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 2004 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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
GEARSHIFT STAYS IN "PARK". ONCE YOU PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE AND PARK VEHICLE, PUT GEARSHIFT IN PARK, TURN OFF IGNITION. . .NEXT TIME YOU START YOUR ENGINE THE GEARSHIFT STAYS IN PARK. V
TAKATA POWER STEERING PUMP , IN MOTION WE KEEP REPLACING POWER STEERING OIL ,IT'S NOT LEAKING UT BUT CAN'T EVEN STEER THE CAR SO IT'S PARKED.
OWNER HEALTH WOULD NOT PERMIT TO CALLING IN COMPLAINT. NOW HAS NEW OWNER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY ACCELERATING NORMALLY TO BLEND IN WITH TRAFFIC IN THE RIGHT TRAVELLING LANE. WITHIN SECONDS THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS' OWN UP TO ANY ALARMING RATE OF SPEED. I SLAMMED ON BRAKES- NOTHING HAPPENED. ATTEMPTED TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL- NOTHING HAPPENED. I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR AS IT WAS GOING AT LEAST 100MPH. I WEAVED BETWEEN 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC BEFORE HITTING A CAR'S BUMPER AND FLIPPING OVER 2-3 TIMES AND LANDED UPRIGHT IN THE DITCH IN THE MEDIUM. I WAS AWAKE THE ENTIRE TIME- IN SHEER TERROR. HAD I NOT BEEN WEARING A SEATBELT I LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS 2004 FORD TAURUS 24VT HAS HAD MANY OTHER ACCIDENTS AND FORD MOTOR CO. HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THIS IS INEXCUSABLE!
ON JUNE 4, 2014 WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE ENGINE AND ALL POWER DIED ON MY 2004 FORD TAURUS LX. ALL OPERATION AND GAUGES OF THE VEHICLE WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT A FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. AFTER THE ENGINE DIED ALL STEERING AND BREAKING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE ALMOST TO THE POINT OF BEING INOPERABLE. THE CAR WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TOWED TO AN AUTO-REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THE CODES ON THE CAR INDICATED THAT THE PATS (PASSIVE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM) SHUT DOWN THE CAR AS IT THOUGHT IT WAS BEING STOLEN. SPEAKING WITH FORD DEALERSHIPS THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR
I WAS READING ABOUT THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM ON THE FORD EXPLORER AND DECIDED THAT I MAY BE NEGLIGENT IN REPORTING A PROBLEM ON MY FORD TAURUS. I HAVE A 2004 FORD TAURUS AND MY HUSBAND HAD A 2003 FORD TAURUS, BOTH HAVE POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. MY HUSBANDS FORD TAURUS WAS TOTALED IN AN UNRELATED INCIDENT BUT WE STILL HAVE THE 2004 TAURUS. I'VE BEEN EXPECTING A RECALL FOR THIS AS BOTH CARS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT HAVE NEVER REPORTED IT. THAT MIGHT BE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THERE NOT BEING A RECALL IF WE DON'T REPORT IT SO I THOUGHT I SHOULD SEND THIS IN TODAY. YOU NOTICE THE PROBLEM ON THE TAURUS THE MOST WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO TURN INTO PARKING SPACES. *TR
THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WHEN IT STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE SHOULDER, A CORRECTION WAS MADE TO BRING IT BACK BUT IT THEN DRIFTED TO THE LEFT LANE. A CORRECTION WAS MADE TO BRING IT RIGHT AND WHEN IT LINED UP AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT. AT THAT POINT THE CAR CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AND WENT OFF THE ROAD. THE DRIVER LATER STATED THAT SHE DID NOT LOSE CONTROL BUT HAD NO CONTROL. WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING EMPTIED OF PERSONAL EFFECTS SINCE IT WAS TOTALED IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE FRONT WHEELS BUT WOULD JUST SPIN. THE POLICE REFUSED TO DO A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW WITH THE DRIVER AND WOULD NOT DOCUMENT THE CONDITION OF THE CAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT SAYING THAT THEY COULD NOT PROVE IF THE STEERING FAILED AND CAUSED THE ACCIDENT OR WAS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *TR
THE SHIFT WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE CAR IS READY AND THEN THE SHIFT WILL MOVE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH AROUND A BEND, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO TURN 360 DEGREES CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL AND SWERVE OFF OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE STEERING ROD WAS FRACTURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.
AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED SMOKE ROLLING OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR HOOD. WHEN WE GOT THE HOOD UP WE DISCOVERED THE HOOD INSULATION ON FIRE. WE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT IT OUT. BESIDES THE INSULATION, THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HOSE WAS BURNT THROUGH AND LOOSE FROM THE HOOD AND PART OF HOOD WAS BURNT. THE BODY SHOP SAID THE CAUSE WAS THE RESULT OF FLUID LEAKING FROM THE POWER STEERING HOSE ONTO THE HOT MANIFOLD AND STARTING THE FIRE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN MY CAR. THE HOOD WAS FIXED AND WINDSHIELD WASHER HOSE AND NOZZLE WERE REPLACED. A NEW POWER STEERING FLUID HOSE HAS BEEN ORDERED TO REPLACE THE OTHER ONE BUT IS ON BACK ORDER SO MY CAR SITS AT THE BODY SHOP. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH, WHICH LED TO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OF THE VEHICLE, MINOR INSTRUMENT PANEL DAMAGE, AND A DENT IN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE GLASS ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTIFIED THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 105,000.
I BOUGHT A 2004 FORD TAURUS SE BRAND NEW. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS I STARTED TO GET VIBRATION FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BETWEEN 42-45 MILES PH. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND A MFG WARNING CAME ON FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE DIRECTIVE WAS FOLLOWED BY THE DEALER SO I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS OVER. WITHIN TWO DAYS LATER THE PROBLEM GOT MORE SEVERE AND IN ADDITION TO THE VIBRATING GAS PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE. I MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT THE DEALER AND AFTER WAITING TWO HOURS FOR MY CAR THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS UNDER RESEARCH TO FIND A PERMANENT FIX FOR BOTH PROBLEMS. I TOLD THE DEALER THE THIS IS A 2004 FORD TAURUS WITH 2,900 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING WORSE BY THE DAY AND THAT I WANTED MY CAR FIXED FOR FEAR THAT SOMETHING WORSE WOULD HAPPEN. THE DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND TOTALLY IGNORED MY SAFETY IN THIS CAR. FORD MOTOR COMPANY FURTHER SAID CHECK BACK IN ABOUT 6 MONTHS MAYBE WE MIGHT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEMS. IN THE MEANTIME THEY COULD CARE LESS IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME IN THEIR CAR KNOWING I HAD PROGRESSIVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND THAT I WAS TOTALLY UNSATISFIED. I EVEN SUGGESTED THAT THEY KEEP THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS FIXED AND LEND ME A LOANER CAR UNTIL THE CAR WAS SAFE, AGAIN THEY REFUSED. PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT BOTH PROBLEMS WERE VERIFIED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR THEY DIDN'T DENY THE PROBLEMS BUT REFUSED TO FIX IT FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *LA
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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