Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. 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. 51 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 51, in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH SUB FRAME BOLTS SNAPPED. AS A RESULT, STEERING FAILED. A RECALL WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ENGINE COMPONENTS FELL ONTO THE STEERING MECHANISM, MAKING IT VERY HARD TO STEER. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. *JB
WHEN VEHICLE MERGED ONTO THE STREET, IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHOUT BRAKES BEING APPLYED. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE INNER TIE RODS BOLTS HAD BROKEN OF. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER CONSTANTLY HAS TO STEER TO LEFT TO KEEP VEHICLE IN LINE. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE THE DESIGN FOR THE POWER STEERING IS POOR, THE PUMP IS IN THE RIGHT FORWARD CORNER OF THE ENGINE AND THE HOSES GOING TO THE RACK AND PINION GO OVER THE FWD EXHAUST MANIFOLD, PASS OVER THE TRANSAXLE, AND THEN PASS OVER THE AFTER EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *JB
RIGHT HAND CAME UNDONE FROM STEERING RACK, AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL. *AK
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
STEERING FLUID KEPT LEAKING OIL, HAD PUMPS AND HOSES REPLACED, AND DEALER STILL COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. COMING AROUND A CURVE ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE SEEMED LIKE IT DIDN'T WANT TO TURN IN PROPER DIRECTION CONSUMER WAS GOING. CONSUMER WAS PUTTING POWER STEERING FLUID IN FREQUENTLY, CONSUMER SAID IT WAS VERY SCARY ON THE HIGHWAY.*AK
WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP ON THE LEFT POSITION WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. *AK
THE LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE FR680 TIRE (P205/65R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, IN OCTOBER 2000, THE FRONT END EXPERIENCED VIBRATION AT SPEEDS FROM 35MPH TO 60MPH, THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT THE FIRESTONE TIRES BE REPLACED. *SLC
WHILE DRIVINHG ON THE HIGHWAY AND TURNING TO THE LEFT, STEERING BECOMES STIFF AND STICKS. DEALER CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM
FUEL INJECTION- CAR STALLS, WON'T ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. WIPERS- STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD, VISIBILITY HAMPERED. WHEELS- MAKING A SQUEEKING NOISE, WHEN INSPECTED FOUND LARGE CRACKS. OWNERS MANUAL WAS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE CAR. MOTOR MOUNTS KEEP BREAKING. SPARE WHEEL/TIRE THAT CAME WITH VEHICLE WAS RUSTED, PARTS OF THE JACK MISSING. POWER STEERING FLUID PUMP WAS CRACKED/LEAKING, HAD TO BE REPLACED. AIRCONDITIONER COMPRESSOR DID NOT WORK, BELT CONNECTED TO THE ALTERNATOR WOULD NOT MOVE, SO CAR WOULD NOT START. BRAKE CYLINDER LEAKING FLUID ONTO BRAKES. HOOD WILL NOT STAY UP.
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THE BOLT CAME OUT OF THE SUBFRAME, AND CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE. ALSO, STEERING WENT OUT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH MOTOR MOUNTS CAME OFF, CAUSING POWER STEERING TO GO OUT AND VEHICLE WOULD ONLY TURN TO THE RIGHT DUE TO THE POWER STEERING FLUID THAT LEAKED OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED. *AK
OUTER TIE ROD END WOULD COME OUT OF RUBBER BUSHINGS & SEPARATE. THIS WOULD CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH WHEN HE WAS AT A CURVE, TRIED TO STEER TO THE LEFT, BUT STEERING WAS STUCK AND CONSUMER HIT A LIGHT POLE. VEHICLE IS AT MECHANIC SHOP. *AK
ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE SPILL ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH STARTED A FIRE FROM THE FLUID GETTING DOWN ONTO THE ENGINE. *AK
MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ALSO, STEERING IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND VEHICLE IS STALLING WHENEVER CONSUMER TRIES TO START VEHICLE UP. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE A LITTLE STEERING. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED. DEALER PUT THE VEHICLE UP ON THE COMPUTER, AND STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM THAT HAS RETURNED. *AK
CAR WAS DRIVEN AT SLOW SPEED IN ORDER TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. IN DOING SO, PART OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR BROKE OFF, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY WHICH BROKE PUNCTURED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE.
CAR WAS DRIVEN AT LOW SPEED TURNING CORNER (DIRECTION OF TURN - RIGHT), WHEN FRONT STEERING CONTROL WAS SUDDENLY LOST. STEERING CONTROL LOSS WAS DUE TO STEERING ASSEMBLY UNDER FRONT END OF CAR BECOMING DETACHED FROM STRUT. THIS CAUSED SEVERED STEERING ASSEMBLY TO PUNCTURE RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND RIGHT REAR TIRE DUE TO SUDDEN BREAKING OF VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING STEERING WENT OUT/BOLTS, WHICH HOLD STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE, RUSTED OUT, CAUSING STEERING LOSS OF STEERING. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD . THIS HAPPENED ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. DEALER SAYS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID HOSE CAUSED FIRE. *AK
INNER SOCKET ASSEMBLY BROKE, CAUSING TIRE TO TURN SIDEWAYS AND LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
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 .