NHTSA Complaint #10196192 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH IN BUSY EARLY AM TRAFFIC I HEARD A NOISE & THE CAR WAS LOSING SPEED. I PUSHED ON ACCELERATOR IT WOULD NOT MOVE. BARELY GOT OFF TO THE SIDE. THE CAR DID NOT WORK IN ANY GEAR. ONLY 59000 MILES AND HAD BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. NO ABUSE. TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP IN FORT MILL,SC. TOLD ME THE CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND TORQUE CONVERTER WAS BAD PLUS TRANSMISSION WAS LIKELY DAMAGED .HAVE TO REBUILD WHOLE TRANSMISSION. CALLED FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER SERVICE & ASKED FOR SOME HELP SINCE THE MILEAGE WAS SO LOW & THE CAR NOT PAID FOR. AFTER 2 DAYS SAID NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. THE BILL WAS $3500 PLUS $250 DIAGNOSTIC AND $80 TOWING. I AM SINGLE, HAD 2 MORE YEARS TO PAY ON THE CAR. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO LET THE BANK FIGHT IT OUT WITH FORD. I CALLED AMOCO AND THEY T WILL FIX FOR APPROXIMATELY . $1650. SO I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED. FORD HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN THE CARS AND TRUCKS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. MANY CIRCULATED ON THE INTERNET WITH TRANSMISSION STORIES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD. COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY WOULDN'T AT LEAST PAY FOR PARTS. I AM GOING TO FILE COMPLAINTS AGAINST FORD EVERYWHERE I COULD . I WAS GOING TO THE LOCAL TV STATION AND TELL MY STORY. PLUS I WILL NEVER MISS A DAY TELLING EVERYONE I MEET OR TALK WITH FOLKS COUNTRYWIDE AT MY JOB ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE, AND FORDS LACK OF CONCERN. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED . IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR FORD TO HAVE HELPED WITH THE COST, THAN HAVE ME AS THEIR WORST ADVISORY. I WILL NEVER QUIT TELLING MY STORY. I WILL MAKE A BIG IMPACT IN THEIR ALREADY SAGGING SALES. IT WILL TAKE ME YEARS TO PAY THIS OFF & COULD HAPPEN AGAIN WITH THIS TRANSMISSION TYPE. IF FORD WANTS TO RETAIN THEIR HONOR& STOP MY TELLING THE STORY, THEN THEY CAN DO THE HONORABLE THING & HELP WITH THEIR MESS. I CAN COST THEM A LOT MORE THAN A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS. *AK