1992 Ford Taurus Visibility Problems

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK *YD

NHTSA ID

8004373

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF TAILPIPE. HEARD POPPING NOISE, ALSO WATER AND ANTIFREEZE WAS COMING FROM TAILPIPE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED ENGINE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN.*AK BLOWER FAN BLADE HAD TO BE REPLACED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. CUSTOMER STATES TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOES UP, LOW ON WATER AND LOOSING COOLANT. DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR, WATER PUMP AND SERPENTINE BELT. BRAKES ARE GRINDING. DEALER REPLACED FRONT BRAKES HAD TURNED ROTORS. ON ONE OCCASION, THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

NHTSA ID

8003937

Incident

Dec 5, 1999

FOLLOW-UP -- I.E., ADD'L COMPLAINTS ABOUT FAILURES FOR SUCH A LOW-MILEAGE CAR. THESE CAUSED SAFETY PROBLEMS AND ALSO CONCERN BY CONSUMER'S CERTIFIED MECHANIC. MANUFACTURER SHOULD ASSIST FOR PAYMENT OF DEFECTS AND FAILURES. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

756793

Incident

Jan 12, 2002

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH HEATER, AND HEAT GAUGE WOULD GO UP AND DOWN. THOUGHT AUTOMOBILE WAS GOING TO EXPLODE. TOOK AUTOMOBILE TO SHOP, AND THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS HEAD GASKETS. *AK THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE WAS A COMMON PROBLELM WITH 3.8 ENGINE. *YH

NHTSA ID

886257

Incident

Apr 13, 2001

I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 1995 FROM THE DEALER. IT ONLY HAD 17K MILES ON IT AND A 1 YEAR UNLIMITED WARRANTY BUMPER TO BUMPER EXCEPT TIRES. (I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD HAD A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD AND HAD BEEN COMPLETELY RE-CHECKED BY THE FACTORY.) THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, ON MY LUNCH HOUR I DROVE ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES TO A DOCTOR APPT. 45 MINUTES LATER AS I HEADED BACK TO MY OFFICE, THE CAR STARTED ACTING FUNNY, BEING "JERKY." WITHIN ONE MILE IT GOT WORSE. NONE OF MY WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. AFTER WORK, I STARTED THE CAR AND WHITE/CLEAR SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE BACK. I DROVE 1/4 MI TO P/U MY DAUGHTER AND WE DROVE 1 1/4 MILES HOME. THE CAR DIED IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE REST IS HISTORY. *AK

NHTSA ID

743403

Incident

Nov 25, 2000

THE A/C - HEATER BLOWER STOPS RUNNING FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME PERIOD. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THE TURN SIGNALS WILL NOT WORK. FOR NO ACTION ON MY PART, THE BLOWER RESTARTS. AT THE INSTANT THAT THE BLOWER RESTARTS, THE AIR BAG READINESS LIGHT LIGHTS MOMENTARILY, THE SAME AS IT DOES WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT THE AIR BAG IS NOT "READY" DURING THE TIME THAT THE BLOWER IS OFF, CLEARLY A DANGEROUS CONDITION. DURING THE TIME THAT THE BLOWER IS OFF, I THINK THAT THE BACKUP POWER SUPPLY (A CAPACITOR) DISCHARGES, AND WHEN THE POWER IS RESTORED TO THE BLOWER, THE BACKUP POWER SUPPLY CAPACITOR RECHARGES, CAUSING THE AIR BAG READINESS LIGHT TO LIGHT MOMENTARILY. SEVERAL TIMES, THE KAM (CONTINUOUS MEMORY) HAS BEEN CODE-SCANNED, WITH THE RESULT THAT NO FAILURE CODES WERE REVEALED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON ONLY DURING ENGINE START; NOT AFTERWARDS. *AK

NHTSA ID

743063

Incident

Mar 15, 2001

WHILE TRAVELING DURING A RAIN STORM BOTH WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED. INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILE SHOP HAS REPLACED FUSE/ WIPER MOTOR, AND STILL NOT WORKING. SAME SYMPTOMS AS TSB 9582. *AK

NHTSA ID

877926

Incident

Feb 1, 2000

HAVE PAID ALOT OF MONEY FOR THE HEATER TO GET FIXED BUT IT STILL WILL NOT WORK. SICK OF DEALING WITH CAR, DEALER, AND MANUFACTURER!!!!!!!!!!

NHTSA ID

738851

Incident

Oct 3, 2000

TRANSAXLE WILL NOT ENGAGE AFTER COMING TO A STOP. L/F BRAKE PAD STAYS PARTIALLY ENGAGED RESULTING IN PREMATURE WEARING OF SAID PAD; LUCKILY, I WAS COMING TO A SLOW STOP WHEN IT GAVE OUT COMPLETELY. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT ANALYZED UNTIL MY SECOND FRONT BRAKE JOB WITHIN 25 0R SO MONTHS. WITH WIPERS IN USE, ACTIVATING THE TURN SIGNAL IN EITHER DIRECTION CAUSES THE WIPERS TO STOP.THIS TENDS TO BRING ON A SLIGHT SENSE OF PANIC DURING A HEAVY RAIN. LIGHTS GO OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THIS SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AT MY EXPENSEAS HAVE ALL OTHER BEFORE MENTIONED PROBLEMS EXCEPT THE WIPER ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR 4 MONTHS AND CAN'T AFFORD FIXING THIS INCONVENIENCE. *AK

NHTSA ID

737788

Incident

Aug 21, 1998

WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATED ERRATICALLY. HIGH SPEED QUIT FIRST. OTHER SPEEDS WORKED FOR AWHILE THEN THEY WORKED FOR ONLY A FEW MINUTES. CONSUMER HAD TO KEEP CHANGING THE SPEED TO KEEP THEM WORKING. SOON THEY STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER, AND DRIVER HAD TO KEEP PUSHING IN THE WIPER WASHER BUTTON TO KEEP THE WIPERS OPERATING. *AK

NHTSA ID

849971

CONSUMER STATES WHILE USING THE WINDSHEILD WIPER THE WIPER'S WOULD WORK INTERMITTENT . DEALER HAS BEEEN CONTACTED. MJS

NHTSA ID

848670

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT GO DOWN IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

849213

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT PARK AND SOMETIMES DON'T WORK

NHTSA ID

712278

Incident

Oct 1, 1998

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

711665

Incident

Dec 3, 1994

THE WIPERS COMPLETELY FAIL IN HEAVY RAIN, BUT WHEN THEY DO WORK, THEY SWIPE ONCE OR TWICE AND THEN STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. HAVE CONTACTED THE FORD WEBSITE WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RESPONSE. REPAIRS TO THIS FAULTY SYSTEM ARE TOO COSTLY FOR ME TO UNDERTAKE, AS THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL MUST BE PULLED OUT TO CORRECT PROBLEM, A PROBLEM THAT FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR. PLEASE HELP. I WOULD HATE TO THINK THAT ONE OF MY THREE CHILDREN WOULD BE HURT AS A RESULT OF THIS DEVICE MALFUNCTIONING WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITH THEM IN THE CAR AND IT HAPPENS TO RAIN, SNOW, ETC...

NHTSA ID

711495

Incident

Mar 30, 1999

WHILE IN A PARKING LOT MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS FELL OUT. HAD TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE & ENGINE WOULD JUMP UP & DAMAGE THE ROD. ALSO, HEATER & RADIATOR HOSES WERE DAMAGED, AS WELL AS ALSO CV BOOT & ACCELERATOR LINK WERE BENT. HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS WITH MOTOR MOUNTS. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

841929

Incident

May 14, 1999

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH AND WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. MJS

NHTSA ID

546448

Incident

Mar 19, 1998

IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY BECOME INOPERABLE. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *AK

NHTSA ID

837563

WINDSHIELD WIPERS REMAIN IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

839087

WHILE TRAVELING WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD RUN NONE STOP FOR MILES AND MILES.DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

838551

WHEN CONSUMER TURNS ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, THEY WON'T WORK. BUT WHEN SOMEBODY SLAMS THE PASSENGER'S DOOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS START WORKING AGAIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

836116

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY DURING RAIN STORMS. HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

836098

Incident

Dec 1, 1998

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

NHTSA ID

544876

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

544749

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP DURING USE. MUST CONTINUE TO PLAY WITH WIPER CONTROLS TO HAVE WIPERS COMPLETE THEIR SWEEP. INTERMITENT WIPER WORKS SOME TIME AND NOT OTHERS. I SAW A RECENT NEWSPAPER NOTICE CONCERNING 1993 FORDS AND MERCURY'S. JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IT APPLIES TO THE 1992 MODEL YEAR FORD TAURUS ALSO. *AK

NHTSA ID

705072

Incident

May 1, 1998