NHTSA Complaint #10449744 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

I PURCHASED A NEW FORD TAURUS SE IN 2003. AFTER ONLY 30,000. MILES ON THE ODOMETER MY TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO GOODYEAR AND A MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND REFERRED ME TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. MY QUOTE TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT WAS $3,000. I BELIEVE THAT THIS FALLS UNDER "CATASTROPHIC MECHANICAL FAILURE" AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO GET THIS SITUATION RECTIFIED. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE REPLACED WITH A NEW TAURUS OR A NEW TRANSMISSION WITH WARRANTY AND THE REPAIR OF ANY COLLATERAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE CAR SITTING IN MY GARAGE SINCE 2008, I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I WAS NEARLY KILLED AS I TRIED TO NAVIGATE FROM THE FREEWAY TO THE SHOULDER. IN ESSENCE I PAID $1,000. PER MILE FOR THE LIFE OF THIS CAR. 2003 WAS ONE OF FORD'S WORST YEAR FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THIS TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. TO HAVE SUCH A MAJOR COMPONENT FAIL AFTER OWNING THE CAR 5-YEARS AND JUST 30,000. MILES IS A TRAVESTY. IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OWNERS DIED AS A RESULT OF THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND HOPE THAT WE CAN RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FOR THIS TRAVESTY BY AN AMERICAN AUTO COMPANY'S LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS NOT RIGHT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW A COMPANY CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS , TO ME, IS AN ILLEGAL ACT THAT SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED! *TR UPDATED IVOQ 07/09/12 THE CONSUMER ALSO REPORTED TRANSMISSION FAILURES EXPERIENCED BY OTHER CONSUMERS. UPDATED IVOQ 07/23/12