NHTSA Complaint #10090940 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

TRANSMISSION , 2002 TAURUS, APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES IS CLUNKING AND BANGING WHEN YOU SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE, DRIVE TO REVERSE, REVERSE TO DRIVE AND EVEN WHEN YOU PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. WE HAVE BEEN TELLING THE DEALER SINCE WE OWNED THIS CAR THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS CLUNKING AT TIMES AND WE KEEP BEING TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL OR ITS THE PARKING PAWL. IT USED TO TAKE ABOUT A SECOND AFTER YOU STOPPED TO DOWNSHIFT INTO FIRST. WE BROUGHT IT IN ON 02-18-02 AND WERE TOLD THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM AND THAT THIS IS NORMAL. WE KEPT BRINGING IT UP WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. WE BROUGHT IT BACK ON 02-25-04 AND TOLD THEM THAT IT HAD A HARD UP SHIFT INTO SECOND AND WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND DRIVE TO REVERSE ETC. IT BANGS AND YOU CAN FEEL IT JERK THE CAR. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE PCM AND REPLACED 2 MOTOR MOUNTS BECAUSE THEY WERE BAD. THE UP SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING AND THE HESITATION DOWN SHIFTING WHEN STOPPING HAS SEEMED TO IMPROVE. WE TOOK IT IN ON 09-1-04 AND ASKED SERVICE WRITER IF WE COULD HAVE A MECHANIC TAKE A DRIVE AND LISTEN TO IT. HE SAID WAIT A MINUTE. HE CAME BACK WITH WHO HE SAID WAS HIS SERVICE MANAGER. HIS SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US THAT HE OWNS A TAURUS AND THEY DO THIS. AFTER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET ABOUT TRANSMISSIONS THEY SHOULD HAVE A SMOOTH SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND DRIVE TO REVERSE ETC. THIS TRANSMISSION IS SMOOTH AT TIMES AND CLUNKS AND BANGS AT OTHER TIMES. WE WANTED TO HAVE A MECHANIC TAKE A DRIVE WITH US AND WE WOULD SHOW HIM WHAT IT WAS DOING. IT CLUNKS AND BANGS AFTER IT WARMS UP AND WE TOLD THIS TO MIKE AND HIS SERVICE MANAGER. WHAT MADE THE MOTOR MOUNTS GO BAD? WILL THIS TRANSMISSION FAIL ON US UNEXPECTEDLY OR HURT THE MOTOR MOUNTS ETC? I CALLED THE SERVICE WRITER ON 9/7, HE KEPT TELLING ME IT WAS NORMAL. WE WANT TO SELL THE CAR BUT DONT BELIEVE THIS IS NORMAL. IF THIS IS NORMAL AND SAFE, THEN WE WANT FORD TO PROVIDE IN WRITING. IT IS GETTING WORSE!