSUMER GOT SICK. *AK

NHTSA ID

870423

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

THE TRANSMISSION HAS EXTENDED SHIFTS EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT RECENTLY BEGAN DOWNSHIFTING HARD, AND UPSHIFTS VERY QUICKLY, SOMETIMES ROUGHLY UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION. THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE SINCE PURCHASE IN 1996.*AK

NHTSA ID

724494

Incident

Nov 10, 1999

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

723954

Incident

Jun 2, 2000

HEAD LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

552590

WHILE DRIVING TEMPERATURE SENSOR CAME ON/OFF, AND VEHICLE CUT OFF. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS TIMING CHAIN. THEN, ANOTHER MECHANIC SAID IT WAS HEAD GASKET. *AK

NHTSA ID

858741

Incident

Mar 17, 1998

FORD NOT RESPONDING. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

719041

Incident

Jan 1, 1999

EXHAUST SYSTEM FAULTY. NLM

NHTSA ID

783867

WHILE TRAVELING & MAKING A STOP NOTICE ENGINE JUMP UNDER HOOD. EALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION *AK

NHTSA ID

855925

ON TWO OCCASIONS THE ENGINE MOUNTS FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MOVE UP WHEN ACCELERATING AND UPWARD WHEN IN REVERSE. *ET

NHTSA ID

783636

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE JAN 1994; IT HAD 78,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. IN THE LAST YEAR I HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH NO RESOLUTION. FRONT CENTER SEAT BELT BUCKLE BUTTON REMAINS DEPRESSED AND WILL NOT RETURN TO THE TOP POSITION MAKING IT UNUSEABLE AS A RESTRAINT. TAILGATE LATCH HAS BROKEN OFF DEEP INSIDE THE DOOR AND WILL NO LONGER LATCH. CATALYTIC CONVERTER "RAM'S HORN" BURNED OUT IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR; STARTED ENGINE AND BARELY AVOIDED SERIOUS ENGINE FIRE AS RESULT OF CONVERTER FAILURE. CAR SURGES WHEN IDLING, CAUSING IT TO LUNGE BACK AND FORTH SO HARD IT IS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED; WINSHIELD WIPERS STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN USING INTERMITTENT WIPE; A YEAR AGO WIPER MOTOR BURNED OUT AND WAS REPLACED. HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION WORKED ON THREE TIMES IN THREE YEARS. LED INDICATOR ON STEREO BURNED OUT 1 YEAR AFTER CAR WAS PURCHASED. ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE FAILED-ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE CONTINUOUS DESPITE $3,000.00 + IN ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THEM. ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE RADIATOR, AS WELL AS BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT TRANSAXLES ON FRONT OF VEHICLE IN AUGUST 1999. FREEZE PLUGS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR CURRENTLY "STORED" IN MY DRIVEWAY, AS I CANNOT AFFORD TO PUT ANY MORE $ INTO USELESS REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

715527

Incident

Aug 1, 1999