NHTSA Complaint #10416769 — 2008 FORD TAURUS

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY 2008 FORD TAURUS SEL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DROPPED OUT OF GEAR WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING SLOWLY AWAY FROM A STOP AND THEN SLAMMED INTO GEAR. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I WAS LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY. IT DROPPED OUT OF GEAR AT ABOUT 5 MPH AND MADE A GROWLING NOISE. I STOPPED THE CAR, THINKING SOMEHOW THE SHIFT LEVER WASN'T IN THE RIGHT POSITION, I PUT IT IN GEAR AND THE TRANSMISSION SLAMMED INTO FIRST. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, SO I JUST SHIFTED IT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN EVERYTHING WORKED FINE. ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF LATER I HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT. I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND I HAD REACHED A SPEED OF 5-15 MPH WHEN THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY GEAR, THEN IT SLAMMED INTO GEAR FOR A MOMENT, WENT A FEW FEET, THEN DROPPED OUT AGAIN, THEN SLAMMED INTO GEAR AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE CURB IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF. FORTUNATELY NO TRAFFIC WAS COMING. I STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND HAD NO FURTHER TROUBLE, BUT THIS TIME I TOOK IT INTO THE FORD DEALER WHERE I HAD BOUGHT IT NEW. THEY CHECKED IT OUT KEEPING IT TWO DAYS BUT SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH EITHER THE TRANSMISSION OR THE SOFTWARE CONTROLLING IT. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO MEMORY ACCESS TO THE TRANSMISSION SO THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND OUT OR VERIFY THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I WAS CHECKING OUT RECALLS AND SERVICE BULLETINS ON IT TODAY AND I FOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IF I HAD BEEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND MY TRANSMISSION FAILED THE WAY IT DID, THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. *KB