NHTSA Complaint #10030294 — 1998 FORD TAURUS

1998 FORD TAURUS; 78000+ MILES: RECURRING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. OWNERS MANUAL INDICATES THAT THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY NOT BE REFERRING TO A MECHANICAL PROBLEM THAT WILL AFFECT PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. OUR LIGHT CAME ON ONE MONTH AFTER WE PURCHASED THE CAR. IT WOULD GO OFF WHEN WE CHANGED FLUIDS OR BRAND OF GASOLINE. ON JUNE 28TH THERE WAS A NOTICABLE CHANGE IN DRIVABILITY AS THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AND THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER SHIFT FROM LOW GEAR. THE ENGINE WOULD REV TO 5000 RPMS TRYING TO SHIFT BUT COULD NOT. I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE TRYING TO MANEUVER IN 55 TO 65 MPH TRAFFIC. AAMCO NOW TELLS ME THAT IT WILL COST 1500 T0 2000 DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I RAN A 1993 FORD VAN TO 270,000 MILES BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS MODEL HAD A 12 YEAR HISTORY OF SEVERE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AK