Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 57 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 57, in the owner's own words
MY CAR HAS A ELECTRICAL PROB OR SOMETHING IT MAKES MY STEERING HARD AND WON'T LET WINDOWS ROLL DOWN AND MAKES ALL LIGHTS IN FLASH. HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO SEVERAL GARAGES AND THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S WRONG. BUT DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSES IT. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. I NEED HELP FIGURING OUT WHAT THIS IS SO I CAN GET IT FIXED!!!! *TR
1997 TAURUS HEATING SYSTEM FAILED. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE IN THE RADIATOR. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** THE RADIATOR FAILED. *JB
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
THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES A NOISE WHEN I TURN RIGHT AT TIMES. I HAVEN?T HAD IT FIXED YET. SOMETIMES MY WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS FRONT WON?T ROLL DOWN. IT HASN?T BEEN FIXED. THE CAR WOULDN?T GO FORWARD WHEN YOU HAD TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN FIXED. THE FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON HAD TO BE CHANGED. I COULDN?T DRIVE IT FURTHER AS IT WOULDN?T GO FORWARD AFTER I STOPPED.
RIGHT REAR WINDOW WON'T ALWAYS CLOSE AFTER OPENING. TRANSMISSION SLIPS DURING LOW SPEED STARTS THROUGH INTERSECTION OR PARKING LOT. FEELS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. THEN WHEN TRANSMISSION ENGAGES, IT SUDDENLY LURCHES CHIRPPING THE TIRES.
CONSUMER STATED THE HEATER FAILED. TS *JB
THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS WHILE ON HIGH OR LOW SPEED WILL GO INTO INTERMITTENT MODE. WHICH STARTED HAPPENING AFTER HE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. (EACH TIME HE WOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS, IT WOULD WORK OKAY) THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND IT WENT ON INTERMITTENT MODE WHILE ON HIGH OR LOW SPEED WIPER MODE. THEY INSTALLED SWITCH PART #XW3Z-13359-CASWITCH 357698-1EA, WHICH WORKED FOR A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY STARTED AGAIN.-SOME WHAT AFTER REPAIR, BUT LESS THAN OFTEN *SCC
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD MOTOR WIPER ALSO STATES THAT THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *MRWHILE OPERATING ON HIGH OR LOW SPEED, WILL GO TO INTERVAL WIPER MODE. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. FINALLY, THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND A SWITCH WAS INSTALLED. SOME TIME AFTER THE REPAIR, THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN, THIS TIME NOT AS OFTEN. *JG
IN WARM OR MOIST TEMPERATURE REAR LEFT WINDOW IS INOPERATIVE.*AK
ALL'S WELL IN PARK AND NEUTRAL, BUT WHEN IN REVERSE OR DRIVE, THE RADIO QUITS, INTERMITTENT WIPERS FAIL, WINDOWS WON'T WORK, LOSS OF ABOUT 75% OF POWER STEERING. PUT IT IN NUETRAL AND ALL IS WELL. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR. I FOUND 10 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE IN A 96 OR 97 FORD TAURUS.
DEFROSTER, HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER DO NOT WORK DUE TO PART FAILURE, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK *YD
A FOUL ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTS WHICH CAUSE WINDOWS TO BECOME FOGGED. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER FOR THIS, AND WAS TOLD THAT HEATER CORE WAS DEFECTIVE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN WORKING INTERMITENTLY FOR A FEW WEEKS. IT HAS NOW PROGRESSED TO TOTAL FAILURE. THE WIPER ASSEMBLY WILL NOT WORK ON ANY SETTING.*AK
DOME LIGHT REMAINS ON ONCE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF OR WHEN DOORS ARE CLOSED.ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WINDOWS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
INTERIOR MAP LIGHT IS ALSO THE DOME LIGHTS. CANNOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE DOOR IS OPEN. WHEN THE DOOR SENSOR BREAKS THE SENSORS THINKS THE DOOR IS OPEN. THIS IS HAZARDOUS AT NIGHT SINCE THERE IS GLARE COMING OFF THE WINDSHIELD. *AK
THE ORIGINAL DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MOTOR WAS REPLACED AUGUST 3,2000.THAT MOTOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED ON AUGUST 25,2000.THAT MOTOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED ON SEPTEMBER 26,2000.THE FIRST REPLACEMENT MOTOR WAS REPLACED WITH 45,431 MILES ON THE CAR. ALL WORK HAS BEEN DONE BY TURNPIKE FORD OF GALLIPOLIS,OHIO.I HAVE TO THINK THAT THEIR IS ANOTHER PROBLEM. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR IS FAILING/TIMING IS OFF/NEEDS NEW MOTOR PER MY MECHANIC. *AK
POWER STEERING INTERMITTENT FAILURE; FIRST BEGAN WHEN PLACING SHIFT LEVER INTO REVERSE GEAR, THEN LATER OCCURRED ALSO IN FORWARD DRIVE GEARS. SUSPECT ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC PROBLEM SINCE RADIO SPEAKERS ALSO GO SILENT AND POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THIS OCCURS. DISCOVERED THAT REMOVAL OF 15AMP FUSE CONTROLLING BACKUP LIGHTS/HEATER RETURN POWER STEERING AND RADIO CONTROL. ALL OTHER FUSES WORKING PROPERLY. DEALER IS NOT YET CONTACTED.
INTERMITTENT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. ALSO,WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SPEED UP FOR NO REASON. HAD TO HAVE ENTIRE SIGNAL ARM REPLACED.*AK
HEATER CORE AND EXPANSION TANK CRACK AND LEAKS CAUSING STEAM AND ANTI-FREEZE SMELL TO ENTER CAR CAUSING POOR VISIBILTY AND ALSO NAUSEA FROM SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE. *AK
HEATER CORE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS DUE TO FAILURE, THE SECOND REPLACEMENT FAILED ALSO CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT. *MJS
COOLANT FLUID SHOT OUT OF RADIATOR ONTO ENGINE AND VENTS, AND MIST APPEARED ALL OVER PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR AND HOSES. FIVE MONTHS LATER, WATER WAS LEAKING FROM BOTTOM OF VEHICLE, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS RELATED TO HEATER CORE RECALL. DEALER THEY REPLACED HEATER CORE PUMP ASSEMBLY AND CORE ASSEMBLY. 14 MONTHS LATER, RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING. DEALER SAID IT WAS PART OF THE SAME RECALL, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE CONSUMER.*AK
AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. *SLC
WINDSHIELD WIPER SPEED CHANGES FROM SETTING,SOMETIMES TO ONLY INTERMITTENT. OCCURS AFTER WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE USED FOR A WHILE, AND WHEN TURN SIGNALS ARE USED. DEALER COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK
WHEN IT RAINS AND CONSUMER TURNS ON WINDSHIELD WIPERS THERE IS A GRAYISH FUME THAT COVERS WINDSHIELD, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.*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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