NHTSA Complaint #10415880 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

I WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND ON I-90 (MASS. PIKE) IN MASSACHUSETTS, ABOUT 60 MILES OUTSIDE OF BOSTON, WITH MY FIANCEE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL. TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE HIGH 80S. SUN WAS OUT, ABOUT 4 P.M. IN THE AFTERNOON. SUDDENLY, THE RPMS WENT THROUGH THE ROOF, BUT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW OR SPEED. I TESTED AGAIN AND SAME THING HAPPENED. I SIGNALED RIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE OVER ONE LANE AND AGAIN ONTO THE SHOULDER. ONCE PARKED, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. I JUST GOT REVVING IN PARK, DRIVE, REVERSE, LOWER GEARS, ETC. TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NO POWER TO THE GROUND. REPAIR COSTS CAME TO $2,000. I WOULD CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF MY CAR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE SPACE TO MY REAR AND RIGHT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURED, BUT HAD I BEEN BOXED IN, THERE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE '03 TAURUS.