NHTSA Complaint #10241892 — 2000 FORD TAURUS

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE. THE MAIN ISSUE IS THAT IT HAS HAD THE POTENTIAL TO KILL ME,MY FAMILY AND PASSERS BY ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS . TO START WITH WE REPLACED ALL OF THE PULLEYS ON THE VEHICLE LAST WINTER, DUE TO A CONSTANT SQUEALING NOISE THAT REPLACING THE BELT DID NOT FIX. THIS COST A SMALL FORTUNE AS WE BROKE SEVERAL TOOLS (AND 4 TENSIONER PULLEY'S) AS DID 3 MECHANICS TRYING TO GET THE PULLEYS BACK ON. FORD WAS ABSOLUTELY NO HELP, THEY WANTED TO CHARGE 300 OR MORE DOLLARS TO ATTEMPT THE JOB, THEIR QUOTE WAS SOMETHING LIKE "THOSE THINGS ARE A PAIN IN THE A@# AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH LABOR WHEN WE GET ONE IN!" AFTER NEARLY 2 WEEKS WE COMPLETED THE WORK AND MANY DOLLARS LATER ONLY TO LATER DISCOVER THAT WHEN WE DRIVE IT IN THE RAIN THE BELT COMES OFF! AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS IS NOT EXACTLY FUN WHEN ON A COUNTRY ROAD IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CHILD AT 55 MPH AND YOU SUDDENLY HAVE NO CONTROL OF YOUR CAR. AS WAS THE CASE WITH ME THE FIRST TIME BY THE TIME I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY 2 MILES LATER I HAD SOMETHING PLASTIC SMOKING ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE AND SEVERE OVERHEATING ISSUES!!! THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE, ONCE LEAVING ME STRANDED AT WAL-MART,ONCE IN A FRIENDS DRIVEWAY AND MOST RECENTLY AFTER 2 DAYS OF RAIN I DECIDED TO TAKE MY KIDS TO THE END OF THE RAOD TO THE BUS STOP(THIS IS ONLY RE: 80 FEET OR SO AWAY) AND I HADN'T BEEN ANYWHERE AND HIT NO PUDDLES OUT OF FEAR, AND YET STILL LOST THE BELT COMING BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY. MY CHILD HAD A SEIZURE AT SCHOOL A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, 20 MILES FROM ME AND I HAD TO DRIVE IN THE RAINS FROM TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV TO A FAMILY MEMBERS HOUSE AND GET A RIDE TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE WITH MY CHILD. I AM HAVING TO SAY NO TO WORK(SUBSTITUTE TEACHING) WHEN IT'S RAINING AGAIN IN FEAR OF WRECKING AND OR BEING STUCK SOMEWHERE AND CAN'T SELL IT BECAUSE IT HAS THESE PROBLEMS. WE ALSO HAVE HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE FAN'S BURNING OUT AND THE FRONT TIRES WEARING DOWN. *TR