Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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
A PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT LENS. HEADLIGHT LENS IS SO FOGGY THAT VISIBILITY IS POOR ENOUGH THAT IT MUST BE REPLACED. FORD SAYS THE DETERIORATION IS DUE TO AUTOMATIC CAR WASH SOAP. HOWEVER, CAR WAS HAND WASHED. THE APPROXIMATE COST FOR PARTS ALONE IS $500 AS THE LENS IS NOT SOLD SEPARATELY. CARS IN THE JUNK YARD ALSO HAVE SAME CONDITION. *TR
HEADLIGHT FAILURE DUE TO FAULTY LIGHT SWITCH. *JB
DT: CONSUMER OWNS A FORD TAURUS. THE HEADLIGHT LENS WAS NOT CLEAR, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. THE CLOUDINESS HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. HAD TO BUY 2 NEW SEALED HEADLIGHTS.*AK *NM
RANDOM CHANGES IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SPEED, REGARDLESS OF SETTING. HAZARD SIGNALS FAILED OR ONLY ONE SIDE FLASHING. TURN SIGNAL FAILURE (OF EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR CONSOLE LIGHTS). FAILURE OF INTERIOR LIGHTING TO TURN OFF AFTER DOORS CLOSED. FAILURE OF POWER WINDOWS (ALL FOUR). SHORT IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RESULTING IN REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF GEM MODULE. TURN SIGNAL/WIPER CONTROLS REPLACED. GEM MODULE REPLACED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO CONSTANTLY WIGGLE HEADLIGHT SWITCH TO KEEP HEADLIGHTS ON. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME.*AK
HEADLIGHTS WOULDN'T GO OFF AT ALL. THE ONLY WAY WAS FOR TO LIFT HOOD UP AND DISCONNECT BATTERY TO CABLE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
THERE ARE NO LIGHTS AT ALL IN OR OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. LIGHTS IN FRONT WENT OUT FIRST, AND THEN THIRD LIGHTS WENT OUT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
THE HEADLIGHT BEZEL IS DISCOLORED. THERE APPEARS TO BE A FOG INSIDE THE BEZEL. THE DEALER STATES THAT THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER STATES "SOMETHING" MUST HAVE BEEN SPRAYED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BEZEL. I WAS TOLD THAT SOME OF THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE A GASKET LEAK AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGAURDING THIS PROBLEM? *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON I95 DURING A RAINSTORM, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHEN I ACTIVATED MY LEFT DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL. VISIBILITY SUDDENLY BECAME ZERO AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED A SERIOUS CRASH. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO RESTORE PARTIAL USE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BY SWITCHING ON MY HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHTS. I TRIED THIS PROCEDURE BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS AS WELL AS THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ARE ALL CONTROLLED BY THE SAME HANDLE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT INSIDE THE STALK THAT HOUSES THE WIRING FOR THESE CONTROLS. I HAVE RARELY USED THIS CAR IN THE RAIN ( THERE HAS BEEN A VIRTUAL DROUGHT IN MY AREA) AND THIS IS THE FIRST REAL WORKOUT OF THE WIPERS.*AK
POOR SIGHT SIDE VISION FROM THE HEADLIGHTS. IF HAVING TO MAKE A SHARP TRUN DRIVER CANNOT SEE THE ROAD TO THE SIDE. PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO THE MANUFACTURER'S ATTENTION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
MANY PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE, VERY DISATISFIED, CAR WAS NOT CHECKED OUT PRIOR TO SALE, CAR WAS MISSING BASIC FLUIDS, CAR HAD LIGHTS OUT WHICH I WAS TICKETED FOR, CAR WAS RUNNING HORRIBLE NEEDED BRAKES, ALSO NEEDED WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A TUNEUP BUT CAR CONTINUED TO RUN HORRIBLE WHICH LOOKS TO HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE ENGINE PROBLEMS WHICH LED TO REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE. *AK
"DOOR AJAR" WARINING SWITCH REPLACED DUE TO INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON/STAYING ON.
THE CAR HAD BEEN PRE-INSPECTED FOR LEASE-TURN-IN IN JAN 1999, AND THEN REMAINED PARKED UNTIL FEB 8, 1999. AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. ON FEB 8, 1999, THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD, ORIGINATING FROM THE TOP CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD, DOWN 4 INCHES AND TRAILING OFF 4 INCHES TO THE LEFT. THE WINDSHIELD WAS INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT, AND NO CHIP MARKS OR TRAUMA TO THE GLASS WAS FOUND. GLASS INSTALLER STATED THAT THE CRACK WAS A STRESS FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF AT 55 MPH. AFTER STOPPING, SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THEY CAME BACK ON. ALSO, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BECOME DISCONNECTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *AK
WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL, EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN A CERTAIN POSITION, THE SIGNAL WILL NOT LOCK IN. WHEN CHANGING LANES THIS ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. *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
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