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 1999 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 106 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 106, in the owner's own words
I'LL COPY ANOTHERS POST TO REFLECT EXACTLY THE WAY I FEEL AND MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS STEERING ISSUE... RACK AND PINION SEAL LEAKS FLUID INTO THE RIGHT HAND BOOT AND THEN THE GROUND, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING NOT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND FAILURE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I CAN'T BELIEVE FORD DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE SAFTY AND LOYALTY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND TAKE STEPS TO CORRECT THIS CONSISTANT DEFECT QUITE COMMON IN THIS MODEL.
I BOUGHT THIS 1999 FORD TAURUS IN 2011. I HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING RACK REPLACED DUE TO IT LEAKING. ONCE THIS GOT REPLACED THE CAR BEGAN TO IDLE REALLY REALLY BAD WHEN THE AC OR HEATER WAS TURNED ON, THIS WOULD ALSO SOMETIMES OCCUR JUST SITTING AT A LIGHT WITH NOTHING ON. IT WOULD ALSO HAPPEN IN REVERSE SOMETIMES STALLING THE CAR. I HAVE PUT OVER 2000 INTO THE CAR TO TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT. I CAME ACROSS THE 2005 FORD FREESTYLE THAT IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS BEING INVESTIGATED KNOW. I HAVE REPLACED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, CPU, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, POWER STEERING POSITION SENSOR, CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR, ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING RACK, AND THERE ARE A FEW OTHER THAT I WILL NEED TO FIND THE RECEIPTS FOR. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE ISSUE BECAUSE IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND ALSO MY FATHER IN LAW. IT SOMETIMES WILL HAPPEN RIGHT AS YOU ARE COMING TO A STOP SO IT JUMPS AND YOU ALMOST DON'T HAVE TIME TO STOP. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE ISSUE AND AM GETTING READY TO SELL THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN TO SEVERAL FORD DEALERS AND HAD THEM LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD ISSUES WITH ALL OF THESE PARTS SO I REPLACED. BUT TO MY SURPRISE I AM STILL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT ONLY HAS 94,000 SO VERY LOW MILES FOR THE YEAR. I HAVE A CHILD ON THE WAY AND CANNOT HAVE A VERY VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR
GOT OFF FREEWAY AND MADE TWO LEFT TURNS GOING DOWN STREET WITH A SLIGHT BEND TO THE RIGHT STEERING LOCKED SLIGHTLY TURNING TO THE RIGHT, CONTINUED TILL GOT OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. SHUT OFF CAR AND RESTARTED TWICE BEFORE STEERING LOCK RELEASED. *TR *KB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE WAS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SOMETHING WAS BLOCKING THE PATH OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID WITHIN THE POWER STEERING FLUID'S RESERVOIR. THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS AGAIN REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,470.
I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY STEERING WHEEL IT SHAKES OVER 45 MPH AND I HAVE CALLED THEY PLACE WERE I BOUGHT IT AND MY WARRANTY RAN OUT SO I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT FIXED THEN I SEE THERE IS A RECALL N MY TYPE OF CAR I WANT IT REPLACED. *TR
A 51 POINT INSPECTION DONE ON A 1999 FORD TAURUS I PURCHASED THAT HAD THE FOLLOWING SAFETY ISSUES: CRACKED BRAKES, LOOSE PINION ROD, TRANSMISSION, STEERING WHEEL OFF CENTER TO NAME A FEW ITEMS. REQUIRED A FLUSHING, OIL, ETC. I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE MOST OF THESE ITEMS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. SOME OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT I ALSO HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT MY COMPLAINT. I HAVE NOT HAD THE TRANSMISSION FIXED DUE TO FUNDS. THESE ITEMS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD HAVE CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR
MY 1999 FORD TAURUS HAS POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION ISSUSES. THE CAR MAKES WHINING NOISES WHEN TURNING, THE STEERING GETS TIGHT AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING. THE FLUID OZZES OUT OF PUMP OUT OF CAP.CAN CAUSE A CRASH IT JERKS THE WHEEL A LITTLE BIT ALSO. IVE LOOKED THIS PROBLEM UP ON INTERNET AND THERES ALOT OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR CARS.THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL NOTICE FOR SO MANY OF THE SAME ISSUES
RACK AND PINION POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE.*CN
I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT MY CAR HAS A BAD STEERING RACK WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $750. MY CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE MECHANIC BECAUSE MY STEERING BECAME LABORED AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I WAS TOLD IT IS A HAZARD TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *NM
CAR "BOUNCING" A LOT, BROTHER IN LAW SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A BUBBLE IN THE TIRE. HAD THE TIRES CHANGED AND MY HUSBAND WAS CALLED OVER BY MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC TOLD MY HUSBAND WE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND SHOWED HIM THAT THE RODS FOR STEERING WERE LOOSE BUT THAT THE LUG NUTS WERE TIGHT. HE SAID IT WAS THE RACK PINION. I WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL OR WHERE I COULD HAVE IT FIXED AND CAME ACROSS 0 RECALLS YET HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE IN A 1999 FORD TAURUS. *NM
ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, I HEARD NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT OF MY 1999 FORD TAURUS AS I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT. AS I LEFT THE PARKING LOT, THE STEERING SEEMED "STIFF" AND ON HARD TURNS THERE WAS NOISE. AS A RESULT, I TOOK MY CAR IMMEDIATELY TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THE ATTENDANT LOOKED AT THE STEERING FLUID AND FOUND IT TO BE "DIRTY" AND LOW. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY CHANGING THE FLUID TO DETERMINE IF THAT WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT COSTLY DIAGNOSTICS. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED HOME (APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES) THE STEERING ONCE AGAIN WAS NOISY AND "STIFF". SINCE I WAS TO BE OUT OF TOWN UNTIL WEDNESDAY, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24). THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND POWER STEERING FLUID PUMP WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,100. THE TAURUS HAS ONLY 48,700 MILES. AS I LOOKED AT THE DOT WEBSITE, I DISCOVERED 3 OR 4 IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON THE 1999 FORD TAURUS. ONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAD 48,000 MILES.
STEERING RACK IN 1999 FORD TARUS. PER THE AUTO SHOP THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TYPE OF VECHICLE, STATED THAT IT WAS JUST A POOR DESIGN
UNDER 40,000 MILES ON MY 1999 FORD TAURUS AND IT HAS A POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE WHICH CAUSES NO POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING, EVEN AFTER REFILLING UNIT WITH FLUID. LOUD WHINE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT DOES NOT ABATE WITH FLUID REFILL. PROBLEM CAME ON SUDDENLY AND WIFE HAD DIFFICULT TIME DRIVING HOME WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. UNIT DOES NOW SEEM TO HOLD FLUID, BUT FLUID POURING OUT THE TOP OF CAP IS EVIDENT, AND WHINE IS STILL PRESENT.*AK
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE CONSUMER WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC FOR THE REPAIR OF THE RACK AND PINION. *JB......REPAIR SHOP REMOVED AND REPLACED POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR, AND BLED POWER STEERING SYSTEM. *AK
HAD FIRST ALIGNMENT DONE AND RACK STARTED LEAKING INTO BOOT DIRECTLY AFTER. DEALER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NEW RACK LEAKS, REPLACED OUT OF WARRENTY BY WHEEL WORKS. RPLACEMENT RACK LEAKS, REPLACED UNDER WHEEL WORKS WARRENTY. REPLACEMENT RACK LEAKS, RESIVOUR WENT DRY AFTER JUST 10 MILES. I HOPE THEY REPLACE IT UNDER WARENTY. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE!.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
1999 FORD TAURUS SE: WHILE TURNING, STARTED HEARING GRINDING, SQEALING NOISES. POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL WAS FINE. BROUGHT IT TO MECHANIC, SAID THE POWER STEERING RACK AND POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE HAS 65000 HIGHWAY MILES. PER MECHANIC AND FORD DEALER, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 1999 FORD TAURUS. COST: OVER $900.00 USD. PLANNING ON FILING COMPLAINTS WITH FORD AND TAKING THEM TO COURT, IF NECESSARY, TO GET REIMBURSED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A 5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE BOOK! I'VE DONE SOME SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET, AND THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM...PLEASE LOOK INTO ASAP...*AK
THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ASSISTANCE WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE RACK & PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB
WHEN FOLLOWING BEHIND A SEMI TRUCK OR A PICKUP PULLING A TRAILOR THE TURBULANCE FROM THE TRUCK OR TRAILOR CAUSES MY 1999 FORD TAURUS SE TO SHAKE VIOLANTLY AND IS HARD TO CONTROL.
VARIOUS PROBLEMS INVOLVING 1999 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON.*MR THE POWER STEERING MADE EXCESSIVE NOISE, DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING RACK. THE VEHICLE FRONT END WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS TO CORRECT THIS OCCURRENCE. THE TECHNICIAN REMOVED AND REPLACED #1 COIL, REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS, CLEARED ALL THE CODES AND THEN THE VEHICLE RAN FINE. THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED AND THE ROTORS MACHINED. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE FREEZE OUT PLUG AND THERMOSTAT. WINDSHIELD WASHERS FAILED. THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED FRONT AND REAR STRUTS, SWAY BAR LINKS AND REAR SUBFRAME BUSHING. WHEN ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND ON COLD START REVERSE JERKS INTO GEAR, DEALER REPLACED THE TRANS UNIT. THE D/S DOOR RUBBER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WAS COMING OFF. D/S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING IN OUT THE REAR BLOCK. *NM
MY 1999 FORD TAURUS POWER STEERING PUMP AND/OR STEERING RACK FAILED, CAUSING ME TO HAVE EXTREME DIFFICULTY TO DRIVE THE CAR.*AK
RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED SO CONSUMER REQUEST AND INVESTIGATION INTO THE DESIGN FLAW OF THE 1999 AND 2000 FORD TAURUS. *PH *MR
WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE NEAR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND IT BECAME HARD TO STEER. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME AND CALLED A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FUEL PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
THE VEHICLE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED AT 54000. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG PARTIALLY DEPLOYED AND THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *NM *MR
WHILE DRIVING ON PA TURNPIKE ON FEB 6, 2004, THE DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM BROKE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL TO THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE FRAME AND RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE BEING DEEMED A "TOTAL LOSS".*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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