2001 Ford Taurus Interior & seats Problems

2001 FORD TAURUS DOOR LOCK NOT LATCHING DURING WINTER WEATHER. VERY SERIOUS AND SCARY SAFETY ISSUE, VERY MUCH SO WHEN THEIR IS ICE AND SNOW ON THE ROADS. ATTENDING WORK AND APPOINTMENTS IS MANDATORY. HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT WHILE DRIVING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AFTER MINIMAL RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. THE NEWS & MEDIA MUST BE ALERTED AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10505920

Incident

Mar 1, 2013

Mileage

185,000 mi

VEHICLE DOORS WILL NOT LATCH WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 30 DEGREES. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND WELL IS REPORTED THROUGHOUT MANY MODEL YEARS FOR FORD TAURUS. IT IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10484461

Incident

Nov 12, 2012

Mileage

170,000 mi

ONCE AGAIN MY DOOR LATCHES WILL NOT CLOSE WHEN THE WEATHER IS CLOSED. I HAVE TO DRIVE AROUND HOLDING MY DOOR SHUT. I REPORTED THIS TO FORD AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO THIS VEHICLE AND IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! *TR

NHTSA ID

10440125

Incident

Dec 16, 2011

Mileage

152,000 mi

I FIRST NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR DOOR OF MY 2001 TAURUS WAS NOT UNLOCKING WITH THE AUTOMATIC FEATURE, ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. THOUGHT THAT MAYBE ONE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THEN, ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. MY GRANDCHILDREN DO NOT TRAVEL IN THE FRONT COMPARTMENT OF MY CAR. NOR DO I HAVE VERY MANY PASSENGERS. ALSO, MY GRANDCHILDREN HAVE NOT BEEN IN MY CAR MUCH IN THE PAST 14 MONTHS, AS THEY HAVE MOVED TO ANOTHER COUNTY. I THEN HAD MY MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT. HE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT HE COULD NOT ORDER THE PARTS TO REPLACE THE DOOR LOCKING ACTUATOR. THE PART WAS OUT OF STOCK, BECAUSE A LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER FORD TAURUS OWNERS WERE HAVING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. I'M SORRY THAT I DID NOT CONTACT YOU EARLIER. MY MOTHER HAD BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK, AND I HAD LOTS OF CATCHING UP TO DO. ANYWAY, MY MECHANIC DID NOT RECOMMEND INSTALLING A USED PART, AS THE SAME THING WOULD VERY LIKELY HAPPEN. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME "SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, LADY ... BUT, YOU'RE ON OUR OWN". IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UNLOCK ALL DOORS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR BY WAY OF AUTOMATIC FEATURE, EITHER ON THE DOOR HANDLE OR THE HAND-HELD REMOTE. CHILDREN ARE NOT ALWAYS SWIFT IN BEING ABLE TO UNLOCK A CAR DOOR AND THEN OPENING THE DOOR IN AN EMERGENCY. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. EVERYONE THAT I HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM TO HAS SAID, WITHOUT ME MENTIONING THE SAFETY ISSUE FIRST, THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS MATTER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10357216

Incident

Aug 27, 2010

I DRIVE A 2001 FORD TAURUS. I HAVE A 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. SHE IS NOW OLD ENOUGH AND WEIGHS ENOUGH TO NO LONGER NEED THE BACK OF HER BOOSTER SEAT. THE BACK IS NOW BECOMING CONSTRICTIVE AS SHE IS GROWING. HOWEVER, IN A 2001 TAURUS, THERE ARE NO REAR HEAD RESTS. HER HEAD (AT THE AGE OF 7) IS ABOVE THE SEAT BACK. SHE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO PROTECTION FORM WHIP LASH AND AN FULL SIZED ADULT WOULD BE EVEN MORE INJURED IN THE EVEN OF A CRASH.

NHTSA ID

10323246

Incident

Mar 31, 2010

Mileage

99,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PREPARING TO BACK THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE CHILD UNBUCKLED THE SEAT BELT AND WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THE DOOR ALARM DID NOT SOUND. AS THE VEHICLE WAS BACKED OUT AND TO THE LEFT AT 5 MPH, THE 4 YEAR OLD CHILD WAS THROWN OUT THE REAR RIGHT DOOR. THE CHILD BECAME PINNED UNDER THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE, AND SUSTAINED ABRASIONS AND SWELLING OF THE ANKLES, KNEES, AND LEFT THIGH. THE CHILD WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE BOOSTER SEAT AND VEHICLE WERE NOT NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID

10171910

Incident

Oct 23, 2006

Mileage

70,550 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 40 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED PUNCTURING THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. AFTER PLACING A SPARE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT YET BEEN INFORMED. THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 09/05/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10164690

Incident

Aug 5, 2006

Mileage

64,000 mi

BOTH REAR DOOR AND FRONT PASS. DOOR LATCH SPRINGS WILL NOT RETRACT HANDLE/LATCHES. PASSENGER THINKS THEY HAVE CLOSED DOOR, BUT HANDLE IS UP/OUT AND DOOR IS NOT LATCHED. DOOR FLIES OPEN ON A TURN IN ROAD. *NM

NHTSA ID

10104729

Incident

Jul 1, 2001

Mileage

66,000 mi

CONSUMER SMELLED A BURNT ODOR COMING IN FROM THE VENT. VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE CENTER CONTROL PANEL. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10103552

Incident

Dec 10, 2004

Mileage

25,000 mi

DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER 'S SIDE DOORS FAILED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK WHEN APPLIED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. BUT THE DEALER HAD NOT FIXED THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

10097907

Incident

Oct 27, 2004

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE TRUNK WILL OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN TWENTY FIVE TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TWICE AND CAN NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10064869

Incident

Jan 20, 2004

Mileage

17,000 mi

REAR DOORS WON'T STAY CLOSED. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE HAD TO TIE THE TWO DOOR HANDLES TOGETHER TO KEEP THEM CLOSED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10063266

Incident

Feb 27, 2004

Mileage

48,000 mi

REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LATCH. DOOR DOES NOT FULLY LATCH UNLESS ABNORMAL FORCE IS USED TO SHUT THE DOOR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10025461

Incident

Jul 1, 2003

Mileage

38,000 mi

I HAD A ACCIDENT, IN TRAFFIC, I WAS STRUCK BY A TRUCK IN THE REAR AT A STAND STILL, THE TRUCK WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 50+MPH, MY DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE, PUTTING THE WEIGHT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT PRESSING MY BODY AGANST THE SAFETY BELT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE BRACKET/AND OR FLOOR BROKE LOOSE ON IMPACT.*AK

NHTSA ID

767309

Incident

Sep 11, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAD SHUT OFF CAUSING A CAR CRASH. NLM CONSUMER ADDS THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE WHEN PUT IN REVERSE AND DRIVE AT TIMES AND GOES INTO GEAR VERY HARD, THEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND WORN PLANETARY GEARS. ELEVEN DAYS AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE ENGINE CUT OFF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER LOSS ALL POWER WITH STEERING AND BRAKES. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A SQEAKING NOISE IN RIGHT FRONT AND DRIVERS SEAT WHEN DRIVING. NO PROBLEM FOUND. *TT

NHTSA ID

8007999

Incident

Mar 15, 2001